24/04Result
Final (D/N), Coca-Cola Cup at Sharjah, Apr 24 1998
India won by 6 wkts (9b rem)
Player of the Match
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin TendulkarIndia
24/04Result
Final (D/N), Coca-Cola Cup at Sharjah, Apr 24 1998
India won by 6 wkts (9b rem)
Player of the Match
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin TendulkarIndia

That ends our offerings for you from here. From Karthik Krishnaswamy and me, thanks for joining us. See you soon

"I wish I could have many birthdays like this," says the Man of the Match and Man of the Series Sachin Tendulkar. "It is good for the country. I was tired but I had to give a gift to my wife on my birthday. So this is for her. I thought Damien Fleming was bowling really well. My plan was to see him off and then take charge. It worked out. I would like to be better than this. I will be trying. There is always scope for improvement. But looking back, I am very pleased about my performances against Australia recently."

"We played very well, we batted well," says the winning captain Mohammad Azharuddin. "The boys stuck to their job. Everybody did his bit. I am very proud of them. Especially Sachin, and I hope he has many such tournaments. My form has come at the right time, I am very happy about it."

"We were beaten by a great innings," says the losing captain Steve Waugh. "There is no shame being beaten by a really great player after we played pretty well today. I am proud of the guys. That's enough to win, but it was a great innings to beat us. We gave it our best shot. We played really well as a one-day side, playing 10 games in 20 days, and from here on we are going to be a very good one-day side."

The teams can put behind them the sourness in the final few moments of this match. They shake hands. Possibly reminisce about the great cricket they have played - and in great spirit - over the last two months or so. Australia won the tri-series in India despite losing to India twice in the league stages. India have turned the tables on them here. Thanks largely to the genius called Sachin Tendulkar. No shame in losing to that man. The Aussies recognise it now that the game is over. They shake his hand. The whole Indian team is on the field to savour the moment. Coach Anshuman Gaekwad hugs Tendulkar. Don't go too far. I will have the scenes from the presentation shortly

48.3
4
Moody to Kanitkar, FOUR, down the wicket again, and Kanitkar hits it over point to end a second final with a boundary. India have beaten Australia for the first time in a tournament final. Australia's six-match winning streak comes to an end
48.2
2
Moody to Kanitkar, 2 runs, Kanitkar down the wicket, pushes this to cover, and they steal a single. Plus the overthrow
48.1
1
Moody to Jadeja, 1 run, short of a length, just outside off, pushed in front of point, and they take a single

That's Fleming done then. Don't think we will need the 50th over anyway. Moody to bowl now

END OF OVER:
48 | 7 Runs | IND: 268/4 (5 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 5.58, RRR: 2.50)

  • Ajay Jadeja10 (13b)
  • Hrishikesh Kanitkar0 (0b)
  • Damien Fleming10-1-47-2
  • Michael Kasprowicz10-0-48-2
47.6
1
Fleming to Jadeja, 1 run, short of a length, outside off, opens the face on it, takes the single and keeps the strike
47.5
0
Fleming to Jadeja, no run, straight length ball, hit to mid-on, and he says no to the single as Australia are looking to cut the singles out
47.4
0
Fleming to Jadeja, no run, swing and a miss outside off as Jadeja looks to seal the deal here
47.3
2
Fleming to Jadeja, 2 runs, slower ball, too full, whipped into the leg side, and he comes back for the second. They have gone up to the third umpire. It is Bevan's throw in from deep square leg, and he has made it just in time
47.2
2
Fleming to Jadeja, 2 runs, full and swinging down leg, dug out into a hole into the leg side and they come back for a couple. Under 10 required now
47.1
2
Fleming to Jadeja, 2 runs, short of a length, runs off the outside edge as he opens the face on this

That ridiculous piece of umpiring brings in Hrishikesh Kanitkar, and somehow this game is still alive. Chants of "umpire hai hai" [Down with the umpire] on at the stadium

END OF OVER:
47 | 6 Runs 1 Wkt | IND: 261/4 (12 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 5.55, RRR: 4.00)

