1989, 1st Test Karachi: When An Attack on India Captain K. Srikkanth By A Pakistan Fan Left Kapil Dev Shocked

1989, 1st test karachi: when an attack on india captain k. srikkanth by a pakistan fan left kapil dev shocked

India vs Pakistan has always been a spectacle that fans all across the globe rejoice. Be it the rivalry, the cricket, the amalgamation of culture, when both these nation lock horns with each other on the 22 yards, it gives birth to many such stories that are passed on to the generations. Be it Virat Kohli's 'shot of the century' to Rauf in the MCG or be it a young Sachin Tendulkar smashing Abdul Qadir for four consecutive sixes, these are just few of the many stories that are an ensemble part of cricket's glorious history.

Cricket, often known as a colonial sport creates an unmatched sense of unity within these two countries. India vs Pakistan is not just Asia's but the world's biggest cricketing rivalry, something that only the Ashes can match. The geopolitical tension between these two countries just adds fuel to the fire and more often than not, these matches can turn the players into heroes and villains, based on their performances on the given day. While talking about the cricketing rivalry between India and Pakistan, one can't simply not talk about India's historic tour to Pakistan back in 1989.

Prior to this, Pakistan always had the upper hand against India, courtesy of their fierce pace bowling but India's tour to Pakistan in 1989 was all about levelling the playing field. This was the historic tour where the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar made his debut for India and rest was history. A 16-year-old kid turning the heat on the fierce pace bowling trio of Wasim, Waqar and Imran Khan was a spectacle to behold and gave the cricketing world just a small glimpse of what was to follow for the next 24 years. Not only Sachin, but another lad from Mumbai gave Pakistan a taste of his class. The Mumbai lad going by the name of Sanjay Manjrekar scored 76 off 240 balls in the first innings and followed it up with a valiant 83 off 189 deliveries.

But what also made headlines was how the Indian skipper, the ever so flamboyant Krishnamachari Srikkanth was manhandled and attacked by a Pakistani fan. During the 1st Test match that was played in the Karachi International Stadium, a a religious party activist attacked the Indian skipper with a knife. This incident left the great Kapil Dev shocked and he was at the loss of words on hos to react to this. Much to the skipper's fortune, he was unscathed as security personnel arrested the attacker.