India and Pakistan are two of the most formidable teams in international cricket. The two Asian giants have faced off multiple times in all three formats of the game, creating some of the most iconic matches and moments in the sport's history. Unfortunately, due to political tensions, these two sides now only meet in ICC and continental events. The last bilateral series between the two countries was in 2012, when Pakistan visited India for a three-match T20I and three-match ODI series. India and Pakistan have not played a Test match against each other since 2007, a stark contrast to the days when these two teams would regularly compete in all formats.
The India-Pakistan Test matches were once legendary clashes, with countless tales of heroism and drama. In a recent interview, former Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal recounted an incident that occurred during the 2005 Test series in India. He described it as a moment that will remain etched in his memory forever.
Speaking to Nadir Ali on his YouTube channel, Kamran, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, recalled an incident from the 2005 Mohali Test and shared an intriguing story involving former India captain Sourav Ganguly and former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik. He recounted how Malik engaged in a psychological battle with Ganguly and masterfully plotted his dismissal by distracting him.
When Ganguly smacked Danish Kaneria's errant delivery for a boundary, Malik, who was stationed at silly mid-on, taunted him, suggesting that he must have been feeling the pressure since he only managed a four instead of a six. According to Akmal, Malik was gesturing towards Ganguly in an attempt to distract him, and it worked; on the very next ball, Ganguly was dismissed, leaving him seething with rage at Malik.
"In 2005 Mohali Test match, Danish (Kaneria) bowled and Shoaib Malik was at silly mid-on, and Salman Butt was at silly mid-off. Danish missed the length. Sourav Ganguly was at strike and scored a boundary. Shoaib Malik said, 'Dekha Kamran, kitna pressure hain Dada pe, chakke wala bowl pe chauka mara. (Did you see Kamran? It seems like Dada is under pressure. That ball should have been hit for a six instead of four)' Ganguly stepped out of the crease to hit the next ball, and he was stumped out. Before leaving, he told Malik, 'Tu bohut tez hai, tujhe me chhodunga nahi, tu bahar aa'," he said.
The incident described by Kamran occurred during the opening innings of the first Test in Mohali, which was played from March 8th to 12th, 2005.
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