Viv Richards would make the bowlers shiver in their stride. He was acknowledged the King of batting. Then Sachin Tendulkar made them tremble and grovel at Sharjah with a stunning knock to become the uncrowned King of batting that night. A new chapter had begun in Tendulkar’s fascinating cricket journey – of a man who was going to control the game in times to come by batting on his terms.
Twenty years is a long time but the memories of the 1998 Coca Cola Sharjah Cup are vivid. Getting into the Sharjah Stadium took long because of the cavalcade of cars and an army of fans converging on the iconic desert venue. It was hot and the passions were high too. I was in my seat well ahead of the toss.
India had to win to qualify for the final. It could afford to lose too but maintain a superior net run rate than New Zealand to meet Australia for the title. India’s hopes rested on Tendulkar. Coach Aunshuman Gaekwad wore a concerned look. “I wanted at least one big innings from one batsman.” Tendulkar assured him, “I will play one.” And he played one indeed! The Australians were helpless and hapless that night.
Australia made 284 for seven in 50 overs. It was an imposing target those days. India needed 254 in 50 overs to qualify on net run rate. The venue was hit by a sandstorm, play was held up for 25 minutes, and the revised target became 237 in 46 overs to qualify. The venue was then hit by a Sachin Tornado that decimated the opposition and left a lasting impact on the game.
“He gave a new dimension to batting,” former Pakistan great Asif Iqbal told this reporter as Tendulkar set new benchmarks with his intimidating arsenal of shots. “I get restless if I don’t play a couple of strokes in an over,” Tendulkar had confessed to The Hindu . With such a batting philosophy in mind it was natural that Tendulkar grew into a colossus at the crease.
VVS Laxman, his partner in that innings of 143 (131b, 9x4, 5x6), reflected, “He was a man on a mission, wanting to finish it on his own. I was talking to him all the while and realised that nothing was registering. He was in his zone.”
For N.S. Sidhu, it was magical. “During the storm break he spoke to none. And none dared go near him. He was fiercely focussed.” Agreed Ajit Agarkar, “I could see the determination on his face. He wanted to finish the opponents.”
The innings had everything – front foot and back foot strokes off new ball and old ball, over the top shots, along the ground too, straight bat drives and paddle sweeps, and some incredible running between the wickets, never allowing the pressure to build. It was an epic which saw an encore two days later when India won the final. The nation celebrated the triumph and also Sachin Tendulkar’s birthday.
