Sachin All The Way !!!
It was the 22nd of April
The day was Wednesday,
The Indians were batting
And it was Sachin all the way
The Aussies had batted first
They piled up 284
Sachin was soon on fire
The match couldnt be a bore
To make it to the finals
India needed 254
India started off watchfully
The crowd was in a roar
The Indians were batting well
But soon the wickets started tumbling
Indians were 4 down
The fans had started grumbling
Laxman was playing carefully
But Sachin was on a song
Hopes of the Indians were soon rising
Everyone wished nothing went wrong
Indians were slowly cruising towards the finals
Sachin was surely in form
It was only 31 overs
Then there was a sandstorm
If the match stopped then
Indians were out, no one would care
After such a batting effort
That would be really unfair
But then God is kinder
The match resumed
Sachin had sensed victory
He had begun to fume
Warne, Waugh and Kasprowicz
To Sachin none of them matters
The way he was batting
He soon was going to leave them in tatters
The overs were reduced to 46
The target was 276
Whether they should chase it or not
The Indians were in a fix
Because 237 was what they needed
To make it to the finals on Friday
Was it worth going for more?
They really dint know wat to say
Indians were batting very well
Soon Sachin got his ton
Laxman was giving full support
They surely could chase the run(s)
But then Sachin had his ideas right
He first got India to 237
Now he was going for more
He was playing much better than Bevan
Finally trying to accelerate
Sachin was out
But it was an innings
Which will be always talked about
Though the Indians lost
It was a good fight
They had made it to the finals
Sachin was once more in the limelight
Tendulkar's "Operation Desert Storm"
The sandstorm that hit the Sharjah Cricket Ground had all but vanished; Emerging soon thereafter was an innings that will long be cherished, Not for a year, not for a decade, but for a whole lifetime! Demolishing the bowling, butchering the bowlers -- that was his crime. Utterly disdainfully, Sachin scored fours and big sixes at will, Lofting, driving, cutting & pulling, not for a moment standing still! Kindled were memories of Headley or Bradman doing bowlers incalculable harm. An innings such as this must surely be one of the best - in cricket of any form. Readers will surely agree; it was Tendulkar's "Operation Desert Storm"! Then, just two days later, on Sachin's 25th birthday, Eventful 24th April '98, a Sharjah Friday, Nothing the Aussies bowled could stop Sachin; Disdainfully, he hit boundaries, satisfying ever fan's whim! Unstoppable, unfettered, so dominant was the young man, Likened he was, not flatteringly, to numero uno, Don Bradman! Keeping cricket lovers the world over enthralled, As for run-appetite, he's certainly unequalled! Records galore will tumble, as bowlers are mercilessly humbled! In short, The "Tendulkar Desert Storm" never stopped, In an innings that can't be easily topped!
The crowd sang happy Birthday "Sachin"
Boy, wasn't he a key factor in India's tournament win!
Precious Diamond of India
After a long hunger he came out of his den breaking the shackles of bondage enlightning the lamps millions of hearts He came at the right time leading the hunters to their doom giving a new hope to his supporters and a deadly fear to his opponents With brightness of sun on his face and patience in his mind accompained with admiration by all he brought back victory to his den Rightly called the precious diamond of INDIA He is one and only one in the world Our SACHIN TENDULKAR
» In terms of technique and compactness, Tendulkar is the best: Desmond Haynes.
» I have watched a lot of Tendulkar and we have spoken to each other a lot. He has it in him to be among the very best: Sir Garfield Sobers.
» He is 99.5 per cent perfect. I'd pay to see him: Viv Richards.
» I saw him playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two... his compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel: Sir Donald Bradman.
» Technically he stands out as the best because of his ability to increase the pace at will: David Boon.
» There is no shame being beaten by such a great player, Sachin is perhaps only next to the Don: Steve Waugh.
» Sachin is cricket's God: Barry Richards.
» India's fortune will depend on how many runs the little champion scores. There is no doubt Tendulkar is the real thing: Sunil Gavaskar.
» A complete batsman — he's the best in the business: Mohinder Amarnath.
» Sachin is an attacker. He has much more power than Sunny. He wants to be the one to set the pace. He has to be on top. That's the buzz about him: Jeff Thompson.
» If I've to bowl to Sachin, I'll bowl with my helmet on. He hits the ball so hard: Dennis Lillee.
» You take Don Bradman away and he is next up I reckon: Steve Waugh.
