“26 Years Ago Today: Just 2 days after the iconic ‘Desert Storm’ innings, Sachin Tendulkar played another unforgettable and crucial knock.
Today is a special day as we celebrate the 51st birthday of the legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. Fondly known as the ‘God’ of cricket, Tendulkar retired from the sport 11 years back but his impact and legacy are still alive and thriving. With an array of impressive batting records under his belt and prestigious awards like the Khel Ratna and Bharat Ratna to his name, Sachin Tendulkar, also called the Master Blaster, is remembered as a cricket genius. Let’s not forget one of his most notable innings, played 26 years ago on his 25th birthday, as we honor and reminisce about the incredible journey of this cricket maestro.
In the 1998 Coca Cola Cup Trophy, Sachin Tendulkar delivered an outstanding performance. One of his remarkable innings was when he scored 143 runs off 131 balls against Australia. Despite his incredible effort, his team didn’t win the match. The game was interrupted by a desert storm but is still remembered as one of Tendulkar’s finest centuries, even though it ended in defeat.
A few days later, in the final match of the series, Tendulkar got the perfect finish to the story.
In a thrilling cricket match famously known as ‘the desert storm’, Sachin Tendulkar’s remarkable century led India to a victory in the final against Australia. Chasing a target of 273, Australia batted first after losing the toss. Steve Waugh and Darren Lehmann’s strong partnership helped Australia reach a total of 272/9 in their 50 overs.
Tendulkar opened the batting with Sourav Ganguly on his birthday and made a strong start. In the fourth over, he got lucky when a ball from Michael Kasprowicz almost bowled him but went to fine leg for a single. Kasprowicz said something to Tendulkar, who usually didn’t engage in chatter on the field, but Tendulkar gave him a defiant look back.
As the innings progressed, Tendulkar found his groove and played a fantastic knock. He scored 134 runs off 131 balls, including 12 fours and 3 sixes. His performance helped India win the match by four wickets and claim the trophy.
Sachin Tendulkar remembered feeling very exhausted and drained as he entered the match, especially because of the intense heat in Sharjah. When he went out to bat that evening, he was mentally fatigued and struggling to concentrate. It took him around 5-6 overs to find his rhythm and focus on the game. Until then, he wasn’t satisfied with how he was playing.
Tendulkar believed that confidence in cricket came from hitting the ball with the sweet spot of the bat, but at the beginning of his innings, he couldn’t quite connect well. However, once he settled in, he hit a couple of big sixes off Kasprowicz, which boosted his confidence. After that, things started to fall into place, and they ended up winning the tournament.
Tendulkar concluded his remarkable career by achieving an incredible milestone of scoring 100 international centuries in November 2013. This included unforgettable innings such as his iconic 98 versus Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup, the timeless 214 not out in Sydney, and the groundbreaking first double century in ODIs in 2010. Among these classics, his innings in Sharjah resonates deeply with cricket fans worldwide.