Political differences and diplomatic tensions meant that India and Pakistan had not played each other for 17 years before India arrived to play three Test matches and three ODIs in the autumn of 1978.
The tour, however, was not without controversy. India forfeited an ODI – the first forfeiture in the history of international cricket – in protest against unreachable short-pitched bowling and the umpires not taking actions.
The tour began with the first ODI, in Quetta. India won the toss and made 170/7 from 40 overs, Surinder Amarnath top-scoring with 37, and Dilip Vengsarkar making an unbeaten 34.
In reply, Pakistan opener Majid Khan scored 50, but the rest of the side failed to keep pace with the required run rate, and they fell five runs short of their target finishing on 166/8.
Twelve days later, the second ODI was played at Sialkot, in a match that proved to be very one-sided. Pakistan won the toss, asked India to bat, and bowling them out for just 79 inside 35 overs, Mohinder Amarnath’s 34 not out very much a lone hand for India. Pakistan knocked off the runs required for the loss of just two wickets and with more than 23 overs in hand, Zaheer Abbas making 48.
The stage was set for the first Test match, in Faisalabad. The pitch turned out to be a batting paradise. After Pakistan won the toss and batted, runs flowed with Zaheer making 179, while Javed Miandad was undefeated on 154, as they racked up 503/8 before declaring.
India though responded in kind. Sunil Gavaskar provided the platform with 89 before the middle-order pair of Gundappa Viswanath and Vengsarkar put on 166 for the fourth wicket. Vengsarkar made 83, and Viswanath would go on to score 145, enabling India to declare in turn on 462/9.
When Pakistan batted again, Asif Iqbal became the fourth centurion of the match, making an undefeated 104, while Zaheer became Gavaskar's only Test wicket, for 96. Pakistan declared their second innings on 264/4, but there was just time for India to reach 43 without loss second time round when the draw was declared.