“The moment Sachin lifted his bat, I knew he was out” - Shoaib Akhtar relives iconic dismissal from 1999 Kolkata Test
Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has stated that he planned Sachin Tendulkar’s first-ball dismissal during the 1999 Test in Kolkata and hence wasn’t surprised with the result.
Akhtar bowled Rahul Dravid (24) and Tendulkar (0) with brilliant yorkers off consecutive deliveries during the Indi-Pakistan Test at the Eden Gardens, which was played as part of the Asian Test Championship.
In a video shared on Sportskeeda, the "Rawalpindi Express" recalled Tendulkar’s iconic dismissal, which made him an overnight sensation in international cricket. He said:
“When Sachin was getting ready to take strike, Wasim Akram advised me to bowl reverse swing. He told me to ensure that the ball ends up in line with the stumps after pitching. Initially, I was very anxious about getting him out. But when I started running in, I was completely focussed as I wanted to get my run-up completely right - whether it was my jump or my bowling action.”
On why he was confident about getting the better of Tendulkar, the 46-year-old explained:
“The moment Sachin lifted his bat, I knew he was out. His backlift was really high and I knew the ball was reverse-swinging a lot. I wasn’t surprised with the result since I had planned the delivery.”
Remembering the immediate crowd reaction as the Indian legend walked back, Akhtar said that they were absolutely stunned. He recalled:
“There was pin drop silence in the ground after Sachin’s dismissal.”
The former Pakistan pacer admitted that it was the wicket of Tendulkar at the Eden Gardens in 1999 that made him a star in international cricket.
“We got into a friendly banter over who would get Sachin out” - Shoaib Akhtar on interaction with Saqlain Mushtaq
In the video, Akhtar also opened up on an interesting interaction he had with Saqlain Mushtaq over Tendulkar. The 46-year-old stated that the two had a banter over getting the "God of Cricket" out. The former pacer said:
“There were 1 lakh people inside the stadium and almost as many waiting outside. I was speaking to Saqlain Mushtaq and I asked him who the crowds were referring to as the ‘God of Cricket’. So he told me that in India, Tendulkar is considered God. My instant reply was - what if I get him out? He reminded me that he had dismissed Tendulkar in the last two Tests. So, we got into a friendly banter over who would get Sachin out,"
Describing the noise level at the Eden Gardens as "deafening" as Tendulkar walked in to take the strike, he added:
“After Rahul Dravid got out, Sachin came in to bat. He was walking in very slowly and it seemed like his walk was just not ending. I went to my run-up, looked back and waited for him to arrive…”
On how Saqlain reacted after Akhtar cleaned up the legendary Indian batter, the former fast bowler said with a smile:
“Saqlain was very happy and told me - Shoaib, you have done it.”
Dravid and Tendulkar’s dismissals in the first innings of the Eden Gardens Test in 1999 saw the hosts slip to 147 for four in response to Pakistan’s 185. India were all out for 223 in their first innings and eventually went on to lose the Test by 46 runs.
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