  • Ajay Jadeja3 (7b)
  • Michael Kasprowicz10-0-48-2
  • Damien Fleming9-1-40-2
46.6
W
Kasprowicz to Azharuddin, OUT, wide down the leg side. Oh it is not. He has been given out. I am rubbing my eyes here. India are not playing Australia here. They are playing Umpire Akhtar, and coming up short. This is a big wide down the leg side, and apropos of nothing, Akhtar raises his finger to give him out caught behind

M Azharuddin c †Gilchrist b Kasprowicz 58 (101m 64b 5x4 0x6) SR: 90.62

Policemen stop play again. Somebody needs to give them a sight screen tutorial. Moody has stepped over the fence to tell them

46.5
0
Kasprowicz to Azharuddin, no run, slower ball outside off, hits his inside edge and goes to short midwicket
46.4
0
Kasprowicz to Azharuddin, no run, tries another whip across the line. Six feet either side of that midwicket, and the target would have been under 10 by now. This one he has drilled it straight to the fielder
46.3
1
Kasprowicz to Jadeja, 1 run, full, middle and leg, worked away into the leg side. Another run ticked off
46.2
1
Kasprowicz to Azharuddin, 1 run, flicked to leg, wide enough of mid-on for them to get the single
46.1
4
Kasprowicz to Azharuddin, FOUR, nobody is kicking anything here except Azhar. He takes a length ball and uses his wrists to swat it over midwicket for four that should release all the pressure

Kasprowicz to continue

END OF OVER:
46 | 6 Runs | IND: 255/3 (18 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 5.54, RRR: 4.50)

  • Mohammad Azharuddin53 (59b)
  • Ajay Jadeja2 (6b)
  • Damien Fleming9-1-40-2
  • Michael Kasprowicz9-0-42-1
45.6
1lb
Fleming to Azharuddin, 1 leg bye, Fleming is kicking the ground as Bucknor rules not out on this lbw appeal. And his kick comes pretty close to where Azhar is running. This ball has nipped back in from just outside off, and hit him on the knee roll in front of middle and leg. It is a good shout, but he is not dead plumb. The umpire - with a reputation of being a not-outer - shakes his head. And Fleming's kick nearly gets Azhar, who is calm and changes his direction. Imagine someone like Aamer Sohail or Navjot Sidhu. This could have got ugly. Azhar, though, has his eyes set on the bigger prize: the win
45.5
1lb
Fleming to Jadeja, 1 leg bye, swinging down leg, but they steal the leg-bye here as the ball goes towards short midwicket
45.4
1
Fleming to Azharuddin, 1 run, soft hands to a length ball outside off, gets a single in front of point

"Last innings walked off without hitting the ball. This innings walks to an umpiring error. Surely his parents would be very proud of him given his birthday." Divyank Singh, doesn't have a choice, does he? The umpire tells you to go, you go

45.3
1
Fleming to Jadeja, 1 run, full and straight, dug out to mid-on for a single
45.2
1
Fleming to Azharuddin, 1 run, wristy square-drive, square of deep cover, comes back for two. No they have kept the two fastest Indian runners down to one. Good fielding
45.1
1
Fleming to Jadeja, 1 run, on a length, outside off, runs this down to third man for one

END OF OVER:
45 | 9 Runs 1 Wkt | IND: 249/3 (24 runs required from 30 balls, RR: 5.53, RRR: 4.80)

  • Ajay Jadeja0 (3b)
  • Mohammad Azharuddin51 (56b)
  • Michael Kasprowicz9-0-42-1
  • Damien Fleming8-1-36-2
44.6
1lb
Kasprowicz to Jadeja, 1 leg bye, another appeal for lbw but this is clearly angling down leg. Not that it might always matter to the umpire. They get a leg-bye
44.5
0
Kasprowicz to Jadeja, no run, pushed back to Kasprowicz, and he does a mock-throw back at him. Australia trying everything here. Not all of which is palatable
44.4
0
Kasprowicz to Jadeja, no run, beaten outside off. Loose waft to a length ball outside off. The shot of a batsman who has been twiddling his thumbs for hours

Ajay Jadeja is the new batsman in. What can Australia make of this lucky break that they have got? Twenty-five required off 33

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