Pakistan returned to India for the first time in 12 years in January 1999, to play three Test matches. The third was part of the 1998/99 Asian Test Championship.
The action began in Chennai, where Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat.
Batting, though, proved difficult. They were struggling at 91/5 before Mohammad Yousuf and Moin Khan shared a stand of 63 for the sixth wicket. After Yousuf fell for 53, Moin combined with captain Wasim Akram to added 60, before he fell for 60. Wasim went on to make 38, Pakistan were still all out for 238 in the 80th over. Anil Kumble took 6-70.
India began well, but Sadagoppan Ramesh and V.V.S. Laxman failed to convert their starts. Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, batting down the order, made fifties, but India would have been disappointed to be dismissed for 254, with a first-innings lead of 16. Saqlain Mushtaq was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers with 5-94.
When Pakistan batted again, they were heavily indebted to Shahid Afridi, who made almost half their runs, finishing with 141, with an innings that featured three sixes and 21 fours. Inzamam-ul-Haq made 51, but the last fell wickets fell for just 11 runs as the tourists went from 275/5 to 286. Venkatesh Prasad claimed 6-33 including a burst of 5-0 to end the innings.
That meant India needed 271 to win, but they began poorly and slumped to 82/5.
Not for the first or last time in his career, Sachin Tendulkar then produced a brilliant innings. He added 136 for the sixth wicket with Nayan Mongia, who made 52. While Tendulkar was still at the crease – despite excruciating back pain – India were still in the contest, but his dismissal for 136, including 18 fours, proved to be a game changer.
The last four Indian wickets fell for just four runs, and Pakistan won by 12 runs. Saqlain again starred with the ball to take 5-94.