Flashback: 2 lesser known match-winning knocks from Sachin
The name 'Sachin Tendulkar' is enough to make people crazy in respect, admiration and happiness. That's the impact the great man has had on the game and even after almost 2 years after his retirement from international cricket, he has not lost that spark among his fans and rivals the world over.
He was the flag bearer of India’s batting throughout the 90s and the early 2000s. During his time, Sachin has given us the opportunity to witness some of the greatest ever performances and there was always a notion going around that whenever Sachin played well, India slept well.
Anyone - a die-hard Sachin fan or not would easily have in his memory some of Sachin's best knocks like the ones against Australia in Sharjah in 1998, his Perth hundred at 18, his ODI double century, his World Cup performances, his SCG double, his heartbreaking hundred against Pakistan in the 1999 Chennai Test then probably his best Test innings - 155 against Australia at Chennai again...the list goes on and on!!
But among these monumental performances, lie several unsung hero like knocks as well. Sachin has always tormented Australia and Pakistan and is without doubt the best batsman to have played against them. Here we present to you two such unknown and probably unseen Sachin Tendulkar's match-winning innings against Australia and Pakistan during the 1990s.
1. 88 vs. Australia at Bangalore - 3rd ODI, Titan Cup 1996
The stage was set for a thrilling encounter on bright sunny afternoon at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. India were taking on Australia in the 3rd match of the 1996 Titan Cup triangular ODI series. Both teams lost their opening games to South Africa, making this encounter an important one for either team.
Australian skipper Mark Taylor, playing his 98th ODI, won the toss and decided to bat first. The Aussies lost 2 wickets early in the innings, when Taylor and Steve Waugh came together and steadied the ship with a 92-run partnership. Waugh too went after making a fighting 41, but Taylor kept marching on and was joined by Bevan.
The pair added another 82 runs and in the process, Mark Taylor reached three figures for the first time in ODIs - his maiden ODI century. His efforts enabled Australia reach 215 in 50 overs, a total that may not seem too challenging for a strong Indian batting order.
Then began the Indian run chase, with skipper Sachin Tendulkar leading the way amidst huge cheers from the crowd, accompanied by a lesser known Sujith Somasunder. Sachin began the innings with a few crisp shots as the fans went crazy with every run off his bat. His partner though was struggling and was soon dismissed by Glenn McGrath. A huge downslide then followed as India lost Dravid, Azharuddin and Ganguly in a space of 15-20 balls.
The crowd soon lost temper and started misbehaving as India were in dire straits at 47-4. The atmosphere reminded everyone of the Eden Gardens debacle which happened not long ago, just a few months back during the 1996 World Cup semifinal against Sri Lanka, when angry crowds burnt the stands as India were losing the game and the match was awarded to Sri Lanka. Similar scenes seemed to have returned to haunt India again, but Azhar walked down to the crowd to calm things down and his cool contempt worked like magic and he was successful in restoring sanity to proceedings.
Among all the chaos and wickets falling around him, Sachin stood firm like a rock, soaking in all the pressure and moving the innings forward inch by inch. He eventually reached his fifty and along with Ajay Jadeja, added 79 runs for the 5th wicket and the chase was back on track.
Though Sachin's innings was subdued by his standards, it was not short of class and flair in shot selection and he took on every bowler, blow for blow. Just when it looked as though India would win the game on a canter, another collapse followed and this was a big one - Sachin was gone after making a lion-hearted 88 off 111 balls with India still needing 52 runs with 2 wickets in hand.
It needed nothing short of a miracle for India to win from here, and a miracle it was that came next. Javagal Srinath churned out an unexpected cameo of 30 in 23 balls and with good support from Anil Kumble, who himself made 16, pulled off an impossible Indian win by 2 wickets!!
Sachin rightfully won the man of the match award for his brilliantly paced 88 runs. Though the credit also goes to Srinath and Kumble but without Sachin's effort in bringing the match to that point after a disastrous start, India would have long lost the match.
You can watch Sachin's wonderful 88 vs Australia 1996 below
2. 41 vs. Pakistan at Dhaka - 3rd Final, Silver Jubilee Independence Cup 1998
This Sachin knock comes from Dhaka where India and Pakistan were up against each other in the 3rd Final of the Silver Jubilee Independence Cup in 1998. This was the series decider with the score 1-1 after the first 2 finals – each team winning a match-a-piece.
Indian skipper Azharuddin won the toss and chose to field first on a belter of a batting track in a reduced game of 48 overs. Pakistan began proceedings well with some quick runs – openers Saeed Anwar Shahid Afridi scoring rapidly. India clawed back, but only just, with 2 wickets by the 12 over and in came Ijaz Ahmed to join Anwar.
The pair then led the charge and tormented the Indian bowlers and took them to the cleaners. The bowlers had no answer to this assault and the momentum was completely with Pakistan now. Both eventually got their hundreds – Saeed Anwar making a classy 140 and Ijaz Ahmed a solid 117. Their 230-run partnership saw Pakistan reach 314 in 48 overs – a huge total for any team to chase down in a final.
India began their innings, with the legendary pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly launching an all-out attack on the Pakistani bowlers. Ganguly took the initiative with some early boundaries and then Sachin too joined the act. He went after the bowlers with all guns blazing and smacked almost every ball that came his way to the boundary.
The real momentum changer and probably the moment that changed the game was when Sachin hit Azhar Mahmood for 4 consecutive fours in the 6th over, taking India past 50 runs in no time. He continued the assault on the bowlers and India were coasting along at 71 for no loss after 8 overs just when Sachin played one shot too many.
He mistimed a lofted shot off Shahid Afridi and was caught by Azhar Mahmood at mid-off for 41! His knock came at a lightening pace of 26 balls and included 7 fours and a huge six off Saqlain Mushtaq, at a strike rate of 157. Though Sachin was not the top scorer in the innings, but his quick fire 41 off just 26 balls helped India gain the upper hand early in the chase which enabled the others to settle down without panicking too much about the asking rate and play their natural game.
India eventually won the game and the series on the back of a brilliant 124 from Sourav Ganguly and a gutsy 82 from Robin Singh. Sachin won the Player of the series Award for his 258 runs in 5 innings at an average of 51.60.
You can watch Sachin's 26-ball 41 vs Pakistan 1998 below