A Celebration of 5000 ODIs
A Celebration of 5000 ODIs Match 17: Inzamam and Wasim Deny Australia in a Headingley Thriller
Inzamam-ul-Haq rebuilt Pakistan’s innings before Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq stopped Michael Bevan’s pursuit, sealing a tense 10-run World Cup victory at Headingley.
Australia still needed 62 runs when Michael Bevan watched Steve Waugh’s off stump fly out of the ground. The target remained possible, but Pakistan had released Shoaib Akhtar at precisely the moment when the chase appeared ready to turn.
Bevan carried on. Australia reached 265 with seven deliveries available, leaving 11 runs between Pakistan and a victory that had repeatedly threatened to escape.
Wasim Akram settled the argument himself. Damien Martyn fell to the fourth ball of the final over, and Glenn McGrath lost his stumps two deliveries later. Pakistan had defended 275 by 10 runs after a contest shaped by recoveries, counterattacks and a constant sense that either team could seize control.
The tension and quality on both sides explain why Pakistan versus Australia at Headingley is Match 17 in A Celebration of 5000 ODIs.
TL;DR
- Pakistan beat Australia by 10 runs in their 1999 World Cup group match at Headingley.
- Inzamam-ul-Haq scored 81 after Pakistan slipped to 46/3 and earned Player of the Match.
- Abdul Razzaq supported Inzamam with 60 in a match-defining 118-run partnership.
- Moin Khan’s 31 from 12 balls lifted Pakistan to 275/8.
- Michael Bevan made 61 and kept Australia alive deep into the final over.
- Wasim Akram finished with 4/40, including the final two wickets.
Pakistan vs Australia 1999 World Cup Match Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Pakistan vs Australia, 16th match, Group B |
| Tournament | 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup |
| Date | May 23, 1999 |
| Venue | Headingley, Leeds |
| Toss | Australia won the toss and fielded |
| Pakistan | 275/8 in 50 overs |
| Australia | 265 all out in 49.5 overs |
| Result | Pakistan won by 10 runs |
| Player of the Match | Inzamam-ul-Haq, 81 from 104 balls |
| Best bowling | Wasim Akram, 4/40 |
| Turning point | Australia fell from 214/4 to 251/8 |
| Tournament impact | Pakistan strengthened its Group B position; Australia slipped to a second defeat |
The ICC’s World Cup history of Headingley also identifies Inzamam and Razzaq’s recovery as the foundation of Pakistan’s victory.
Complete Match Scorecard
Pakistan Batting
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wajahatullah Wasti | c Steve Waugh b McGrath | 9 | 31 | 1 | 0 |
| Saeed Anwar | c Gilchrist b Reiffel | 25 | 23 | 5 | 0 |
| Abdul Razzaq | c Fleming b Warne | 60 | 99 | 3 | 1 |
| Ijaz Ahmed | lbw b Fleming | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq | run out (Fleming) | 81 | 104 | 6 | 1 |
| Yousuf Youhana | run out (Warne/Lehmann) | 29 | 16 | 4 | 1 |
| Wasim Akram | c Gilchrist b Fleming | 13 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Moin Khan | not out | 31 | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| Azhar Mahmood | run out (Martyn/McGrath) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Saqlain Mushtaq | not out | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shoaib Akhtar | did not bat | ||||
| Extras | 1 bye, 5 leg byes, 15 wides, 5 no-balls | 26 | |||
| Total | 8 wickets, 50 overs | 275 |
Fall of wickets: 32/1, 44/2, 46/3, 164/4, 216/5, 230/6, 262/7, 265/8.
Australia Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damien Fleming | 10 | 3 | 37 | 2 |
| Paul Reiffel | 10 | 1 | 49 | 1 |
| Glenn McGrath | 10 | 1 | 54 | 1 |
| Shane Warne | 10 | 0 | 50 | 1 |
| Steve Waugh | 6 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| Damien Martyn | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Darren Lehmann | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
Australia Batting
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Gilchrist | b Wasim Akram | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Mark Waugh | c Moin Khan b Razzaq | 41 | 49 | 6 | 0 |
| Ricky Ponting | c Saeed Anwar b Saqlain | 47 | 60 | 7 | 0 |
| Darren Lehmann | c Moin Khan b Saqlain | 5 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Steve Waugh | b Shoaib Akhtar | 49 | 65 | 2 | 1 |
| Michael Bevan | c Ijaz Ahmed b Wasim Akram | 61 | 80 | 3 | 1 |
| Damien Martyn | b Wasim Akram | 18 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Shane Warne | run out (Ijaz Ahmed) | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Paul Reiffel | c Wasim Akram b Saqlain | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Damien Fleming | not out | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Glenn McGrath | b Wasim Akram | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Extras | 7 byes, 10 leg byes, 14 wides, 7 no-balls | 38 | |||
| Total | All out, 49.5 overs | 265 |
Fall of wickets: 0/1, 91/2, 100/3, 101/4, 214/5, 238/6, 248/7, 251/8, 265/9, 265/10.
