Wasim Akram has had many a great days in his illustrious career, but October 20, 1996 holds a special place. This day witnessed one of the most iconic innings by a lower order batsman. By no means a dud with the bat, Akram came in a crisis situation when six wickets had fallen for 183 runs in the first Test against Zimbabwe, and went on to score a mammoth 257 runs, at Sheikhpura.
The innings became the highest score by a No. 8 batsman in Tests, beating the previous best of 209 scored by countryman Imtiaz Ahmed against New Zealand in 1955. His innings included 12 sixes, which became a record the most number of sixes in a Test innings, going past Wally Hammond's 10 in his 336 at Auckland, and 22 fours, including a 323-run partnership with Saqlain Mushtaq.
In the first innings of the match, Zimbabwe posted a challenging 375, with Paul Strang and and Grant Flower getting hundreds. The match was then spoiled for them by Wasim Akram's heroics with the bat. After Pakistan took a 178-run lead, there was only one result possible in the match—a draw, and that's what happened.
Zimbabwe in the second innings posted 241/7, playing out 100 overs to draw the match. Palpably tired with his Herculean effort, Akram just bowled 5 overs in the second innings.
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