On this day: Javed Miandad becomes the youngest to score a Test double century

Javed Miandad is one of the best batters produced by Pakistan and was a force to reckon with in world cricket back in the 70s and 80s. He is remembered for his final ball six off Chetan Sharma in the Austral-Asia Cup final at Sharjah in 1986.

Apart from all these, Miandad was also an integral member of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup squad that had lifted the coveted trophy for the very first time under the talismanic Imran Khan.

Meanwhile, it was on this very day in 1976 that Javed Miandad became the youngest cricketer to score a Test double century.

When Javed Miandad achieved a unique milestone at a young age

Pakistan hosted New Zealand in the third Test match at Karachi. The coin landed in favour of the home captain Mushtaq Mohammad and he elected to bat first. Opener Majid Khan and skipper Mushtaq scored centuries in the first innings with knocks of 112 and 107 respectively.

However, it was Miandad’s spectacular double century that was the highlight of the innings as well as the Test match. Even though Javed got some support from the other end, he took the onus of scoring upon himself single-handedly and went after the famed New Zealand bowling attack.

Thus, courtesy of his grit and never-say-die attitude, Miandad became the youngest person ever to register a Test double ton at the age of 19 years and 141 days. He went on to score 206 in what was only his third Test match after he scored an impressive 163 on debut.

The innings were simply outstanding as Pakistan declared their innings at a mammoth score of 565/9. Miandad’s knock seemed to be a match-winning one as New Zealand reeled at 195/6 in their first innings. Nonetheless, an 186-run seventh-wicket stand between Warren Lees and Richard Hadlee ensured that their efforts were good enough to avoid a follow-on and this impactful partnership was the ultimate turning point of the contest as it ended in a stalemate.

Lees scored 152 while Hadlee contributed with a crucial 81. Miandad was also the top-scorer in Pakistan’s second innings as he went on to score 85 runs.

Coincidentally, Javed Miandad also became the first-ever youngest double centurion in Karachi which happens to be his hometown.