Shoaib keen to better his bowling vs India

GUWAHATI: Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has never taken more than two wickets in a One-Day International on Indian spoil and he would be keen to improve upon these statistics when the five-match series begins here on Monday.

His best bowling in India is two for 10, but then he has played just four ODIs on Indian soil so far, according to statistician Rajesh Kumar.

Akhtar's career-best performance against India is four for 36 during a Champions Trophy match in Edgbaston in England in 2004.

On his home soil, the best performance by the 32-year-old 'Rawalpindi Express' is three for 49 from five ODIs.

Overall, Akhtar has captured 212 wickets at 23.09 in 134 ODIs in his career since his debut against Zimbabwe in Harare in March 1998.

In Test matches, Akhtar has performed better on Indian turf, though has claimed more than four wickets in an innings only once. Bowling really quick, he took four for 47 in the second innings of the first match of the Asian Test Championship in Calcutta in February 1999.

In the first innings, he took four for 71 for a match haul of eight for 118, including the scalp of Sachin Tendulkar, as Pakistan registered a 46-run win.

On Pakistani soil, Akhtar's best Test bowling is three for 47.

Overall, he has taken 169 wickets at 25.30 in 43 Tests since his debut against the West Indies at Rawalpindi in November 1997.