Sachin, page 8
RELIVING THE CENTURY
Electing to bat after Mohammad Azharuddin won the toss, Sourav Ganguly (109) and Sachin Tendulkar (128) gave India a dream start, putting on 252 in 44 overs. Ajay Jadeja (25 of 15 balls) and Robin Singh (15 of 8 balls) added to the mayhem as India made 307 for six in 50 overs.
The Sri Lankans put up a terrific fight as Sanath Jayasuriya (32 of 25 balls) and Romesh Kaluwitharana gave them a brisk start at more than six runs an over and they were almost seven runs an over when Kaluwitharana became the second man to leave at 73 in the eleventh over. Aravinda de Silva’s century at more than a run a ball (105 of 94 balls) gave them a good chance of overtaking the Indians. But once de Silva was out and Sri Lanka were 272 for 5, the rest of the Sri Lankan team was dismissed for 301, giving India a six-run win and the title.
Tendulkar was once again Man of the Match, but de Silva (368 runs in five innings) was Man of the Series. Tendulkar scored 263 runs in four innings, with one century and two fifties.
Did you know…
» Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly’s opening stand of 252 was a new record for one-day internationals.
» Sachin Tendulkar’s 17th ODI century brought him level with Desmond Haynes and he also became the second Indian to cross 7,000 runs in ODIs.
Tendulkar Makes the Most of Good Fortune and Form
‘Playing in the same team as Sachin is a huge honour. His balance of mind, shrewd judgement, modesty and, above all, his technical brilliance make him my all-time hero… You can’t get a more complete cricketer than Sachin. He has everything that a cricketer needs to have - Rahul Dravid, rediff.com, September 2002
THE SITUATION
Soon after the Singer-Akai Cup in Sri Lanka, Sachin Tendulkar accompanied the Indian team to the Commonwealth Games at Kuala Lumpur, where cricket was being introduced for the first time. India failed to make the semi-finals, and Tendulkar was flown across the world to Toronto, where another Indian team was playing the Sahara Cup bilateral series against Pakistan. India had already lost the series but in the only match he played, the fifth ODI, Tendulkar scored 77. Less than a week later, he was in Zimbabwe to play a three-match ODI series and a one-of Test.
India won the ODI series 2-1, losing the last match, and then were stunned by a defeat in the only Test at Harare.
RELIVING THE CENTURY
Having put the home side in to bat after winning the toss, the Indian bowlers never allowed them to settle down for any big partnership. Ajit Agarkar and Harbhajan Singh took three wickets each as Zimbabwe scored 213 in exactly 50 overs. Skipper Alistair Campbell (53) was the only one to score a fifty.
Tendulkar lost partner Sourav Ganguly early and then made good the reprieves he got at five and 29, both times of Pommie Mbangwa. For the most part, he eschewed risks and ran ones and twos but he was severe on loose deliveries, particularly on the leg side.
Tendulkar went on to score 127 of 130 balls with 13 fours and a six. With Rahul Dravid, he put on 180 runs for the second wicket in just 34 overs. India won with more than seven overs to spare.
Did you know…
» Sachin Tendulkar surpassed Desmond Haynes record of 17 ODI centuries in this match.
Tendulkar Returns to Complete Australian Misery for the Year
He has defined cricket in his fabulous, impeccable manner. He is to batting what Shane Warne is to bowling’ - Richie Benaud in the commentary box
THE SITUATION
After rejecting Disneyland and Sharjah as possible venues, the ICC finally turned to Dhaka for the ICC Knockout Cup, though the tournament was nearly moved to India when Bangladesh was hit by devastating floods.
In the first-ever knockout tournament with all Test playing countries participating, New Zealand and Zimbabwe played a pre-quarter final. In the four quarters, South Africa beat England, Sri Lanka beat New Zealand, West Indies beat Pakistan and India beat Australia. In the semis, South Africa moved past Sri Lanka and West Indies beat India. In the final, South Africa defeated West Indies.
RELIVING THE CENTURY
Steve Waugh won the toss and put India in. Sachin Tendulkar lost his opening partner in the second over and skipper Mohammad Azharuddin, playing his 300th ODI, went for a duck in the third with the score still in single digits at 8 for 2. Then Tendulkar put on a show that was brilliant even by his own lofty standards.
