‘I Kept Bowling Bouncers at Him’: Shoaib Akhtar Recalls Troubling Sachin Tendulkar During India vs Pakistan Faisalabad Test in 2006
The India vs Pakistan Test at Faisalabad in 2006 was one such occasion when Akhtar sent Tendulkar to the pavilion for a low score. Recalling the encounter, Shoaib revealed that he was aware of the fact that Sachin had an elbow injury in that game. So, he rained bouncers at him and eventually dismissed him for just 14 in the second innings of the drawn encounter.
Former Indian batting sensation Sachin Tendulkar tormented many prominent bowling line-ups in his illustrious career and his record in international cricket speak volumes of his capabilities. During his playing days, the Master Blaster had an on-field rivalry with many prominent bowlers like Muttiah Muralitharan, Wasim Akram, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath etc. However, his battle with Shoaib Akhtar arguably gathered the maximum attention of the fans. The former Pakistan speedster, who holds the record of bowling the fastest delivery in international cricket i.e. 161.3 kmph, always challenged the talismanic cricketer. Sachin dominated the battle on several occasions. However, there were times when Akhtar got better of Master Blaser. Sachin Tendulkar Closed His Eyes While Facing Shoaib Akhtar’s Bouncers: Mohammad Asif.
The India vs Pakistan Test at Faisalabad in 2006 was one such occasion when Akhtar sent Tendulkar to the pavilion for a low score. Recalling the encounter, Shoaib revealed that he was aware of the fact that Sachin had an elbow injury in that game. So, he rained bouncers at him and eventually dismissed him for just 14 in the second innings of the drawn encounter.
“But I used to work him out. I used to know where Sachin was injured. In Faisalabad (2006) Test, I knew he had an elbow injury and I knew he couldn’t hook or pull the ball, so I kept bowling bouncers at him,” the former Pakistan pacer said while talking to former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar in an ESPNCricinfo videocast.
Akhtar, however, also mentioned that despite their on-field rivalry, he never got involved in a verbal spat with Tendulkar on the field. “People used to say that Sachin and I used to compete against each other, but we never abused each other. I used to respect him as a great batsman and I used to look at him as a great competitor,” he further added.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 28, 2020 06:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).