'I was very sad because Sachin Tendulkar got out on 98' - Shoaib Akhtar recalls Indo-Pak game in WC 2003

The battle between India and Pakistan is always enthralling to watch, especially if its a World Cup. The game in the 2003 mega event was a much-awaited one given the tense situation between the two countries. And the Men in Blue lived up to the expectations yet again to defeat their arch-rivals and continue their winning streak against Pakistan in the World Cups.

Sachin Tendulkar was the star of the match for his exceptional batting in the steep chase. But it would’ve been even more memorable had he scored a century. The master blaster was dismissed on 98 which he smashed off just 75 deliveries with 12 fours and a six. Shoaib Akhtar delivered him a brutal bouncer when he was already struggling and had him caught.

While the pacer and the whole Pakistan team were ecstatic that time celebrating a crucial breakthrough, Akhtar has now revealed that he bemused with the fact that Sachin couldn’t get to his ton. He wanted him to score a well-deserved century and felt that the bouncer he bowled should’ve been hit for a six.

“I was very sad because Sachin got out for 98. It was special innings, he should have touched the century mark. I wanted him to hit the century. For that bouncer, I would have loved to see a sixer, as earlier he hit,” the Rawalpindi Express said during a live session on Helo.

What happened in the match?

As far as the match is concerned, Shoaib Akhtar was taken to the cleaners as he conceded 72 runs in his 10 overs. He picked only Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket in the game as India comfortably chased down 274 with more than four overs to spare. Apart from Sachin, Rahul Dravid (44*) and Yuvraj Singh (50*) also played a crucial role in the chase.

Earlier, after winning the toss, Pakistan rode on a masterful ton from their opener Saeed Anwar. He scored 101 off 126 deliveries with seven fours to keep one end tight for the 40 overs. But none of the other Pakistan batsmen could even cross the 40-run mark which led to them being restricted to 273/7. And it was still a daunting total in the early 2000s. But India gunned it down with utter ease thanks to Sachin Tendulkar.