Srinagar: Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has recalled his famous delivery against India batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar in Eden Gardens during Test series in 1999.
It was the episode that turned Shoaib Akhtar into the Shoaib Akhtar, after the Pakistan acer got wickets of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar on two consecutive deliveries.
In the first innings of the 1999 Test, Akhtar took four wickets including those of VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar
In the second innings, he was accused of obstructing the field while Sachin was taking a run and ultimately was run out.
“So, Sachin, being a nice, greatest guy on the planet Earth, greatest batsman… I went up to him, looked at him, checked him out and said ‘Brother, you have no chance against me’. So, I got him out on the first ball in Kolkata. First time ever happened in the history of cricket,” Akhtar said in an interview to Michael Vaughan on Telegraph Sport.
“Because of me he got out on the first ball. Because of me that he got run out. Because of the 70000-80000 people needed to be evacuated from the Kolkata Stadium. First time the match was delayed, the test match was delayed for two hours. First time in history the match was played under 100000 people and now there is nobody, and I was bowling,” Akhtar added.