Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has bowled to the greatest of greats including both the Indian batting legends Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. While he achieved a fair bit of success against both, the battle always used to be legendary with the pace of Akhtar, the grit of Dravid, and the flamboyance of Tendulkar.
The ’Rawalpindi Express’ as he is fondly known, was involved in a Q&A session on Twitter to indulge with his fans and answer a few questions as well. A lot of comparison questions were thrown at him and he did not ignore the tough ones. A fan asked him to choose between Dravid and Tendulkar in Test cricket.
Shoaib Akhtar chooses the 'Best Test captain' between Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Joe Root
The fan wrote, “If you have to choose one in test ... who it will be ... Sachin or Dravid ?!”
If you have to choose one in test ... who it will be ... Sachin or Dravid ?!
— Bijay Kumar (@bijay_speaks) January 3, 2021
Shoaib Akhtar replied to the question saying, “Dravid”
Dravid
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) January 3, 2021
In the longest format of the game, Sachin Tendulkar has scored 79 runs in 140 balls against the Pakistani quick while getting out twice to him. Rahul Dravid has faced him more, scoring 91 runs in 283 balls. He too has gotten out twice to Akhtar in Test cricket.
In the 1999 Kolkata Test match, Akhtar clean bowled both Dravid and Tendulkar in successive balls to send the crowd into a tizzy. This remains Tendulkar's only first ball dismissal for a duck.
It wasn't surprising to know that he found Dravid better as there wasn't much difference in the runs they have scored against him but it might've been a personal feeling that made him choose Dravid over Tendulkar.
