When Akhtar made Tendulkar shake in his boots

[Ultimate_Game]

There comes a moment when you simply have to admire a sportsperson irrespective of his race, religion, team loyalty and myriad other factors. Occasionally you witness such an amazing feat of sporting prowess that it transcends the game itself and you can't help but admire the sporting genius. You simply feel lucky to have witnessed the feat in action. I am sure this is how England fans must have felt watching Don Bradman in action. Or how Federer fans must have felt watching one of the epics between Federer and Nadal. You simply can't help but be spellbound and be thankful for being around to have witnessed a player like Nadal even though your favorite player would probably be at the receiving end. Cricket is littered with examples of amazing feats such as Bradman's run scoring against England, Laker's 19 wkts in a match, Marshall running through England with his arm in a sling, Richards making a WC final look like a net session etc. In modern history there is another incident which happened at Centurion on Mar 1, 2003 which unfortunately hasn't been given the same attention. I am talking about the game where Shoaib Akhtar showed why he was the best bowler in the world and made one of the greatest batsmen the world has ever seen, Sachin Tendulkar, look like an amateur. What makes this incident all the more special is the stage when such an event occured. Like most sports context is everything in cricket. It's one thing to perform in a one-off game or a tri-series that happen dozen times a year and totally another to perform in one of the biggest games on the biggest stage of all - World Cup. people who are new to cricket and India-Pakistan rivalry in general will never be able to truly appreciate what an Indo-Pak game entails, especially in a World Cup. Suffice to say that Yankees-Red Sox game would look like a game played during a family picnic compared to the Ind-Pak cricket match. And this was even true for the 2003 WC game where the two nations hadn't played for more than 2 years and the game was being talked about and discussed more than a year before the game was to be played!!! Players were in so much pressure that some of them couldn't even sleep the night before the match. Everywhere the players turned to people used to talk about "The Game" and how winning the WC would be secondary to beating the arch-rivals. Adding to the pressure of an Ind-Pak game was the fact that it was a near must-win game for both India and Pakistan. Both India and Pakistan had lost to Australia and another defeat would put them on the brink of elimination as only 3 teams out of 6 in the group could make it to the next stage (Super 6). With so much riding on the game India fired the 1st salvo when Tendulkar stated how he would take on Akhtar in the game. Akhtar kept quite and preferred to do his talking on the field rather than off it. Eventually the big day arrived and the match was finally under way! Pakistan won the toss and batted 1st. Riding on a wonderful hundred by Saeed Anwar Pakistan put up an imposing 273 runs on the board. With a bowling lineup consisting of Wasim, Waqar, Razzaq and Akhtar in his prime who had broken the 100 mph barrier in the previous game, India had its work cut out for them. Wasim Akram opened the bowling and Tendulkar looked in good touch when he hit a wnderful 4 though the off side in that over. Little would Tendulkar know what was in store for him the next over! Akhtar shared the new ball with Akram and the fist delivery was a wide, surely a loosener. The next two were nearly unplayable and somehow SRT managed to sneak a single off the 2nd legal delivery to get off strike. However, his joy was shortlived. After negotiating a thunderbolt from Akhtar, Sehwag and Tendulkar crossed off of a wide leaving Tendulkar to negotiate 3 deliveries. Ball 4, Akhtar steamed in and bowled a pacy short of length delivery outside off. Tendulkar couldn't do much and was beaten on a cut. The delivery was so fast it took the edge and flew for 6! All Tendulkar was trying to do was evade the ball and the ball hit the bat and flew over the boundary. Sachin and the crowd were shell-shocked at seeing the ball fly at that pace and Tendulkar was clearly looking fidgety. Ball 5 was spot as deadly as can be - lightening quick and straight. Tendulkar was lucky to get the inside edge and for the ball to beat square leg to the fence. Tendulkar was hoping the ball would go to a fielder so he could