As Shoaib Akhtar started his marathon run-up on a misty Karachi morning in 2006, the crowd roared behind him. The fiery chorus was only broken each time Akhtar let go of his thunderbolt.

This happened throughout the day, with every delivery the world’s fastest bowler delivered.

Nine years ago, I was lucky enough to have witnessed one of the most thrilling Pakistan-India encounters at the National Stadium.

India were visiting the country and the excitement had only slightly dampened because of two high-scoring draws at Lahore and Faisalabad.

But the curator for the third Test in the port city had other ideas, for he had prepared a green-top wicket to ensure a result is at least achieved.

Right he was.

The wicket did produce a result and it was one of the most thrilling matches I had ever seen.

From Irfan Pathan’s hat-trick in the first over to Kamran Akmal’s face-saving century and Abdul Razzaq’s understated heroics, it was all too dramatic.

As political tensions between India and Pakistan rise and cricketing ties between the two teams remain stalled, it is only natural to keep going back to some magic moments from the past.

Here are some moments from the 2006 Karachi Test.

That Irfan Pathan hat-trick

Irfan Pathan’s hat-trick in the first over was a befitting reply to Pakistan’s great Javed Miandad.

It so reportedly happened that during India’s tour to Australia in 2004, a ‘magical’ Pathan delivery led to parallels being drawn with Wasim Akram.

“Bowlers like Irfan Pathan are found in every by-lane of Pakistan,” Miandad was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India in response to the Irfan-Akram comparisons.

But when Pathan took the new ball on a green-top Karachi wicket and steamed in, there was anticipation in the air. The fourth delivery of the very first over of the Pakistan innings, accounted for opener Salman Butt. Indian skipper Rahul Dravid took a neat catch at first slip.

Following Butt’s dismissal, Younis Khan found himself in early, and a sharp in-dipper trapped him plumb in front of the wickets. Pathan’s control of the seam movement was exceptional and the young Indian pacer found himself on a hat-trick in the opening minutes of the Test.

Pakistan lost two of its main batsmen in two consecutive deliveries. Mohammad Yousuf was in next, another one of the team’s big guns. Yousuf took guard and stretched his back to face the hat-trick ball.

Watch the video below to see how Pathan became only the second bowler back then to claim a hat-trick in the first over of a Test match.

Kamran Akmal saves the day

After winning the toss and sending Pakistan in, India couldn’t have imagined a better start. But Pakistan’s wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was prepared to spoil the party for the guests.

Dejected fans had already started to leave the stadium after Pathan’s spectacular hat-trick, but Pakistan’s unpredictability ensured there was a twist yet on the first day.

Coming to the crease with Pakistan struggling at 39/6, Akmal and Abdul Razzaq established a stand of 115 runs for the seventh wicket to provide the hosts’ total some respectability. It was followed by another 82-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Akmal and Shoaib Akhtar.

Both Razzaq and Akhtar were dismissed for 45 but Akmal went on to complete a heroic century. He scored 113 runs and his 148-ball innings included 18 fours.

At one stage when Pakistan were 39/6, ended up scoring a face-saving 245.

Asif the tormentor

Akmal’s heroics did not seem enough when Pakistan came out to bowl against an Indian line up of ‘Galácticos’.

But Asif was in a different mood today.

Very few Pakistani bowlers had the ability to mesmerise even when they put in a prolonged wicketless spell on subcontinent dust bowls. Rogue hero, Asif possessed that ability and after making a forgettable debut in 2005, he transformed into a real work of art.

No television screen could match the charm of watching stumps being uprooted live at the stadium.

Razzaq the underrated star of the Karachi win

As the ball broke through the defense of Sachin Tendulkar, there was no limit to Abdul Razzaq’s celebrations. Pakistan had struck a big wicket and were sensing a comeback.

Tendulkar’s confused footwork made a seemingly innocuous Razzaq delivery look like a jaffa as India stumbled in response to Pakistan’s first innings total of 245.

Though Kamran Akmal was declared as Man of the Match for his outstanding century in the first innings, all-rounder Razzaq’s contribution of 45 (1st innings) and 90 (2nd innings) along with bowling figures of 16-67-3 (1st innings) and 18.4-88-4 (2nd innings) played a major part in ensuring Pakistan’s remarkable victory.

It was being rightly argued after the match that anyone looking up the record books in the future would wonder why Razzaq wasn’t declared the Man of the Match. But only those who witnessed the Akmal blitz at the National Stadium in Karachi knew how extraordinary that was.