Shoaib Akhtar turns 45: Which Indian batter has the Rawalpindi Express dismissed the most?

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar is widely hailed as one of the fastest bowlers to have ever graced the game. An active member of the Pakistani pace department between 1997 and 2011, the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ bagged 444 wickets across his 224 international appearances. Akhtar was also a formidable foe of a famed Indian batting line-up during his playing days, often troubling legendary Indian batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.

The legendary cricketer turned 45 on Thursday, July 13. To commemorate the Shoaib Akhtar birthday occasion, here is a look at his overall record against India. Additionally, here is a look at his one-on-one statistical data against some of the biggest names associated with Indian cricket.

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Shoaib Akhtar birthday: Pacer’s record vs Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and others

During his 14-year international journey, Shoaib Akhtar played 10 Tests and 28 ODIs against India to bag 69 wickets (out of his overall 444) at an average of 29.91. The right-arm pacer has had some memorable duels against the Indian batsmen, with his battle against Sachin Tendulkar being cherished the most by fans from both countries. Both cricketers have gained an upper hand over each other during certain stages of their careers.

For instance, Akhtar’s image of rattling the Master Blaster's stumps at the Eden Gardens in 1999 makes for a sight to behold for many neutral supporters. Similarly, Sachin Tendulkar’s whirlwind 98 against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup makes for a romantic viewing for many purists of the game.

In all, Shoaib ‘The Tiger’ Akhtar has dismissed Tendulkar a total of eight times in international cricket – five times in ODIs and thrice in Tests. But interestingly, the game’s leading run-scorer is not the Indian batsman whom Akhtar has dismissed the most. The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ has sent former Indian captains Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid back to the pavilion on nine occasions each.

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Shoaib Akhtar has dismissed Rahul Dravid nine times, where the Indian batsman scored his runs at a meagre average of 20.37 against the pacer. Sourav Ganguly, on the other hand, tackled the legendary paceman better as he averaged 34 against him.

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Shoaib Akhtar fastest ball

Apart from gaining the status of a legendary pacer, Shoaib Akhtar is also credited for bowling the fastest delivery ever to be recorded in international cricket. During a group game against England at the 2003 ICC World Cup, the speedster clocked 100.2 mph (161.3 kmph). With his ripsnorter in Newlands, the Rawalpindi Express became the first bowler to break the 100 mph barrier twice in his career.

Shoaib Akhtar fastest ball, watch video

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Image credits: AP