A first in four years

* The last Test between these two sides at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium was a bizarre affair. A match which Australia’s Steve Waugh described ‘the most boring Test I've ever seen’. A lame draw where 958 runs were scored off 392 overs @ 2.44 R/o in five days. Graham Thorpe took monotony to new heights as he reached a century that included only two boundaries, the fewest in Test history. Saqlain Mushtaq alone bowled 74 overs and took all eight wickets that fell in England’s first innings before Nasser Hussain declared and denied Saqlain’ a chance to register only the third 10-for in the history of Test cricket.

* For the first time in four years Pakistan is going into the last Test’ leading a three-match series. The last time they did so was against New Zealand in their backyard in 2001. Under Moin Khan, Pakistan won the first match at Auckland, drew at Christchurch before losing the third Test at Hamilton in Inzamam’s debut match as Pakistan captain. Since then Pakistan have played only five’ three-match series and with an exception against Bangladesh, where they won all three in 2003, they have never been able to lead any 3-Test series.

* Going into Lahore Test, Inzamam has accumulated 902 runs in six Tests this year. With the kind of form he is in, there is an opportunity for him to become the only Pakistani to cross the 1,000 run mark In Tests during calendar year 2005. Younis Khan, not playing in today’s game due to the sad demise of his brother, finished the year with 899 Test runs in 8 games. Surprisingly, the next two highest run scorers for Pakistan this year are quite far. Shahid Afridi, also not playing today due to his own antics, is third with 510 runs followed by Salman Butt with 438.

* After going wicket-less in Faisalabad Test, Danish Kaneria now needs only seven wickets to reach 50-wicket mark this year.

* Overall 35 Tests have been staged at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Pakistan won 10, lost and drew 19. Against England they have won just one, lost one and drew five in eight Tests at the same venue.

* Inzi’s monumental 329 is the best individual batting effort while Abdul Qadir’s 9 for 56 against Englishmen in 1987 and Imran Khan’s 14 for 116 vs Sri Lanka in 1982 still remains as the best bowling innings and match bowling analysis respectively.

* Highest team Innings score is 699 for 5 by India in 1989. Lowest innings total is 73 by New Zealand in 2001. Highest fourth innings score successfully chased is 209 for 5 by England in 1961.