Fans who had filled the stadium in Sharjah in 1998 had known that India could not beat Australia and fewer felt the team could maintain a better net run rate than New Zealand, even if it lost the contest.
Fans who had filled the stadium in Sharjah in 1998 had known that India could not beat Australia and fewer felt the team could maintain a better net run rate than New Zealand, even if it lost the contest.
And as known, Australia won and India lost, however, the mighty Aussies felt the chills in the desert due to one man - Sachin Tendulkar.
Australia maintained their unbeaten record to finish with four victories in the league. As for India, they had just one win prior to this match, that was against New Zealand, and finished with just that in the league.
It was the sixth match in the Coca-Cola Cup, a triangular series between India, Australia, and New Zealand. The Australians were already assured of a place in the final and India needed to beat the Aussies or only lose by a certain margin to face them in the final.
Mark Waugh and Michael Bevan helped put out 284 for 7 in the 50 overs for Australia. India, on the other hand, made a slow start to the chase until Tendulkar who had scored just 4 runs of 16 deliveries came into the form in the sixth over.
He made room, danced down the track to hit Michael Kasprowicz for a six over long-on before pulling him for another maximum over square leg off the very next ball.
That over changed the pace of the game for the rest of the innings. Tendulkar soon raced to his fifty in the 22nd over as India brought up their hundred. The players were, however, forced off the pitch after a desert storm hit the Sharjah stadium.
“I had never seen a sandstorm in my life. It was like being in a Hollywood movie. I was all set to grab hold of [Adam] Gilchrist, who was next to me. I thought, if I am going to be blown away, I should at least get hold of someone who is 80-90kg! I did not know how to react to it,” Tendulkar later recalled in an interview with ESPNCricinfo.
Now India had just 21 overs left and they were four down, needing 156 runs. After returning back to the crease, India were given a revised target of 276 in 46 overs. To qualify for the final, India needed to score 237.
Despite losing wickets Tendulkar did not slow down and smashed the Australian bowlers. Aussie's Kasprowicz and Steve Waugh were worst hit.
Tendulkar brought up his century in the 39th over. India were now 43 runs away from qualification and 82 runs away from victory.
Tendulkar, however, was hungry for victory after crossing the three-figure mark. India breezed to the qualification target in the 43rd over and Tendulkar looked good to take India home as well. However, he was caught behind while trying to pull a Damien Fleming delivery.
Soon after Tendulkar's dismissal, India’s chase faltered and Australia won by 26 runs.
Tendulkar's innings of 143 in 131 balls, was his highest score at the time and was regarded as one of the best innings in one-day international cricket history.
“During that period, the Australians were virtually unbeatable,” Tendulkar told Mumbai Mirror.
“They had some great players but my preparation was very good. Before they came to India, I had prepared myself on the turning tracks. There was a possibility of Shane Warne attacking me, so I worked with L Sivaramakrishnan in Chennai. In Mumbai, I tried to face the bowling of Nilesh Kulkarni, Rajesh Pawar, and Sairaj Bahutule. It was a proper practice in which my brother Ajit also helped me. All this came handy,” he added.
Not just that, 24 hours later, India again faced Australia in the final and Tendulkar smashed another hundred to take India to victory.
“I remember the night after scoring the 143 – which took India to the final of the Coca Cola Cup on April 22, 1998 – I reached the hotel at around 2.30 am. By the time I could finish with dinner and all obligations, it was already the next day morning. The next day was the final.
“In those days, we didn’t have the kind of support staff that’s available now. My body was still aching from that previous innings and I remember thanking my luck that we fielded first in the final,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
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