What’s the fuss about Sachin Tendulkar's 1998 'desert storm'

What’s the fuss about Sachin Tendulkar's 1998 'desert storm'

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Man, growing up in the 21st century, I always felt that VVS Laxman and Dravid’s partnership was the greatest thing I had ever seen, with Sachin’s 200, in my opinion, being the greatest ODI batting display of all time. Then, I had a shocker of a conversation where someone mentioned ‘Desert Storm.’

What is a ‘Desert Storm,’ was it something that happened in the deserts? Well, that was my initial thought when I was a little boy. Back then, it was natural to think so, so it wasn’t entirely my mistake. Well, I guess the year was 2003 and I was a young boy, aged 5, looking at how the Indian fans cussed Ricky Ponting. They would swear to god that ICC were hiding the fact that he was using a spring bat. We all believed it back then, or at least some of us did. 

So when my cousin suggested that Sachin’s desert storm was the best knock he had ever seen, I was taken aback. How could he say something like that when Sachin’s 200 was the greatest ever knock, that too against a competitive South African side, I thought to myself. I guess all of us are allowed to have a bad day and so I thought he was having one with his bold claim. He further went on to tell that it affected the Indian fans psyche. Wait, what? How can that knock in Sharjah 22 years ago really change the psyche of the fans? It was in the 1998 edition of the Coca Cola Cup, the tournament’s name itself is very funny. 

And, it was a just a tri-series, nothing great with the knock coming against Australia, whose population is just around the 2.5 crore mark. Coming against a small country, I wondered why my cousin was hyping this knock so much, and wondered it he'd lost it. Then, when I looked it up on the Internet, I saw that he was smashing Shane Warne. Well, I, for once, had always seen the Australian leg-spinner perform well in the Test format. 

I had never seen Warne play even the 2003 World Cup nor did I ever consider him as one of the best leggies in the ODI format. So I just kept feeding on my ego and came to a conclusion that just because it was in Sharjah and it was irrelevant, my cousin was a dumbhead. I even went a step ahead and told him that even though I played in Chennai heat during summers, it doesn’t make my 25 runs, the greatest ever seen in the city! Also, India did lose the game, so how can you call it a big thing if he could not even take the side over the line. 

But I didn't stop there, so I decided to prove him wrong in front of my other friends when I decided to watch the highlights of the game. In the first innings, I saw that playing eleven out of the 2.5 crores Australian population was special, it was like watching magic for the first time. Twelve years down the lane, you will still struggle to find out how they did it so consistently. There was Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Bevan and Darren Lehmann. But, watching the Australian batsmen wreck the Indian bowling, it felt like 2003 all over again. Oh and a glance over the bowling attack, I found Sourav Ganguly’s name on the list, which was damn funny. And oh, not to forget Sachin picking a wicket as Australia posted 284/7. 

Watching it a good 12 years later, I felt like it was a joke, that a side was just chasing 285 to win in an ODI contest. And then, I saw Tendulkar and Ganguly come out to bat. There was Damien Fleming steaming in alongside MS Kasprowicz. Fleming, oh wait, I remember him, isn’t he a commentator now? What is he doing with the new ball, I thought! As he steamed in, I saw what a bowling attack it was, how terribly wrong I was that Australia had a poor-bowling attack. The right-arm seamer was swinging it in, out, in, out well, in an almost magical fashion. Ganguly tried to poke a few, missing the edges. 

On the other hand, early on, I saw Tendulkar struggle, too. There was no way that this was the best Tendulkar has ever played, I thought. No way is this his greatest innings, I paused the video and taunted my cousin for his comment. My friends joined in, as they could not absorb the fact that Tendulkar was struggling early on. We all were laughing at this Indian start, chasing 285. And then, stepped up Kasprowicz to bowl in the 6th over of the innings.

‘OMG,’ that was my reaction and the reason that came out was a shot that I had just witnessed. Tendulkar stepped down and punched a pull perfectly towards the leg-side and it travelled well and beyond. Some even say that the ball is still travelling around the Sharjah skies. And then, once again, he rocked back and pulled him again for a six. Then a magical flick on the leg-side and then a punch on the back-foot. Sachin was really having a go. It was like watching a thriller - you just stay right on your toes, excited about what is going to happen. India were 105/1 in 21.3 overs when the little-master got to his half-century. 

The very next delivery on the highlight package showed India were 145/4, it showed both India’s weak batting and Australia’s powerful bowling. And when he went straight over the top next to the side-screen, there was an eerie feeling, a familiar one - much like Deja vu. In the 39th over, the master-blaster got to his century, in sublime fashion, stroking one to the leg-side and getting a couple of runs, there was Ravi Shastri on-air, quipping “This man champion has batted like a champion.” And, there was a constant battle between Fleming and Tendulkar, one wanting his opponent out of the ground and the other, out of the attack. 

In Sharjah’s heat, around 41-degree Celsius, Tendulkar was running up and down without going down with dehydration. The running between the wickets showed the aggression, showing the passion that Sachin had against a strong-Australian attack. Australia missed another chance right there on the screen, I felt, it is indeed true that luck favours the brave. India still needed 25 runs to qualify for the final, read the scorecard on the screen. A calm Human breed, bred in Mumbai, was taking India to the heights in International cricket, against the fricking Australian side. Two sixes and Sachin really showed way back then that he could really play T20 cricket, and I was getting tensed. 

My words, my actions - just like Karma - came back to haunt me, and everything around was getting tinier. I was chewing my nails, I had never done that in my entire life, all watching this Tendulkar knock on screen. I felt like I was there in the crowd, sweating, feeling the pain of watching the little-master run between the wickets. Another six straight down the ground, India had already qualified for the finals and now next in his line of sight was victory. 

I could feel the pressure, the tingling sensation of being wrong - terribly wrong. India still needed 32 runs off 19 deliveries, with Fleming on to bowl and immediately, the Australian struck. While I jumped in joy for a brief moment, I came crashing down to see that the little-master was walking back in disarray. It felt like my school’s farewell day when we all cried and cried hard, for we all were going to miss each other. 

This knock was just like that, it was there, it took me on an emotional roller-coaster of a ride and suddenly, the emotions got the better of me. And then, I searched why it was called a ‘desert storm,’ and it was not because of the Indian’s knock which made me more emotional. The next video I saw was 134, which took India to the tri-series victory against the No.1 side, Australia. With that, everything that I thought about the knock changed and suddenly, there was a new aura around it! The attitude that surrounded Indian cricket changed and since then, India have not turned around a bit, not feeling second-best when stepping on the pitch against any side in the World. That is the psyche which he was talking about and this was the KNOCK which turned the psyche around. 

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