Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath took a trip down memory lane to recall Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket in the 2003 World Cup final, saying millions of Indian fans never forgave him for dismissing their beloved batsman in the crucial game for India in Johannesburg.
In the 2003 World Cup Final, Australian had posted a stiff total of 359/2, of course, it was huge, and chasing it down was not even thinkable at that time – on the back of then-captain Ricky Ponting’s scintillating hundred and brilliant fifties from Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn in Johannesburg.
However, Indian fans had hopes that the Indian Cricket Team could chase down the target only because of Tendulkar – who was in tremendous form in the tournament having hammered 669 runs in 10 games already, but millions’ hopes were brutally broken by McGrath in 2003.
Well, McGrath v Tendulkar is arguably one of the greatest rivalries the cricket has seen on the field and interestingly, the Master Blaster has scored his most runs against the Australians, but still, the fast-bowling great was one bowler who troubled the Indian batting legend the most.
Coming to the topic, Tendulkar was up against McGrath in the final while chasing mammoth 359 for India, as the batting master smashed the Aussie legend for a boundary through the mid-wicket region after facing three dot balls in the first over of the 2003 World Cup final.
Later, McGrath bowled another short ball and Tendulkar went for the same shot, but unfortunately, the ball went higher than his expectations and the bowler himself took it to dismiss the legendary batsman for just 4 to break the hopes of a billion as India suffered a massive 125 runs defeat in the final.
More than 17 years later, McGrath recalled the frenzied atmosphere in Johannesburg and revealed that several Indians told him that they will never forgive him for taking Tendulkar’s wicket in the final.
McGrath told Sony, Glenn McGrath said, “I remember that game quite well and I have a lot of people from India coming up say that they’ll never forgive me for the first over. The first two balls were dot balls and Sachin just picked me off the length, hit me straight over mid-on for four. And the crowd was going for India except for a tiny little portion for Aussies.”
He signed off by saying, “The noise was amazing and the next ball, just bounced a bit more and Sachin tried to repeat it. The ball went straight up in the air and I took quite a comfortable caught and bowled. I was quite happy but obviously, for billions of Indians, it wasn’t the case. Always enjoyed those challenges against the batsmen who were the best. Sachin was definitely one of those. He was a big key wicket in the Indian team.”
