Twitterati Remember Sachin Tendulkar's 'Desert Storm' Innings Played on This Day in 1998 Against Australia at Sharjah
Very few had hopes of India defeating the Australians, but the Men in Blue needed to score 237 in the game to maintain a better run rate than New Zealand and make it to the finals. Sachin Tendulkar was a man possessed on that night and produced an inning which is still etched in the memory of several Indian fans. The Master scored 143 against a potent bowling attack.
On this day (April 22) in 1998, Sachin Tendulkar cemented his name in cricket folklore as the Master Blaster produced an innings of a lifetime against Australia. Back in the 90s, scoring a century against the Men in Yellow was not an easy task, now imagine scoring one in the soaring heat of UAE and a sandstorm. This knock by a 24-year-old Sachin Tendulkar in the 1998 Coco-Cola Cup against Australia in Sharjah is still fresh in the memory of Indian fans. This Day That Year: When Sachin Tendulkar's 143 Against Australia Caused 'Desert Storm' in Sharjah (Watch Video).
Australia started the night by batting first after winning the toss and were pegged back early as they lost some quick wickets. But Mark Waugh and Micheal Bevan got the side from 'Down Under' back on track with a 90-run partnership. After losing Waugh, Bevan continued to bat through and scored a brilliant ton to get his side to a total of 284/7 in 50 overs. Sachin Tendulkar Shares His ‘Connection’ With Plants Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Inspires Others to Increase Greenery in Environment (View Post).
Desert Storm
Very few had hopes of India defeating the Australians, but the Men in Blue needed to score 237 in the game to maintain a better run rate than New Zealand and make it to the finals. With the morale already down, a sand storm interrupted the clash for 25 minutes, reducing India’s target to 276 in 46 overs.
Most Dominant Knock
Favourite
Dominant
Goosebumps
Against All Odds
Sachin Tendulkar was a man possessed on that night and produced an inning which is still etched in the memory of every Indian. The Master scored 143 against a potent bowling attack as the temperatures reached up to 41 degree Celsius. His knock helped India to a score of 250/5 and despite losing the game, the Men in Blue made it to the finals ahead of the Kiwis.
The Indian genius produced a similar feat in the finals as well, scoring 134 on his birthday as India chased down the target of 273 set by the Australians to win the competition by six wickets.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 22, 2020 10:14 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).