With Rahul Dravid (48) he put on 140 in 23.2 overs at six an over. After Dravid was run out, Ajay Jadeja (71) was his partner in a 132-run stand in 19 overs at almost seven an over. India finally made 307 for eight in 50 overs. Four Indian batsmen - Dravid, Tendulkar, Jadeja and Sunil Joshi - were run out.
Tendulkar was severe on the Australians, who had flown in from Pakistan less than 48 hours earlier. He got his 141 of 128 balls; this included 13 fours and three sixes. Michael Kasprowicz’s first seven overs cost him 62. The Australians did not have any slow bowlers of quality to bother Tendulkar or the other top Indian batsmen.
Tendulkar had huge support all around and as he pushed a Darren Lehmann delivery for a single to long of to reach his 19th ODI century, the crowd began chanting his name and let of firecrackers.
Mark Waugh opened in a Tendulkar-like manner with 74 of 79 balls, but the other Australians were not disciplined enough. Tendulkar turned out to be as much of a terror with the ball as he was with the bat. His 9.1 overs cost him just 38 runs and fetched him four wickets, including those of Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan. Australia were bowled out for 263 in 48.1 overs, but they were never really in with a chance.
Did you know…
» This was Sachin Tendulkar’s fourth ODI century against Australia in 1998. The other three were made in three countries - India (Kanpur), UAE (Sharjah) and Bangladesh (Dhaka).
» This was the first Mini World Cup played in a knockout format.
» Mohammad Azharuddin became the first to play 300 ODIs, though he was dismissed for a duck in three balls.
Another Century at Sharjah
‘He has everything a top batsman needs. Tendulkar is a classic example of a player being so good that his age is an irrelevance - Alistair Campbell after the match
THE SITUATION
India went straight from the ICC Knockout Cup at Dhaka to the three-nation Champions Trophy at Sharjah, where both they and Zimbabwe won their first matches. The wins came at the expense of Sri Lanka. Earlier in the year, Tendulkar had scored two centuries against Australia and Sharjah was quickly becoming one of his favourite venues.
RELIVING THE CENTURY
Put in to bat, Zimbabwe were never comfortable against the Indian spin attack of Anil Kumble, Sunil Joshi and Nikhil Chopra, who ended the game with two wickets each. Zimbabwe were down to 83 for six before Heath Streak (59) took them to a face-saving 196 all out in the last over.
A solid start of 61 with Sourav Ganguly as Sachin Tendulkar’s partner gave India the right platform to sail along to a comfortable win. Tendulkar and Azharuddin put on 92 runs in just under 19 overs and the win soon became a formality.
Tendulkar dominated the proceedings as India reached the target in 40.4 overs. He scored 118 of the 197 runs needed of 112 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes. Ganguly and Azharuddin were next best at 28 each. Andy Whitall, whose cousin Guy Whitall played for 10 years for Zimbabwe, went for 30 runs in three overs.
Tendulkar’s 20th ODI century fetched him the Man of the Match trophy and India took one more step towards the final.
Did you know…
» Sachin Tendulkar became the first player to score 20 ODI centuries.
» Alongside his 16 Test centuries, Sachin Tendulkar had 36 international centuries, going past the 35 by Sunil Gavaskar, Desmond Haynes and Viv Richards.
A Second Title in the Gulf
‘He’s nearly taken the umpire away. He smashed that straight back down the ground and the umpire (Steve) Dunne… he’s gone a little bit pale… it went whistling down his end’ - Tony Grieg in the commentary box
THE SITUATION
It was one of the heaviest seasons India had endured. As the year drew to an end, there was still a Test tour of New Zealand to be made over the New Year. Tendulkar had been brilliant through the year with a bagful of centuries.
At Sharjah, playing for the Coca-Cola Champions Trophy India and Zimbabwe won three of their four matches in the league, losing to each other once. Zimbabwe’s win over India came in the last league match before the final. Sri Lanka lost all four games and were eliminated.
RELIVING THE CENTURY
It was the year’s most comprehensive win for India, by ten wickets with 20 overs to spare. It was the 40th ODI of the year, of which Tendulkar had played 34. India won 24 and lost 14, with two no-results.
