India vs Pakistan, Chennai Test 1999: Sachin Tendulkar’s 136-run innings was described by Saqlain Mushtaq (Saqlain Mushtaq) as more important than Virendra Sehwag’s triple century.
New Delhi. Chepak Stadium in Chennai has been a witness to many memorable victories of Team India. India had registered a historic series win in 2001 by defeating Australia at this ground. Apart from this, in 2008, the Indian team has successfully chased a target of 387 runs against England. In both these matches, great batsman Sachin Tendulkar had scored a century. However, despite an incredible innings of Tendulkar at this ground, India has suffered defeat at the hands of Pakistan. Chepak Stadium has been Sachin’s favorite ground. On this ground, Sachin has scored two centuries against England and Australia and one century against Pakistan.
India lost by just 12 runs
In the first match of the three-Test series between India and Pakistan at Chepak Stadium in 1999, 22 years ago, the Pakistan team defeated the Indian team by just 12 runs. The Pakistan team also reached the World Cup final that year where they were defeated by Australia. Pakistan’s team included legendary players like Saeed Anwar, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yusuf, Salim Malik and Ejaz Ahmed. Batting first, the Pakistan team scored 238 runs thanks to the half-centuries of Mohammad Yusuf and Moin Khan. From India, Anil Kumble took six wickets while fast bowler Javagal Srinath took three wickets.
India scored 254 runs in the first innings with the help of half-centuries from Rahul Dravid (53) and Sourav Ganguly (54). Tendulkar could not do much in the first innings and Saqlain Mushtaq walked on zero. Team India managed to take a lead of just 16 runs. From Pakistan, Saqlain took five, Shahid Afridi took three wickets, while captain Wasim Akram took two wickets. In Pakistan’s second innings, explosive batsman Afridi scored 141 and Inzamam scored 51 runs, which helped the visiting team to score 286 runs. Venkatesh Prasad took six wickets from India. In this way India got a target of 271 runs to win.
The Indian team started chasing the target was very bad. Within just six overs, both of India’s openers Sadgopan Ramesh (5) and VVS Laxman (0) kept going. Waqar took both his wickets. After this, India’s third wicket fell in the form of Rahul Dravid at the score of 50, Akram was bowled. Sachin got down to bat at number four, but he was not getting support from other Indian batsmen. Captain Mohammad Azharuddin (7) and Sourav Ganguly (2) became the victim of Saqlain and half of the team had returned to the pavilion at a score of 82.
The century partnership between Mongia-Sachin
seemed that the Indian team would now play only to save, but the partnership of Nayan Mongia and Sachin pushed Pakistan to the backfoot. A 136-run partnership was taken for the sixth wicket between the two players. When Nayan Mongia (52) was out, India’s score had reached 218. Team India was now only 53 runs away from victory and had four wickets left. Bajavadu Sachin was sitting at the crease of back pain.
After Mongia’s dismissal, Sunil Joshi came to support Sachin at the crease. Sachin understood that Indian tail batsmen will not stand in front of dangerous bowlers of Pakistan. In such a situation, he changed his gear. For Joshi and Sachin, 36 runs were shared in just 34 balls for the seventh wicket. India was now only 17 runs away from victory. India did not get lucky in this match and Saqlain dismissed Sachin on a personal score of 136 runs. India’s last four wickets fell in just 22 balls and Pakistan won the match by 12 runs. Saqlain took five wickets in the second innings as well while Akram managed to take three and Waqar two wickets. Sachin Tendulkar was adjudged Man of the Match for his bold innings.
Sachin started crying after the
loss, Sachin was considering himself responsible for the defeat in this match. At that time, Cricket Board of India (BCCI) official Raj Singh Dungarpur had revealed in an interview that Tendulkar started crying in the dressing room as soon as he was out in this innings. Sachin’s tears did not stop even after Dungarpur and then coach Anshuman Gaekwad explained.
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