Pakistan Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wasim Akram | 9.5 | 1 | 40 | 4 |
| Shoaib Akhtar | 10 | 0 | 46 | 1 |
| Azhar Mahmood | 10 | 0 | 61 | 0 |
| Saqlain Mushtaq | 10 | 1 | 51 | 3 |
| Abdul Razzaq | 10 | 0 | 50 | 1 |
Inzamam-ul-Haq Rebuilds Pakistan From 46/3
Pakistan’s innings threatened to unravel when Ijaz Ahmed’s dismissal left the score at 46/3. Australia had removed both openers and found enough movement to challenge every new batter.
Inzamam responded with patience rather than panic. He absorbed pressure, picked off loose deliveries and allowed Pakistan to rebuild without letting the required acceleration disappear from view.
His partnership with Razzaq added 118 for the fourth wicket. Inzamam eventually scored 81 from 104 balls, with six fours and a six. It was the highest score of the match and earned him the Player of the Match award.
He later described the 81 as his best World Cup score while reflecting on Pakistan’s 1999 campaign for the ICC.
Abdul Razzaq Gives Pakistan the Stability It Needed
Razzaq was only 19, yet he handled Australia’s experienced attack with striking maturity.
His 60 from 99 deliveries gave Inzamam a reliable partner during the innings’ most vulnerable phase. The scoring rate remained measured, but Pakistan could afford that restraint because both batters preserved wickets for the final assault.
Razzaq also removed Mark Waugh after Australia had recovered from Gilchrist’s first-over duck. That all-around contribution made him one of the match’s most valuable performers.
Moin Khan Changes the Value of Pakistan’s Total
Pakistan reached 230/6 with 22 deliveries remaining. A finish around 255 would have given Australia a far less demanding chase.
Moin Khan transformed the equation.
The wicketkeeper struck three sixes and two fours in an unbeaten 31 from 12 balls. Pakistan collected 45 from the final 22 deliveries, turning a respectable innings into a total capable of surviving Bevan’s expertise.
His late acceleration was the difference between making Australia uncomfortable and forcing them to chase aggressively until the final over.
Michael Bevan Brings Australia Back From 101/4
Australia’s reply began with Wasim bowling Gilchrist for a duck. Mark Waugh and Ponting repaired the damage, but Saqlain removed Ponting and Lehmann in the space of three deliveries.
At 101/4, Australia needed another recovery.
Steve Waugh and Bevan provided it through a 113-run fifth-wicket stand. Bevan controlled the required rate while Waugh worked through a demanding spell from Pakistan’s fast bowlers.
The partnership carried Australia to 214/4. With 62 required from 51 balls and six wickets available, the chase had tilted toward the batting side.
Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq Close the Door
Shoaib’s dismissal of Steve Waugh for 49 reopened the contest. Wasim then removed Bevan for 61, denying Australia the specialist finisher they wanted at the crease for the final overs.
Saqlain’s contribution was equally important. His 3/51 included Ponting, Lehmann and Reiffel, while Warne’s run-out intensified Australia’s late collapse.
Martyn took the chase to the final over, but Wasim retained control. Two wickets in three balls gave the Pakistan captain figures of 4/40 and completed the 10-run victory.
Pakistan and Australia Performance Analysis
Pakistan won because its players answered each setback with the right type of response. Inzamam and Razzaq repaired the top-order damage. Moin supplied the acceleration. Wasim and Saqlain then attacked when Australia’s chase entered its decisive phase.
Australia’s bowlers performed well early and Fleming conceded only 37 from his 10 overs. However, the fifth and sixth options proved expensive, while Moin’s closing assault added runs that became increasingly significant.
The batting effort contained three substantial partnerships, but Australia repeatedly lost wickets in clusters. The collapse from 214/4 to 251/8 left Martyn with too much responsibility and too little support.
Why Match 17 Belongs in the Celebration
A 10-run finish would already merit attention. The deeper value lies in how many times control changed hands.
Pakistan recovered from 46/3. Australia rebuilt from 101/4. Bevan and Waugh appeared to have positioned the chase for a composed finish before Pakistan’s attack struck again.
The result also created an intriguing contrast with the teams’ next meeting. Pakistan reached the Lord’s final, where Australia reversed the outcome emphatically to become world champion.
That wider journey connects Match 17 with Pakistan’s 1987 semifinal defeat to Australia, Inzamam’s breakthrough in the 1992 semifinal and Australia’s extraordinary 1999 semifinal escape.
Readers can also revisit Steve Waugh’s Headingley rescue against South Africa and Henry Olonga’s late intervention against India.
Every installment is available through the A Celebration of 5000 ODIs collection, alongside wider reporting and analysis in The Sports Encounter’s cricket coverage hub.
Final Takeaway
Headingley offered an early look at two teams whose paths would converge again at Lord’s. On this afternoon, Pakistan possessed the stronger middle-order recovery, the more destructive late surge and the bowlers capable of surviving Bevan’s challenge.
Inzamam built the victory. Moin enlarged it. Wasim finished it.