simply take a single and get off strike but that was not to be. People knew it was just a matter of time before Akhtar struck and Tendulkar's luck ran out. Ball 6 was even better than the previous ball, if that can be possible. It was faster and headed straight for the middle stump. Tendulkar, who was shaking in his boots by now, somehow managed to get the bat down at the last instant and such was the pacon the ball that the ball rolled down the ground for a 4!!! I don't think anyone had seen anyting like that ever on a cricket field where a batsman late on a ball and just about managing to avoid the ball from crashing into the stumps was able to get the ball past the bowler for a 4! The crowd gave Akhtar a standing ovation on the boundary after the over. After all its not everyday a bowler put the fear of god in a batsman and that too a batsman like Tendulkar who was shaking in his boots. Afridi standing at square leg was so distracted and put off by the Tendulkar shaking around that he couldn't give off his best while bowling. veryone thought Tendulkar was there for the taking in Akhtar's next over and Pakistan captain Wasim Akram thought the same when he asked Akhtar to come on to bowl for his 2nd over, but like a true selfless team-player Akhtar refused. After softening Tendulkar he wanted to save his overs for the end, and preferably for the other batsmen. I have never witnessed such a selfless act on a cricket field ever where bowlers fall over each other in anticipation of a cheap wkt. Here was a true great - one who put his team ahead of himself and refusing to hold himself back for his team :hatsoff: Akhtar justified the decision to keep himself back for later overs when he came back in his next spell and cleaned up Tendulkar after having softened him up in his earlier spell. It was unfortunate Akhtar had to end up on the losing side as he never got the support from other bowlers. Wasim, Waqar, Razzaq and Afridi couldn't get Tendulkar out even though he was ripe for the taking after Akhtar's brilliant and mesmerising spell. A spell which will be talked about in the same breath as Holding's that over to Boycott where Boycott was cleaned up for a duck. Akhtar recalls that over nostaligically and still blames wasim and waqar for letting him and the team down by not giving their best since they were jealous of him and his pace. Well renowned cricketing experts like Basit Ali and Aamer Sohail claim that over to be the fastest and best spell of fast bowling ever seen. Even an unbiased and an All Time Great future hall of famer Afridi agrees that Tendulkar was way over his head while facing that spell, and was positively scared of Akhtar. Pity the biased cricinfo and cricinfo's commentary put a different spin altogether making it seem as if Tendulkar had collared Akhtar was hitting him all over the ground. Statistically that over ent for 18 but Only those lucky enough to have witnessed the over would know what actually transpired and what an amateur Tendulkar was made to look by Akhtar. Sehwag's reaction best sums up what transpired during those 6 mins. After the over was over Sehwag could only shake his head and smile in disbelief, probably thanking his stars he wasn't at the striker's end for the most part, and probably he couldn't believe how his idol was made to look so ordinary by Akhtar. Other former players like Imran Khan when prompted for reaction could only say "Hmmm, Akhtar was quick but... maybe he was..." and then trailed off; no doubt unable to put in words how one of his favorite batsmen had been made to look a novice. When Rameez Raja was asked to comment on that spell he tersely replied "No comments" and moved along. Maybe the memory is still painful for Rameez who admires Tendulkar no end and couldn't bear to recount that harrowing tale. Miandad, when pressed for comments, preferred to focus on the 6 he hit off Chetan Sharma 30 years back and was busy claiming how that was the biggest match between the two nations. I am sure Indian fans can still not bear to watch that innings, and especially that over from Akhtar. I, and many other Indian fans, have been scarred for life and don't think even the World Cup win last year would heal the wounds. No Indian fan will ever be able to forget how their legend was made to look a mere mortal. India somehow managed to squeak past Pakistan by 6 wkts but the impact to Tendulkar's legacy was irreparable. His legacy has been tarnished forever and that's a cross he will have to bear eternally.

