There have been some magical knocks played in the history of the ODI format. However, there is no denying the fact that a few innings come close to Sachin Tendulkar’s magnum opus of 143 runs against Australia in 1998. Famously known as the ‘Desert Storm‘, Tendulkar played two best knocks of his career to take India to glory in the Coca Cola Cup against the Australian juggernauts.
When Indian captain Virat Kohli was asked by football skipper Sunil Chhetri to name one knock from the past that he would have liked to play himself. Kohli wasted no time in answering that it would be Sachin Tendulkar’s knock which took India into the final of the tri-series.
Sachin Tendulkar was at the peak of his career.
India required 240 runs to qualify for the final when the target was revised to 276 runs in 46 overs. Australia had scored 284 runs and it was a daunting task for the Men in Blue.
However, Sachin was at the peak of his powers back in 1998 and scored a brilliant knock of 143 off just 131 balls with the help of nine fours and five sixes. The right-hander was facing quality Australian bowling battery and he took Michael Kasprowicz, Damien Fleming and Shane Warne to the cleaners.
“The one knock in international cricket you wished you had played?” Chhetri asked.
“1998 desert storm,” Kohli answered straight away.
“Which one, the first one in the semi-final or the final?” Chhetri further asked.
“The first one where we qualified for the final,” Kohli clarified.
There was no stopping Sachin Tendulkar.
In fact, Kohli has himself played some of the best knocks In the ODI history but Sachin’s Sharjah blitzkrieg is of another level altogether.
Not only Sachin single-handedly took his team to the final of the tournament but he made sure that the side went all the way in the competition. Australia had once again set up an imposing target of 273 runs in the final but they could not crack the code to dismiss Tendulkar.
The talisman once again scored 134 runs off only 131 balls to stun the potent Australian team.