Pakistan's First Test Victory — Lucknow, October 1952

Pakistan, formed as an independent state in 1947, had assembled a cricket board immediately. The Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan (BCCP) lobbied vigorously for ICC recognition and was admitted in 1952. Many of the players had pre-partition first-class experience in India and were familiar with Indian opponents. Kardar had been a part of the 1946 Indian touring side to England.

After the Delhi defeat there was real worry. Kardar, before the Lucknow Test, told his team to put Delhi behind them and added: 'We will be playing at Lucknow which means luck-now.' Fazal, who had been criticised in the Delhi defeat, had spent days working on his ability to hold the matting ball back across the right-hander.

Pakistan's tour of India in 1952-53 was the first Test series between the two nations, played a little over five years after partition. Pakistan had been admitted to Test status in July 1952 by the Imperial Cricket Conference. Their inaugural match in Delhi ended in defeat by an innings and 70 runs, with Indian off-spinner Vinoo Mankad taking 8 for 52. Pakistan moved on to Lucknow under Kardar with morale low and home crowds expecting another comfortable Indian win.

The Lucknow University Ground used a coir matting pitch, a surface familiar to Pakistan's players from domestic cricket. Pakistan batted first and made 331, with Nazar Mohammed carrying his bat for 124 not out — a feat that earned him the rare honour of being the first batsman to carry his bat in Pakistan's Test history. India replied with 106, Fazal Mahmood swinging the matting-aided ball with vicious late movement to take 5 for 52. Following on, India were dismissed for 182. Fazal claimed 7 for 42 on the fourth morning, beating both edges repeatedly. Pakistan won by an innings and 43 runs.

Kardar, who had played three Tests for India in 1946 as Abdul Hafeez before partition, became the first man to play Tests for two different countries and the first Pakistan captain to win a Test. The Pakistan team returned to Karachi to a hero's welcome. The series was drawn 1-1 over five Tests, an extraordinary outcome for a team only six matches into Test history.

“We will be playing at Lucknow which means luck-now.”

“He bowled the matting ball as if he had invented it.”

Pakistan finished the series 1-1, an excellent result for a debut Test team. Fazal took 20 wickets in the series at 25.60. Kardar's reputation as a captain-statesman was made; he would lead Pakistan in their first 23 Tests, winning 6, losing 6 and drawing 11 — a record unmatched by a true founding captain.

Nazar Mohammed's career was tragically cut short the following year when he fell from a balcony and broke his arm; he never played Test cricket again. His son, Mudassar Nazar, would later play for Pakistan.