» I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He was unstoppable. I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player: Shane Warne.When it comes to judging the best among these fabulous band of batsmen, my vote goes to Tendulkar. He has an uncanny ability to come out on top under different circumstances and under different conditions, whether it is Test cricket or one-day internationals. And more importantly, he has done this so young: Shane Warne.
» Don't bowl him bad balls, he hits the good ones for fours: Michael Kasprowicz.
» Hell, if he had stayed, even at 11 an over he would have got it: Allan Border (after India won the Coca-Cola cup in Sharjah).
» He is a perfectly balanced batsman and knows perfectly well when to attack and when to play defensive cricket. He has developed the ability to treat bowlers all over the world with contempt and can destroy any attack with utmost ease: Greg Chappell.
» It's scary, where the hell do we bowl to him: Allan Border.
» Yeah mate, but that's with all great players: Ian Chappell.
» Imagine what he'll be like when he's 28: Allan Border.
» I'd like to see him go out and bat one day with a stump. I tell you he'd do okay: Greg Chappell.
» Sachin's better; Lara is more risky outside the off stump: Mark Waugh.
» You have to decide for yourself whether you're bowling well or not. He's going to hit you for fours and sixes anyway. Kasprowicz has a superior story. During the Bangalore Test, frustrated, he went to Dennis Lillee and asked, "Mate, do you see any weaknesses?" Lillee replied, "No Michael, as long as you walk off with your pride that's all you can do: Shane Warne.
» He's a phenomenon. We have to be switched on when he plays allow him no boundries, for then he doesn't stop: Mark Taylor.
» Tendulkar is the most complete batsman I have stood behind. I saw the hundred in Perth on a bouncy pitch with Hughes, McDermott and Whitney gunning for him — he only had 60-odd when No 11 came in. I've seen him against Warne too: Ian Healy.
» Harder he works, the luckier he gets: Ian Chappell.
» He has defined cricket in his fabulous, impeccable manner. He is to batting what Shane Warne is to bowling: Richie Benaud.
» Sachin's the best. I've had this view since I saw him score that hundred in Sydney in 1992. He's the most composed batsman I've ever seen: Mike Coward.
» He's better than Ben Hur: Paul Wilson.
» The pressure on me is nothing as compared to Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin, like God, must never fail. The crowd always expects him to succeed and it is too much pressure on him: Mark Waugh.
» I still think Tendulkar is the best batsmen in the world ahead of Steve Waugh and Lara: Glenn McGrath.
» He is currently the best batsman in the world: Sir Gary Sobers.
» There's no doubt about it. He is the best: Tony Grieg.
» Technically, you can't fault Sachin. Seam or spin, fast or slow — nothing is a problem: Geoffrey Boycott.
» Sometime back I had written a piece that said that Sachin's the master and Lara a genius with his head high up somewhere. That's it: Peter Roebuck.
» A little genius. Reminds me of Sunny Gavaskar: Kieth Fletcher.
» He is Sachin Tendulkar. I hope he stays Sachin Tendulkar. We need a new player, a player in his own way. He has a technique which is the hallmark of a great player. Everything indicates that he will be a great player and I am sure he will prove me right. Reminds me of Barry Richards: Eddie Barlow.
» Destined to be a great: Barry Richards.
» » He has defined cricket in his fabulous, impeccable manner. He is to batting what Shane Warne is to bowling: Richie Benaud.
» Sachin's the best. I've had this view since I saw him score that hundred in Sydney in 1992. He's the most composed batsman I've ever seen: Mike Coward.
» He's better than Ben Hur: Paul Wilson.
» The pressure on me is nothing as compared to Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin, like God, must never fail. The crowd always expects him to succeed and it is too much pressure on him: Mark Waugh.
» I still think Tendulkar is the best batsmen in the world ahead of Steve Waugh and Lara: Glenn McGrath.
» He is currently the best batsman in the world: Sir Gary Sobers.
» There's no doubt about it. He is the best: Tony Grieg.
» Technically, you can't fault Sachin. Seam or spin, fast or slow — nothing is a problem: Geoffrey Boycott.
» Sometime back I had written a piece that said that Sachin's the master and Lara a genius with his head high up somewhere. That's it: Peter Roebuck.
» A little genius. Reminds me of Sunny Gavaskar: Kieth Fletcher.
» He is Sachin Tendulkar. I hope he stays Sachin Tendulkar. We need a new player, a player in his own way. He has a technique which is the hallmark of a great player. Everything indicates that he will be a great player and I am sure he will prove me right. Reminds me of Barry Richards: Eddie Barlow.
» Destined to be a great: Barry Richards.
» What we (Zimbabwe) need is 10 Tendulkars: Paul Strang.
