Rahul Dravid talks about facing off against Shoaib Akhtar
What happened between Rahul Dravid and Shoaib Akhtar during the 2004 Champions Trophy is well known. What we didn’t know until now was what really made Dravid mad – Shoaib’s confession in a tweet.
These two are perhaps the most contrasting personalities in cricket. Shoaib Akhtar is calm and composed, while Rahul Dravid wears his heart on his sleeves and doesn’t back down from expressing himself. So count on there being a unique experience every time they cross paths.
Among India’s best cricketers, both Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar have been the central protagonists of numerous battles that ebb and flow. In particular, Virat Kohli has often found himself paired with legspinner Danish Kaneria who was known for his battling attitude as well. Most of their matches have seen quiet, low-key exchanges but they have also had bouts of heated encounters in several circumstances.
After Akhtar was asked about his exchanges with Dravid in 2004, he revealed that after a controversial run-out in an ODI, Mohammad Kaif got angry and ran up to the India captain. That is when Dravid took offence and started going on the offensive, telling a story of how Akhtar backed him into a corner in some manner.
Kaif, with his actions during the match, proved he was a danger to the fielder and other players. The game acknowledged this and reacted by making it so that before Kaif takes his jump, Kaif scatters away in order to make it harder for the bowler to strike him out. The ball flew down 70m and Akhtar hit the last ball of Kaif’s over into the stands.
Rahul Dravid and I crossed paths during our match, so I told him to run on his side and I would do the same thing. Rahul got angry with me and said ‘you too can fight’ while getting very aggressive.
The tour of Pakistan in 2004 was historic by a lot of different counts. It was the first time India had toured their neighbours since 1989 and the first time India and Pakistan had met on cricket grounds since 2003. Imran Akhtar felt his performance in Centurion, South Africa during that series was forgettable, so he wanted to make a move. Imran ended up picking up nine wickets in five ODIs which led to his being awarded Man-of-the-series.
Rahul, however, was saying that it was a one-off thing, and he’s always been very respectful. He then went on to mention that he wanted to leave an impact on the team after 2003 WC by pitching fast. At one point in time his ultimate goal was to bowl really fast after 2003 WC.