Wasim Akram and Sachin Tendulkar were caught in the middle of one of the tensest encounters between India and Pakistan. There is a very little spectacle in international cricket that can compare to the ferocity and atmosphere of a match between India and Pakistan. Even though the two teams only play each other in international tournaments now, Test matches between the two teams have seen several stars put on performances that changed their careers.
While there were many high-octane clashes during the Tests, there were also a few instances of respect between the teams. There were also times when tensions rose to the surface, like when India’s great Sachin Tendulkar lost the first Test of the 1998/99 Asian Test Championship. In the match’s first innings, Tendulkar had been bowled for a duck by Shoaib Akhtar’s vicious yorker.
The contentious issue was the dismissal in the second innings. While taking a run, Tendulkar collided with Shoaib, who was fielding with Pakistan captain Wasim Akram bowling and was run out. The Pakistan players’ appeal for the dismissal and celebration after it was decided in their favor did not exactly impress the Eden Gardens crowd. The match must be halted as they began pelting stones and mercilessly reviling the guests.
In his autobiography “Sultan,” Wasim now reveals A Memoir about how Sunil Gavaskar, the match referee and former India captain, approached him. But I had to worry about my own fans. I responded, “Sunny Bhai… they might love me in India, but they won’t like me in Pakistan.” Regardless, it is not my choice. He has been dismissed by the umpire. It’s past the point of no return for me to pull out the allure. Play must go on. We are all aware that it was an accident, but cricket is full of them. The captains don’t have to fix it.
After playing the ball to midwicket, Tendulkar scored a third run. The fielder, Nadeem Khan, was successful in getting a direct hit. Tendulkar had noticed that Shoaib had gotten in the way while he was looking at the ball. Just before Tendulkar reached the crease, the two collided. Later, Nadeem would acknowledge that the direct hit was ineffective.