VVS Laxman Didn't Had A Clue Against Mohammad Asif In The 2006 Karachi Test: Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar, the former Pakistan fast bowler, has reckoned that star Indian batsman VVS Laxman did not have a clue against Mohammad Asif using the 2006 Karachi Test.

Akhtar recently appeared on ESPNCricinfo Videocast where he was asked about how did he acquire accuracy in his bowling.

“Did you acquire accuracy from practice or you always had it?” Sanjay Manjrekar asked.

In reply, Akhtar said: “This is a talent that you are usually born with, either you have bowling sense or not. For example Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Asif. If these two bowlers had gone on to play for a longer period of time, they could bowl all kinds of deliveries,”

“The world has seen me bowl. If you want to see the art of bowling, just observe Mohammad Asif – that is what you call bowling. VVS Laxman was frustrated in Karachi (2006) because he didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t figure out the deliveries that were being bowled to him,” he added.

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Mohammad Asif dismissed VVS Laxman twice in the 2006 Karachi Test

The Karachi Test of 2006 is best remembered for the hat-trick that Irfan Pathan took in the first over of the game. But, unfortunately, that was the only shining point for the Men in Blue in that Test match.

Pakistan recovered from the precarious position of 6-39 courtest Kamran Akmal’s counter-attack hundred. Indian batting unit was then put to a stern test by Mohammad Asif.

Asif claimed three top-order wickets of VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh and followed it up with four more scalps which once again included VVS Laxman. Laxman was bowled twice by Asif in the same Test match. Asif has in the past opened up about his performance against India in the Karachi Test.

The tainted fast bowler had revealed that he wanted to show his fellow fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar how to bamboozle the famed Indian batting-unit after the latter had shown concerns in the dressing room leading into the fourth innings.

India were bundled out for 265 in their second innings, handing Pakistan not only a whopping 341-run win but also a 1-0 series win.

Also Read: Mohammad Asif Reveals An Interesting Conversation With Shoaib Akhtar That Motivated Him To Bamboozle Indian Batsmen During The 2006 Karachi Test