What is a match between India and Pakistan without tension? But no one wants it to get out of hand. Things did get out of hand during an India vs. Pakistan Test match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata nearly 14 years ago. In the third Test of the series, which was also part of the Asian Test Championship in February 1999, former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar and India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar were at the center of things. Despite a Tendulkar masterclass, Pakistan defeated India in the first Test in Chennai. India leveled the series with Anil Kumble’s historic 10-wicket haul in the second Test in New Delhi.
For the third Test, the action was moved to Kolkata. India’s Javagal Srinath took 13 wickets in the match, causing havoc for Pakistan’s batting unit except for Saeed Anwar, who scored an unbeaten 188 in the second innings, but the Test match is remembered more for Shoaib Akhtar. On Day 2 of the Test match, the tearaway quick had uprooted the stumps of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar with successive balls. Akhtar described his ‘claim to fame as the in-swinging yorker that sent Tendulkar’s middle-stump flying.
“My claim to fame came when I bowled Sachin Tendulkar off the first ball,” Akhtar said on ‘The Vaughny and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast’ when asked about his most prized wicket.
Akhtar went on to say that he wanted to meet ‘the God of cricket’ before the Test match and tell him that he wanted to get him out, but when he saw Tendulkar, he thought the former India captain ‘had no chance’ against him.
“I approached several Indian cricketers and said, ‘I want to see the God of Cricket.’ ‘Do not you know who he is?’ they said ‘No, I want to see him because I want to bowl him out on the first ball,’ I said. then, Sachin, the nicest man on the planet and the greatest batsman in history… I approached him, looked him in the eyes, and said, ‘Brother, you have no chance against me.’ So I bowled him with the first ball “Akhtar continued.
The drama in that Test match had only just begun. Following Pakistan’s target of 279, India got off to a flying start thanks to a century-opening stand between Sadagopan Ramesh and VVS Laxman. Pakistan responded with Saqlain Mushtaq, who dismissed both Indian openers. Tendulkar entered to thunderous applause. With India trailing by 143 runs, Tendulkar flicked a Wasim Akram towards the on-side and returned for a couple. Tendulkar took off when he saw the opportunity to take the third run. He would have easily made it home if it had not been for a collision with Akhtar, who was attempting to collect a throw from substitute fielder Nadeem Khan.
As it turned out, the ball directly hit the stumps, and the third umpire ruled Sachin Tendulkar out. The Eden Gardens crowd was furious at Pakistan for failing to withdraw the appeal. They chanted ‘cheater cheater’ at Akhtar, and the on-field umpires decided to retire early on Day 4.
Tendulkar and Jagmohan Dalmiya had to come out and calm the crowd before the game could resume. The tension persisted until the last day of the Test match. When local boy Sourav Ganguly was dismissed and Pakistan was on the verge of victory, the crowd’s antics caused a three-hour halt in play. The police were told to clear the stands, and the game was played in front of empty seats.
“For the first time in cricket history, 70-80 thousand people were evacuated. Because of me, the Test match was delayed by two hours. The game was being played in front of nearly 100,000 people, and now there was no one there, “Akhtar said.
