When a Sachin Tendulkar blitzkrieg saw India lift the Coca-Cola Cup in Sharjah Cup!

Sachin Tendulkar’s pyrotechnics took India to the final of a triangular series in Sharjah at New Zealand’s expense. India’s loss to the Kiwis in the second of two round-robin games had opened up the tournament, and it had all come down to the last round-robin match between India and Australia. Leave alone the bowlers, even a close to half an hour sandstorm couldn’t conquer the little champ, who was hell-bent to ensure that his side played the final. Tendulkar wasn’t just after the target that would see India qualify rather he had set his sights on a win. That didn’t happen, but his 141 ensured India a berth in the summit clash.

On this day, 17 years back, the Coca-Cola cup final was played between India and Australia. It was Tendulkar’s 25th birthday and that only heightened the expectations of the Indian fan, who wanted another ‘special,’ just two days after he had given them one. But the Master Blaster who was batting the best he ever had didn’t disappoint and made use of his form to best effect.

Chasing 273 for a win, against the strong Australian bowling attack, Tendulkar crafted 134 this time, an innings full of glorious strokes and a magnificent mix of elegance and brute. He added a match-winning partnership of 120 with his skipper Mohammad Azharuddin and guided India to the tournament win. There were surreal scenes that followed. Tendulkar, the man-of-the-tournament received a car as a prize, which he drove around the ground with his teammates piled all over it for a lap around the ground, as the capacity crowd sang, “Happy Birthday to you”.