Shane Warne’s rivalry with Sachin Tendulkar grabbed worldwide attention. Although Warne had a lukewarm start against India in 1992, he established himself as one of the better, if not the best, spinners in international cricket. It is in such a backdrop that the Australian team reached India in 1998 with Warne vs Tendulkar getting all the attention from the media. Australia was scheduled to take on Mumbai before the first Test match in Chennai. The domestic powerhouse was captained by Sachin Tendulkar; This is where former Tendulkar teammate Amit Paganis steps in.
“During our meeting on the eve of the match, Sachin and Sanjay” [Manjrekar] Told us not to give any unnecessary respect to Warne. I sent his first ball, a blown leg spinner, for over cover four. I think I scored 21 or 22 runs in his first two overs.”
“Their captain Taylor took Warne out of the attack after those two overs and brought him back only after I got out. But I have to admit that some of his balls were not playable. And when I reached my 50 with a late-cut boundary, Warne looked at me, smiled and said, ‘Well played’.
Mumbai won the match by 10 wickets at the Brabourne Stadium, with Tendulkar scoring a double century – 204 not out. Tendulkar later revealed how he prepared for the spin wizard. “I prepared myself on the turning track before he came to India. I prepared with Laxman Sivaramakrishnan to deal with Shane Warne in Chennai. In Mumbai, I prepared with Nilesh Kulkarni, Rajesh Pawar and Sairaj Bahutule. It was a great exercise in which my brother Ajit also helped me. It made the most of it,” Sachin said in an interview.
Known as the great cricketer not only in Australia but across the world, Warne recently passed away at the age of 52 in Thailand. His death shook the cricketing world along with legends like Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. Warne was particularly popular in India and became even more popular with his appearances in the IPL, where he led Rajasthan Royals to their first and only title. It was definitely the inaugural IPL.
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