Told Sachin You Have No Chance Against Me And Bowled Him First Ball: Shoaib Akhtar Recalls His Most Prized Wicket
An Ind vs Pak match is much more than just a cricket game. Over the years, the two teams have delivered some spectacular contests. The IND vs PAK Test in Eden Gardens in 1999 was one of the best matches played between India and Pakistan.
The game is remembered for a 13-wicket haul by Javagal Srinath but there was one iconic moment that went on to become history. Shoaib Akhtar, playing his first Test in India, uprooted Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar’s stumps on consecutive balls on Day 2 to announce his arrival at the international arena.
When asked about his most prized wicket in ‘The Vaughny and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast, Akhtar said that dismissing Sachin on the first ball was his most prized scalp. “My claim to fame came when I bowled Sachin Tendulkar off the first ball.”
Akhtar said that he was desperate to meet ‘God of Cricket’ Sachin Tendulkar, adding that he want to tell him that he will dismiss him on the first ball. When Akhtar met Sachin, he told him that he has no chance against him.
“I went up to many Indian cricketers and said ‘I want to see the God of cricket.’ They said ‘don’t you know him?’ I said ‘No, I want to see him because I want to bowl him out off the first ball.’ So, Sachin, the nicest guy on the planet, the greatest batsman… I went up to him, looked at him, checked him out and said ‘Brother, you have no chance against me’. So, I bowled him first ball,” Akhtar added.
In the second innings, a massive controversy erupted when Sachin Tendulkar was run out after a collision with Shoaib Akhtar. Chasing a target of 280, VVS Laxman and Sadagopan Ramesh added 108 runs for the opening wicket.
Saqlain Mushtaq helped Pakistan bounce back with the wickets of Laxman and Ramesh. Sachin came at the wicket with India at 134-2 and was run out at the score of 145. The Eden Garden crowd was livid at the incident and started chanting cheater, cheater, mocking Shoaib Akhtar.
Tendulkar and Jagmohan Dalmiya then had to calm the crowd for the play to resume. The crowd went berserk again as Pakistan inched towards a win after the wicket of Sourav Ganguly, causing a three hour delay. The stands were cleared and the match resumed after which Pakistan claimed a win by 42 runs
