India versus Pakistan is probably the most intense rivalry in world cricket, but the two arch rivals haven’t been able to play too much of cricket in the recent times because of the political issues between the two countries.
While India and Pakistan still get to face each other in white ball cricket here and there in ICC tournaments, it has been a long time since they last played Test match cricket against each other.
We are going to have a look at 4 Pakistani bowlers who bowled the most expensive spells against India in Test match cricket-
#1 Saqlain Mushtaq:
Saqlain Mushtaq gave away 204 runs in the Test match played in Multan in 2004. It was the same Test match where Virender Sehwag scored the first triple hundred ever by an Indian batsman in international cricket.
Sehwag, during that innings, was aggressive against all the Pakistani bowlers, but he was particularly severe on Saqlain. The Indian opener smashed the off spinner out of the ground quite a few times.
#2 Haseeb Ahsan:
Haseeb Ahsan was also an off spinner like Saqlain. He played a Test match against India in Chennai in 1961 and gave away 202 runs, but he didn’t get dominated as much as Saqlain.
Haseeb gave away those runs in 80 odd overs unlike Saqlain who was taken for 204 runs in just 40 odd overs. Haseeb also grabbed six wickets during that innings unlike Saqlain who got only one wicket.
#3 Danish Kaneria:
Danish Kaneria was a leg spinner who conceded 194 runs in 50 overs on Pakistan’s tour of India in 2007 when the visitors played a Test match at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Kaneria got a couple of wickets, but he was milked by the Indian batsmen right through. His wrong ones were not effective at all as the Indian batsmen picked the googlies out of the hand without too much of discomfort. Kaneria was erratic with his lengths as well.
#4 Tauseef Ahmed:
Tauseef Ahmed was again an off spinner who started playing for Pakistan in the eighties. He toured India with the Pakistani team in 1987 and proved to be very expensive in Chennai Test match where he gave away 189 runs in 67 overs.
It was a very flat wicket though as both the teams posted huge scores in the first innings. Shoaib Mohammad and Imran Khan scored hundreds for Pakistan, while Kris Srikkanth got into three figures for India.
The Test match eventually ended in a draw; however the series was later won by Pakistan.
