India's 5 biggest defeats under Rahul Dravid's captaincy

#2 Against Pakistan in Karachi (2006 Test series)

Mohammad Asif bowled Pakistan to a series-clinching triumph against India

In sharp contrast to the events of recent times, India and Pakistan regularly met each other on the field during the mid 2000s. India embarked on one such trip across the border in 2006. Despite the pre-series talk of ambushing the visitors with rigged pace-friendly surfaces, the curators in Lahore and Faisalabad rolled out flat decks of the highest order. With the first two matches ending in stalemate, the Test series was up for grabs when the two arch-rivals squared off at the fabled National Stadium in Karachi.

Capitalising on the early morning cloudy weather, Irfan Pathan left the crowd in utter disbelief by picking up a sensational hat-trick in the opening over of the match. 0/3 soon turned to 39/6 as RP Singh and Zaheer Khan joined in on the fun. Against all odds, Kamran Akmal produced the knock of his life-time. The wicket-keeper batsman's 148-ball 113 helped Pakistan reach a competitive total.

The home team's potent seam attack not only halted India's charge but also wrested a tiny lead of seven runs. With the pitch easing out, the Pakistani batsmen made the visitors toil under demanding conditions. While Faisal Iqbal scored a sublime century, the likes of Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq fell short of three figures. Defending a whopping 607 runs, Mohammad Asif struck at the heart of India's batting lineup. In a magical spell, he removed Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar in quick succession to pave the way for a facile triumph.

Extra Cover: 5 hat-tricks which did nothing to help the team’s cause

Brief Scores: Pakistan - 245 (Kamran Akmal 113, Irfan Pathan 5/61) & 599/7 declared (Faisal Iqbal 139, Mohammad Yousuf 97, Anil Kumble 3/151); India - 238 (Yuvraj Singh 45, Mohammad Asif 4/78, Abdul Razzaq 3/67) & 265 (Yuvraj 122, Razzaq 4/88, Asif 3/48)

Result - Pakistan won by 341 runs

Watch Mohammad Asif's stunning spell in Karachi