If Tendulkar’s century five days earlier had been a dominating one, this one was even more so. Carving the Zimbabwean bowlers for a century of 71 balls, he took 92 balls for his unbeaten 124. His innings included 12 fours and six sixes and he singled out Henry Olonga for special treatment. Two days earlier, Olonga had been Man of the Match with four for 46 - his victims had included Ganguly, Tendulkar, Dravid and Jadeja. In the final, Olonga was hit for 50 in six overs and Tendulkar was Man of the Match.
Interestingly, Ganguly (63 not out), who opened with Tendulkar, had almost the same amount of strike (at 90 balls) but made just a little over half the runs that Tendulkar scored.
India had picked up a second title in seven months in the Gulf and Tendulkar had four centuries at Sharjah in the same period.
Did you know…
» Sachin Tendulkar’s hundred of 71 balls was his fastest century in his ODI career. It was at that point the second fastest ODI century ever by an Indian. The fastest was Mohammad Azharuddins 62-ball century against New Zealand in 1988.
» In seven months Sachin Tendulkar scored four centuries at Sharjah and India won two titles.
Tendulkar’s Century in Vain as Kiwi Tail Wags Successfully
To Sachin, the man we all want to be - Andrew Symonds, on a T-shirt he autographed for Sachin Tendulkar
THE SITUATION
A few weeks after finishing their engagements at Sharjah, India were of to New Zealand for a Test and ODI series over the new year. In the period since 1986, India had won only one series away and that was in Sri Lanka in 1993-94. In New Zealand, in the second Test, they had a chance, which they blew. Though Sachin Tendulkar (47 and 113) got a century in the second innings, the failure of the other batsmen cost India dearly. The first Test had been abandoned without a ball being bowled at Dunedin and the third Test in January 1999 was drawn. The Kiwis won the series 1-0.
RELIVING THE CENTURY
India elected to bat after winning the toss, but in next to no time, Simon Doull had reduced them to 16 for four in the 11th over. Tendulkar (47) with Mohammad Azharuddin took the team to 99 for four before Doull returned to get both Tendulkar and the next man, Nayan Mongia, in the same over, to make it 99 for six. Azharuddin scored a fighting 103 not out as India made 208 with Doull getting seven for 65.
New Zealand were 179 for six and then 208 for seven, before Dion Nash (89 not out) and Daniel Vettori (57) put on 137 to give them a handy first-innings lead of 144.
The second time around, the Indians did better. After a decent start, they were 112 for three and then 200 for four, when Sourav Ganguly (48) was dismissed. Then Tendulkar (113) and Azhar (48) put on 97 to make it 297.
Tendulkar was aggressive and scored quickly as he reached his hundred of 123 balls. But when the new ball was taken after lunch, he top-edged into the hands of Fleming of Nash.
At that point, the match was well balanced. India were ahead by 153 with five wickets in hand. Nayan Mongia joined Azharuddin at the crease. But the remaining five wickets fell for just 59, setting New Zealand a target of 213.
The Kiwis ended the fourth day at 73 for four with Matthew Bell, Stephen Fleming, Matt Horne and Adam Parore back in the pavilion. Javagal Srinath had fractured Nathan Astle’s hand, and he was unlikely to come out to bat again.
On the final morning, India were in with a great chance of completing a win abroad, something they had always found diffcult to achieve. Paul Wiseman left early in the morning at 74 for five. But Craig McMillan (74 not out) and Chris Cairns (61) put on 137 to take the Kiwis to the doorstep of victory. With a boundary of Srinath, Nash completed the four-wicket win for New Zealand.
Did you know…
» The year 1998 was the most successful for Sachin Tendulkar, with 12 centuries: nine in 34 ODIs and three in five Tests. He had eight centuries in 1996 and six centuries in 1997.
» Daniel Vettori, who had made his Test debut some 23 months earlier, was playing his first Test against India and he was welcomed with a century by Tendulkar, who also scalped his wicket after he had put on 137 with DJ. Nash (89 not out).
PARALLEL LIVES
Viswanathan Anand: Right at the start of the year, Viswanathan Anand, who had come through a gruelling qualifier for the World title, lost to the well-rested Anatoly Karpov, who had the unfair advantage of being seeded straight into the final. After playing 31 games in 30 days, Anand tied the match but lost the tiebreaker.
