Justin langer cricketer imran
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Langer relishes battles with Shoaib
Australian opening batsman Justin Langer said he relishes his hair-raising duels with Pakistan express bowler Shoaib Akhtar after the pair's verbal dust-up on day two of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
Shoaib launched into the left-hander in one explosive over before tea with Langer taking apparent exception when the quickie appeared to spit in his direction.
The Pakistani spearhead then thundered down two bouncers and the pair exchanged words and fierce looks as Shoaib advanced down the pitch to within a few metres of Langer who was man-of-the-match with scores of 191 and 97 in the Perth Test.
But Langer, who scored 50 in Australia's 5 for 203 in reply to Pakistan's 341, later revealed there was no enmity between the pair, saying it was "just two warriors going at each other."
"It's great, isn't it? For me, that's why you play the game," the 34-year-old batsman said.
"As I said to (umpire) Rudi Koertzen, there was nothing malicious about it. It's just like two warriors going at each other.
"A bloke's bowling 150 kilometres per hour, trying to rip the fingers off your arms, or probably even worse. It gets your blood going, the adrenaline is pumping, you're in a fight. To me that's what Test cricket is all about."
Langer revels in his new-ball battles with the 'Rawalpindi Express."
"For me, it's one of the great battles in Test cricket playing against Shoaib Akhtar," he said.
"Today I reckon he bowled as fast as I've seen him bowl in all our confrontations. I've always said he's the fastest bowler I've ever faced and I reckon today, besides an over or two he bowled at the WACA four years ago, it was as quick as I've faced for a long time."
Langer, who is Test cricket's leading scorer this year with 1,476 runs, was upset with himself getting out for 50 when he top-edged .Justin Langer's Dharavi experience: When luxury meets reality!
The experience served as a poignant reminder of the disparate realities that coexist within the city, juxtaposing the extravagance of the cricketing world with the austere living conditions of those who work tirelessly behind the scenes to support the team's success.
LSG failed to make the playoffs after a mixed run in the league stage of the IPL.
"After a life of living what I would now define as extreme luxury, I was humbled like never before seeing how other human beings live their day-to-day lives," Langer said of his experience in a post for 'The Nightly'.
It all started with Chandrashekhar's insistence on giving Langer a haircut.
"At first, I thought nothing of the invitation, but as the days moved into weeks, RC kept asking me if I needed a haircut.
"Eventually, I relented to his offer and within minutes he was knocking on my door, manned with clippers, scissors, and a spray bottle full of water," he recalled.
Langer recounted that their discussion delved extensively into Chandrashekhar's life experiences. "His story blew me away," Langer remarked, expressing how profoundly impressed he was by Chandrashekhar's account.
The conversation provided Langer with a comprehensive understanding of Chandrashekhar's background and the events that had shaped him. Langer found himself captivated by the narrative, which left a lasting impact on him.
"RC told me that he lived in the slums of Mumbai and that he had earned a lucky break as a masseur for the local football (soccer) team. From