Former India batsman VVS Laxman has recalled the “best battle” he has seen on a cricket field between two masters of the game — Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne.
Laxman recollected the memories of the famous 1998 Test match between India and Australia played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Electing to bat, India were bowled out for 257 in their first innins in which Tendulkar made a contribution of just four runs.
“Sachin was really well prepared for the Test match in Chennai. In the first innings, he was dismissed for four runs. He hit a boundary and then tried to play a big shot over mid-on, hitting against the turn and was caught by Mark Taylor,” Laxman said while speaking on Star Sports show Cricket Connected.
“I remember Sachin locked himself in the physio’s room and only came out after almost an hour. When he came out, we could see his eyes were red. I felt he was very emotional because he was unhappy in the manner he was dismissed,” he added.
In reply, Australia scored 328 runs and took a 71-run first innings lead.
However, India came back strongly and posted 418/4 declared. The Master Blaster played a brilliant knock of 155 not out, which included 14 fours and 4 sixes.
“Then, in the second innings, the way he blasted and hammered Shane Warne, who was bowling into the rough outside the leg stump,” said Laxman.
“Warne was using the depth of the crease and when he used to pitch it up, Sachin used to hit it through the mid-off, mid-on region. He went on to get a hundred.
“That battle with Shane Warne is the best I have seen,” he added.
India then bowled out for 168 and registered an emphatic 179-run victory, riding on Anil Kumble’s 4/46 and Venkatpathy Raju’s 3/31.-IANS News