[Old guy]

:hysterical: but the delivery was so phast that it went for six :hysterical: awesome job did ya write this ? :P

[Number]

:hysterical: UG.. :hatsoff:

[Utalk]

I thought you were talking about Calcutta 99. Prefer test cricket you see!

[kruiser]

marvelous! I was shaking in my boots reading this!

[yoda]

:hysterical:

[punjabi_khota]

Re title to 'When Tendulkar made Akhtar shake his boobs"

[Zelig]

:haha::haha:

[deathmonger]

I thought you were talking about Calcutta 99. Prefer test cricket you see!

Man you insist on making a fool of yourself don't you. Even in test cricket Akhtar has been pawned by SRT. Multan 04 Delhi 07 Thing is this 2000s era Pakistan team (Younis,Moyo,Akhtar) are mediocre and have not really achieved anything - no series wins in England, WI, India, Oz, SA. No World Cups. No Champions Trophies. No No 1. rankings in ODIs or Tests. So more often than not most teams have pawned this team.

[Yoda-esque]

Re title to 'When Tendulkar made Akhtar shake his boobs"

:hysterical::hysterical:

[Ultimate_Game]

Re title to 'When Tendulkar made Akhtar shake his boobs"

Pity Tendulkar never got that chance in last year's WC I was hoping for Akhtar to be unleashed against India but we got Riaz instead.

[Ultimate_Game]

:hysterical: but the delivery was so phast that it went for six :hysterical: awesome job did ya write this ? :P

Yup, was a bit bored. I already did significance of Kitply Cup earlier so maybe the next one could be on how Kohli was traumatized by Paki bowling attack/powerhouse in Asia Cup 2012 :hmmm:

[the don]

h446pVsEr3M scwtTaEo43U wRHLmzDPo88 can clearly see the little legs trembling:winky:

[deathmonger]

h446pVsEr3M scwtTaEo43U wRHLmzDPo88 can clearly see the little legs trembling:winky:

Yeah right, Youtube videos that capture just a single moment. Why don't you post videos of Akhtar getting his ass handed to him. But then again Pakis are known to take comfort in Yuvraj's duck against Wahab irrespective of what happened. Choti Choti Khusiyan. :giggle:

[Utalk]

DM man don't get angry it's all good fun. Calcutta 99 was special though. 100000 ppl young kid bowling at the best batsman in the world, middle stick rooted out first ball. Drama, tragedy, thrill, skill, ripped posters, riots and a Pakistan win on indian soil. You can't beat that.

[CG]

However bad akhtar antics may be,But fact is he was very good bowler with an average of 25 in sub continent conditions,Tendulkar did struggle against him when he bowled at his best ,But overall tendulkar had the edge.It was a great battle in tests.

[rkt.india]

SRT VS Shoaib AKhtar - Found it on google. Sachin Tendulkar has played 9 tests in which Shoaib Akhtar was part of Pakistan's team, making 416 runs at an average of 41.60 with one century (194 not out at Multan). 3 of those tests were played in India in which Tendulkar averaged 37 while remaining 6 were in Pakistan when he averaged 44.66. Sachin Tendulkar has played 19 one day matches in which Shoiab Akhtar was part of Pakistan team, making 864 runs at an average of 45.47 and highest score of 141 which is also his only century in those games. 4 of those matches were played in Australia, 1 in England, 5 in India, 5 in Pakistan, 1 in South Africa, 1 in Sri Lanka and 2 in UAE. Instead of pointing fingers on other pleasse go through your record history and try to come out from your failure. Everyone in the World is knowing who shivers to whom. binod hey shoaib, did you forget 2003 world cup match? sachin made 98 runs and Shoaib Akhtar bowling figure was : 10 0 72 1 (7w). there are so many identical bowling figure of shoaib against sachin. conclusion is self explanatory. you just have put stats of sachin. why not of shoaib that how many times he cleaned him out? Shoaib Akhtar has got Sachin Tendulkar out thrice in 9 test matches, twice caught by wicket keeper Kamran Akmal and once bowled at Kolkata in February 1999. That bowled was probably the most highlighted one as it was a first ball duck for Tendulkar and Shoaib ran around Eden Gardens like a flying jet. In one day international, Akhtar has got Sachin 5 times from 19 matches, twice lbw and once caught by wicket keeper and twice by other fielders. Total stats i n all formats. 0 (1 b) (ATC 1998/99) 9* (13 b 1x4) (1999 WC) 0 (1 b) (1999/2000 Sharjah Cup) 22 (12 b 3x4 1x6) (2003 World Cup) 2003/04 Pakistan v India 20 (23 b 3x4 1x6) 22* (26 b 3x4) 6 (7 b 1x4) 2* (10 b) 62* (77 b 6x4 1x6) 0 (1 b) 25* (23 b 4x4) (2004 Asia Cup) 7* (9 b) (2004/05 BCCI Platinum match) 2005/06 Pakistan v India 4 (11 b 1x4) 0* (2 b) 13* (12 b 3x4) 2007/08 India v Pakistan 4 (7 b 1x4) 5* (12 b 1x4) 6* (10 b 1x4) 19* (26 b 3x4) 1* (1 b) 16* (34 b 2x4) 9* (10 b 2x4) TOTAL: 251/328 Dismissals: 8, Average: 31.38, S/R: 76 Now people can debate more.:winky:

