When Wasim Akram's words of wisdom helped Saqlain Mushtaq dismiss Sachin Tendulkar and win the famous Chennai Test match for Pakistan in 1999- Exclusive

Spin legend Saqlain Mushtaq has a special place in the history of Pakistan cricket. The right-arm off-break bowler enjoyed an illustrious career between 1995 and 2004.

One match that stood out in his career was the famous Chennai Test between India and Pakistan in 1999, which took him to new heights. Saqlain bagged 10 wickets in the match, including the big wicket of Sachin Tendulkar twice, as Pakistan won by 12 runs.

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Saqlain Mushtaq revealed that it was not an ordinary match for him. He feels that the fixture helped him better understand the game and made him a completely different cricketer.

The former Pakistani cricketer said:

“I can never forget the Chennai Test match [against India], its memories are always with me."

"It wasn't just a cricket match for me. I think it helped me better understand the game and life. It wasn't just about winning the match. I still thank god for that performance. That game made a different cricketer.”

Mushtaq spoke about how Tendulkar’s wicket played a vital role in the match. He recalled how the star batter hit him around all corners after losing his wicket for a duck in the first innings. He said:

“In that Test, Sachin Tendulkar got out very early in the first innings. So, obviously, it was expected that the world-class batter would come up with a different mindset. He smashed me for 16-17 or more boundaries and scored a century in the second innings. He single-handedly kept India in the hunt.”

"Without his conviction, we wouldn’t have won the match"- Saqlain Mushtaq

That was also when Pakistan captain Wasim Akram’s words of wisdom changed the whole complexion of the game, resulting in a win for Pakistan.

Saqlain Mushtaq recalled how Akram instilled a big belief in him that he could get the wicket of Tendulkar. The former spinner said:

“We knew we would win the match once we get Sachin’s wicket, but he had thrashed me badly in the contest. I was talking with Wasim [Akram] Bhai about how he is dominating me."

"The skipper told me, ‘I have full faith in you because only you can do it’. I felt a lot of respect and it helped me re-focus and get the best out of me.”

Watch Saqlain Mushtaq's full interview here:

He added:

“I played a gamble by bowling on the legs and making him play at mid-on and bowled the doosra which dismissed Sachin. I will give credit [of the victory] to Wasim Akram because his conversations sparked a tremendous belief in me."

"Without his conviction, we wouldn’t have won the match. A different captain might have led to a different result in that match.”

Tendulkar smashed 136 runs in 273 balls comprising 18 boundaries and won the Man of the Match award for his brilliant century.

Mushtaq represented Pakistan in 49 Tests and 169 ODIs and scalped 208 and 288 wickets, respectively.