10 unforgettable events in the India-Australia rivalry
There are certain rivalries in cricket such as The Ashes and India vs Pakistan that have been arond for many years. Given that they have been around for many years, these are intensely competitive and extremely fierce in nature.However, there is one rivalry that is relatively new, but is just about as intense and fierce as the older rivalries in cricket. In the last decade, the India-Australia rivalry has provided some great moments that have been etched in the memories of fans. Let’s take a chronological look at 10 of the most unforgettable.
#10 Desert Storm, 1998: Aussies blown away
The 2 ‘Desert Storm Innings’ that Sachin played are surely two of the best innings that he played during his career. It was a classic case of how The Little Master used to single-handedly carry the Indian team to victory back in the nineties. Infact, the one that he played in the final came on his 25th birthday, making it all the more special. Such was the impact of these innings that Shane Warne, the spin maestro said that he had nightmares of Tendulkar skipping down the track and hoisting him for a six.
The first of the 2 innings came in the final league game of The Coca Cola Cup. It was a virtual semifinal of sorts as India had to either win or finish with a net run rate better than the Kiwis to make it to the finals. Australia posted a total of 284/7 thanks largely to Michael Bevan’s century and Mark Waugh’s 84. The game, however, was interrupted by sand storms as India were set a target of 276 runs in 46 overs. To better New Zealand’s NRR, India had to score 237 runs in 46 overs. Tendulkar then took matters in his own hands as he scored a blistering 143 off just 131 balls and helped India get past the desired qualification score.
In the final, the Aussies were brilliant with the bat yet again as they set India a target of 273 runs for victory. The Birthday boy treated the audience with another majestic batting performance as he dispatched the Australian bowlers to all parts of the ground. In the end, The Men in Blue achieved victory with a good 9 balls to spare, thereby making Sachin’s birthday very special. These innings are often considered as benchmarks in ODI batting as they were well paced and had all the shots in the book.
Take a look at the brilliant innings that the batting maestro played in the final in the video below: