Sachin has played many great and memorable innings but who can forget two of his best and also his favorite innings in sharjah coca cola cup 1998 Desert Strom & final.He played great innings back to back on his birthday.
India was in must win situation for qualifying to finals.The moral of the indian team was already low after the defeat by the under dogs,NZ. Australia effortlessly made the highest total of the tournament,A huge 284/7Target-285 to win,254 to qualify on runrate.These were revised to 270,237after a sandstorm lopped off 4 overs from the chase.It was compounded by the sandstorm that Disrupted play after they had lost their top 4 batsman Ganguly, Mongia, Azhar & Jadeja.India's chance now looked more hopeless.
The score at that stage was 143/4 in 31overs.To reach the finals on the batter run rate india needed 94 runs from the next 15 overs. Laxman hang around to give Tendulkar some support but it was clear to himself that only he can turn the side.Sachin proceeded to attack the bowling as like it was a club side.He played every shot in the book and some that have never been seen on cricket field. Sachin's one shot landed on no man's lane,another was dropped on the boundary.But the Gods were smiling on the champion the day.By the time he was given out to a highly dubious decision caught behind of Gillespie.The deed had been done.India were in the final. his masterly 142 had come from 131balls. Second highest score was Mongia's 35.
After that match S.Waugh confessed that Tendulkar had to be the best after Bradman."We were beaten by one man.It is difficult to control sachin when he is on song.what short of fielding one can set for a batsman who has so many shots to play?"
Warne whose 10 overs went for 61 Runs.He also said:"He was unstoppable.I don't think anyone apart from Don Bradman is in the same class.He is just an amazing player."Richie Benaud was another Aussie player,Calling sachin's two centuries two most glories exhibition of batting he had ever seen in limited overs cricket, ranking with two other innings he had seen from Viv Richards.
Australia won the game, but if in the change room after the match, you would have thought they were the losing side. S.Waugh voiced his concern about Sachin's form and Allan Border consoled him saying that it would be impossible for him to bat that well in the finals and that Sachin in fact was due for a failure.
India was qualified for final and when the final was on half way India again had to chase a big total to win the cup. Sachin had to repeat his feat and sachin ensured that the desert storm inning was not a climax, It was just a trailer. It was a last match of the battle of two greats for a while, Sachin Vs Warne. Sachin had won the battle before entering the final but he stamped his superiority in the final battle. He smashed Warne & other Aussie Bowlers everywhere and again won the final for india, Single handedly.
After this series Sachin has raised the expect ions of the followers. People started believing that sachin can do anything.
After the Presentation had finished & sachin Tendulkar was in the dressing room Shane Warne went to him for his autograph and sachin gently asked him for whom shane warne wanted autograph and shane warne replied, "For me of course."Next to Warne there were Six Australian players waiting for his autograph.
This is the respect sachin posses from his colleague and his fellow players.
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