Watch: Sachin Tendulkar hooks Glenn McGrath for a huge six

At the Gymkhana Club Ground in Nairobi on 7th October 2000, India won a famous match against old foes Australia. Arguably the game of the tournament, the India-Australia quarterfinal of the ICC Knock Out (Champions Trophy) had many thrilling moments. In his first international innings, the then 18-year-old Yuvraj Singh displayed astonishing poise, thrashing the opposition’s star-studded attack for 84 off 80 balls. No other batsman reached 40 though Sachin Tendulkar’s violent assault on McGrath’s new-ball spell gave India much of their momentum and remains one of the most talked about moments in India-Australia rivalry.

A charged-up Tendulkar hit Glenn McGrath for three sixes, beautifully picking his deliveries off the length. The best shot though was the pull over square leg boundary, which brought a great roar from the delirious crowd. Tendulkar has publicly admitted that he too has sledged, albeit just once, and that the move was part of team strategy. India won this match by 20 runs as another newcomer Zaheer Khan bowled an inspiring spell of fast bowling.

In a book called ‘SACH’ penned by Gautam Bhattacharya Tendulkar describes how he irked McGrath with a cheeky line. “The match was played under overcast conditions. The wicket was also very damp. I had told Sourav before that I would do something to upset McGrath’s rhythm. So, in the very first over, I stepped out to him. The first thing I said to him was ‘Today I will hit you out of the ground.’” The ace fast bowler went wicketless in the match, finishing with unimpressive figures of 0/61 in 9 overs.

Watch: Sachin Tendulkar hooks Glenn McGrath for a huge six:

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