Nearly seventeen years on, Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar still remembers his performances in the Coca-Cola Cup in the UAE as some of his finest.
– #CWC15 Diary: Food as popular as the cricket in Aus
– #360view: Australia and South Africa looking the part
– #CWC15 preview: New Zealand vs South Africa
Tendulkar, the only player to have scored 100 international centuries and the record run scorer in Tests and ODIs, is not short of memorable moments in cricket.
But amid the Test triumphs and the World Cup glory in 2011, Tendulkar fondly recalls some swashbuckling displays in a tournament in Sharjah.
In the 1997-98 Coca Cola Cup, a 25-year-old Tendulkar – already forging a reputation as India’s most famous son – led his side to victory, with his thrilling innings against Australia in the decisive final group game remembered most vividly.
Played in swirling winds carrying sand across the Sharjah stadium, Tendulkar’s knock is referred to as ‘The Desert Storm’ for the conditions it was played in and the brutal manner in which the Little Master flailed his willow.
Speaking at UAE-based pharmaceutical company Aster Pharmacy’s announcement that Tendulkar is their new global ambassador, the 41-year-old recalled his innings.
“When I was landing yesterday it reminded me of that desert storm [innings] in 1998,” said Tendulkar.
“We were playing Australia and suddenly [there was] this new experience of a desert storm for me. I was worried because I thought, looking at my size and weight – I weighed a lot less then – I thought I was going to get blown away by the storm. I was moving closer to Adam Gilchrist, hoping that if I was getting blown away I was going to grab hold of him. Some extra weight always helps!”
Tendulkar’s brilliance that day did not fire India to victory but it did take them past the required net run-rate to beat New Zealand to a berth in the final, with India’s talisman smashing another century as Australia were put to the sword in the showpiece.
India won the final by six wickets, Tendulkar contributing 134 two days after his 143 against the same opposition and on his 25th birthday.
“That match itself was a memorable one because we went back to the dressing room [after a delay] and there was a fresh target. Not many runs were added but about four or five overs were deducted so the target became stiffer,” Tendulkar recalled.
“But that will to win and desire to go through to the finals was there in our dressing room and some good cricket by all of us helped us reach the finals and we lifted the trophy as well.
“Hopefully this is something that will also happen in the next three or four days.”
Sachin Tendulkar is in the house… https://t.co/oSrTNL17gt
— Sport360° (@Sport_360) March 23, 2015
With India facing off against Australia in the World Cup semi-final at the SCG on Thursday, MS Dhoni and his men will be hoping to channel Tendulkar’s ‘Desert Storm’ knock as they bid to defend their 2011 crown.
Tendulkar was part of that World Cup triumph in 2011 but only after experiencing the disappointment of a final defeat to Australia eight years earlier.
He attributes the despair of that loss for driving him and his team-mates to glory and believes his beloved India are ready to ensure they are crowned champions on March 29.
“The team believed in each other and stuck close to each other and produced some cricket that the nation was proud of,” said Tendulkar of the 2011 World Cup-winning team.
‘I want to congratulate @emiratescricket on reaching the @cricketworldcup‘ – @sachin_rt advocates a bigger World Cup. pic.twitter.com/qcjgmA9wQ3
— Sport360° (@Sport_360) March 23, 2015
“Something which that journey [in 2011] told us was that it really doesn’t matter if there are challenges along the way but it is all about what you think and if you are thinking of solutions then your path automatically gets cleared and that is what happened to us.
“Being the ICC ambassador for this year’s World Cup, I’m not supposed to name names but all I can say is the defending champions are ready to defend.”
If they can punish the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc in the same manner that Tendulkar battered Michael Kasprowicz back in ’98, the Indian side could well do just that.