But with four wins in five events, it was a great year otherwise as Anand won the Torneo International de Ajedrez, Linares, and moved to the No. 2 position in the world. His 1997 performance earned him the Chess Oscar and after a win in Madrid, he came to 2795, just five Elo points less than the landmark achieved so far only by Garry Kasparov. Anand also won the Siemens Nixdorf Duell, Frankfurt, and the Fontys-Tilburg International Chess Tournament in Holland to complete a hugely successful year.
Leander Paes: After his Olympic bronze medal in 1996, Leander’s focus was more on doubles than singles. But in 1998, he had his best results in the form of his one and only ATP singles title at Newport. He also beat Pete Sampras in straight sets at the New Haven ATP tournament. But it was in doubles, in the company of Mahesh Bhupathi, that he was beginning to stand out. The pair reached the semi-finals of three Grand Slams: the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open. But Paes was unable to work his magic in the Davis Cup, where India lost 2-3 to higher-ranked Great Britain in the first round of the World Group.
HIS ALSO HAPPENED IN 1998
The year opened with all California bars, clubs and card rooms banning smoking.
A week later, the World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Ahmed Yousef was sentenced to life imprisonment.
On 25 January, Spice Girl Victoria Adams and soccer superstar David Beckham announced their engagement.
But the story of the year was American President Bill Clinton’s alleged affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. On 26 January, he said, ‘I want to say one thing to the American people. I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.’ Seven months later, on 15 August, Clinton confessed to Hilary about the Lewinsky affair. And two days later, he testified before a grand jury investigating his conduct, the first president to do so. He admitted to an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with Monica Lewinsky. Before the end of the year, the House of Representatives had approved two articles of impeachment, charging President Clinton with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice.
In India, the dates for the general elections were announced. Sonia Gandhi launched her election campaign from Sriperumbudur, where her husband Rajiv Gandhi had been assassinated. On 16 February, more than 100 million people cast their votes.
After two more phases of voting, the BJP and its allies emerged as the single largest political party with the Congress behind them. BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee took office following a 13-party coalition, and 10 days later, he won a confidence vote.
On 13 May, India conducted three underground nuclear tests at Pokhran and two days later, carried out two more. USA and Japan imposed economic sanctions on India, and in June, the UN Security Council condemned India and Pakistan for testing their nuclear weapons. For the rest of the year, the government reeled under rising prices and inflation.
CHAPTER 9
1999
Playing through Pain
Regardless of the format, Sachin Tendulkar continued to be among the runs. There were a dozen centuries in 1998 and the number was eight in 1999. He made five centuries in 10 Tests and three centuries in 22 ODIs. By the end of the year, he had a total of 46 centuries, 20 of them having come in the last two years!
For the team, in sharp contrast to 1998, this was a far less successful year. After the 1998–99 Test series in New Zealand, which India lost 0–1, they failed to make the final of the Asian Test Championships. A narrow 1–0 home win in the three-Test series against New Zealand followed, before India went to Australia and were wiped out 0–3.
In ODIs, India drew the series in New Zealand, did badly at the World Cup in England and failed to make the final at the Aiwa Cup in Sri Lanka. They lost the final at the Coca-Cola Cup in Singapore and, at home against New Zealand, they managed a narrow 3–2 win in the five-match series.
Overall, it was a fair year for Tendulkar who, despite back problems that forced him to miss a few matches, made eight centuries, 1,088 runs in Tests and 843 in ODIs, but there were very few noteworthy wins for India.
Tendulkar Makes Century Despite Back Pain
‘If batting is an art, then Sachin Tendulkar is the Picasso among batsmen - Greg Chappell in the Hindu, 18 March 2012
THE SITUATION
The Chennai Test was the first between India and Pakistan in nine years. The last time India had played Pakistan was at Bangalore in 1986-87, when Sunil Gavaskar had played that famous innings of 96, in his last Test. Despite that fighting innings on a minefield of a pitch, India, needing 221 for a win, had been bowled out for 204 and lost narrowly.
The series in 1999 included two Tests, at Chennai and Delhi. Tendulkar played his heart out in the first Test but India lost by 12 runs.
