Top 10 cricketing rivalries of all time

#4 Sachin Tendulkar vs Shoaib Akhtar

What a duel!

For a decade or so, the India vs Pakistan rivalry was also known as the Sachin - Shoaib battle. Both the countries had their heartbeats stopped whenever Shoaib Akhtar was breathing fire against the enigma that was Sachin Tendulkar. It was not for the faint-hearted!

It all started when Akhtar uprooted Tendulkar's middle stump at the Eden Gardens which gave birth to a cricketing masterclass between the two. Indian fans make a case of Sachin's onslaught against Shoaib Akhtar in the 2003 World Cup where the Rawalpindi Express famously declined to bowl to Tendulkar after getting hit in his first spell. Also, during his 194* knock at Multan, Tendulkar decimated Akhtar to all parts of the ground.

On the other hand, Akhtar also has some fine Tendulkar dismissals to his name. Be it the unplayable delivery at Kolkata in 1999 or the lightning bolt of a ball in 2006 at Faisalabad. Pakistan's speed express also got the better of Tendulkar a number of times in the 2004 ODI series. All in all, a pace merchant bowling to one of the best in the business did become a sight to behold for a number of years.

A memorable battle.