Sachin at World Cup 1996 – Building the legacy
By the time 1996 World Cup arrived, Sachin Tendulkar was already a household name. He was one of the leading batsmen of that time, and cricket’s flagship event offered him the opportunity to shine brightly. Despite the tragic ending to India’s campaign, the Master Blaster managed to leave a lasting impression with his attacking strokeplay and dominating batting.
The Wills World Cup of 1996 was co-hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 12 teams were divided in a group of six with four qualifying for the quarterfinals. India played all its matches on the home ground. The campaign began with the clash against Kenya at Cuttack.
Opening the batting versus a weak side like Kenya gave Sachin the perfect opportunity to start his World Cup on the right note. He attacked the Kenyan bowling attack without fear and smashed his maiden World Cup hundred. Chasing 200 runs to win, Sachin alone smashed an unbeaten 127 from 138 balls with 15 fours and a six. He won the Man of the match award for this innings.
Sachin at 1996 World Cup
Continuing his splendid form, Sachin struck 70 and 90 in the next two ODIs against West Indies and Australia respectively. His 90 versus Australia was a ferocious knock against the likes Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. He was stumped on 90 on the bowling of Mark Waugh. India ended up losing the match by 16 runs.
In the next game against Sri Lanka at Delhi, Sachin was at his attacking best. He almost batted full 50 overs for India. The opener slammed 137 runs in 137 balls with eight fours and five sixes. This was Sachin’s sixth century in ODI cricket, most by an Indian batsman at that stage. Sadly, this knock also ended up in a losing cause as Sri Lanka gunned down the target.
After a quiet run in next two matches, the Mumbai batsman lighted up Eden Gardens with his spectacular batting. In the semi-final, India was chasing 252 versus Sri Lanka. Sachin batted with exuberance and galloped to 65 from 88 balls. Team score at that stage was 98/1. He was batting as if he was batting on a different track to everyone else. Sachin was stumped down the leg side and the chase turned on its head. India collapsed to 120/8 and crowd interruptions stopped the match. Match referee Clive Lloyd awarded the game to Sri Lanka and India’s World Cup dream crashed.
Sachin’s batting in this World Cup was at its attacking best. His straight drives, backfoot punches, pulls, on drives were a treat for the eyes. He batted belligerently and almost challenged the bowlers to stop him. He ended as the highest run-getter of the tournament with 523 runs, a record he would break after seven years.
