Kolkata’s Eden Gardens and Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar have history. It was at this ground, back in 1999, that he had announced himself to the world in just two balls. He clean-bowled Rahul Dravid off the first and then, remarkably, Sachin Tendulkar for a golden duck. A massive crowd fell silent.
Nine years later he announced himself to the Indian Premier League (IPL). A packed stadium, the world’s best players with him and in opposition, India’s biggest film stars in attendance, big money stakes; it was an environment in which Shoaib was born to perform.
He was not quite the lean tearaway he was in 1999. A little pace – and some of the hair – had gone. A lot more muscle and fat had emerged. But he was probably a better-rounded bowler. Still this was some return because he had played only one match in the previous five months.
Yet with his second legitimate delivery he found enough away swing to get Virender Sehwag edging behind. In his next over he dismissed Sehwag’s opening partner, Gautam Gambhir, a little fortuitously as he slapped a cut to backward point.
But he blew the roof off the top of the stadium in his third over. A swift bouncer did for AB de Villiers and the very next ball, he brought one in to trap Manoj Tiwary. At Eden Gardens, here was Shoaib, two in two balls again and this time, the crowd went wild. He finished with 4-11 from just three overs, leading KKR’s successful defence of a small total.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
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