[Old guy]

Yup' date=' was a bit bored. I already did significance of Kitply Cup earlier so maybe the next one could be on how Kohli was traumatized by Paki bowling attack/powerhouse in Asia Cup 2012 :hmmm:[/quote'] i want to see raiz destroying us again in asia cup

[bhanu]

DM man don't get angry it's all good fun. Calcutta 99 was special though. 100000 ppl young kid bowling at the best batsman in the world, middle stick rooted out first ball. Drama, tragedy, thrill, skill, ripped posters, riots and a Pakistan win on indian soil. You can't beat that.

good post :two_thumbs_up: but u forgot about da silence dat happened each time akhtar owned dem

[CSK Fan]

SRT VS Shoaib AKhtar - Found it on google. Sachin Tendulkar has played 9 tests in which Shoaib Akhtar was part of Pakistan's team, making 416 runs at an average of 41.60 with one century (194 not out at Multan). 3 of those tests were played in India in which Tendulkar averaged 37 while remaining 6 were in Pakistan when he averaged 44.66. Sachin Tendulkar has played 19 one day matches in which Shoiab Akhtar was part of Pakistan team, making 864 runs at an average of 45.47 and highest score of 141 which is also his only century in those games. 4 of those matches were played in Australia, 1 in England, 5 in India, 5 in Pakistan, 1 in South Africa, 1 in Sri Lanka and 2 in UAE. Instead of pointing fingers on other pleasse go through your record history and try to come out from your failure. Everyone in the World is knowing who shivers to whom. binod hey shoaib, did you forget 2003 world cup match? sachin made 98 runs and Shoaib Akhtar bowling figure was : 10 0 72 1 (7w). there are so many identical bowling figure of shoaib against sachin. conclusion is self explanatory. you just have put stats of sachin. why not of shoaib that how many times he cleaned him out? Shoaib Akhtar has got Sachin Tendulkar out thrice in 9 test matches, twice caught by wicket keeper Kamran Akmal and once bowled at Kolkata in February 1999. That bowled was probably the most highlighted one as it was a first ball duck for Tendulkar and Shoaib ran around Eden Gardens like a flying jet. In one day international, Akhtar has got Sachin 5 times from 19 matches, twice lbw and once caught by wicket keeper and twice by other fielders. Total stats i n all formats. 0 (1 b) (ATC 1998/99) 9* (13 b 1x4) (1999 WC) 0 (1 b) (1999/2000 Sharjah Cup) 22 (12 b 3x4 1x6) (2003 World Cup) 2003/04 Pakistan v India 20 (23 b 3x4 1x6) 22* (26 b 3x4) 6 (7 b 1x4) 2* (10 b) 62* (77 b 6x4 1x6) 0 (1 b) 25* (23 b 4x4) (2004 Asia Cup) 7* (9 b) (2004/05 BCCI Platinum match) 2005/06 Pakistan v India 4 (11 b 1x4) 0* (2 b) 13* (12 b 3x4) 2007/08 India v Pakistan 4 (7 b 1x4) 5* (12 b 1x4) 6* (10 b 1x4) 19* (26 b 3x4) 1* (1 b) 16* (34 b 2x4) 9* (10 b 2x4) TOTAL: 251/328 Dismissals: 8, Average: 31.38, S/R: 76 Now people can debate more.:winky:

An average of 31 against one bowler alone is great, isnt it?