OTD | Sachin Tendulkar’s unbeaten 155 against Shane Warne and Australia helped India win the Chennai Test in 1998

The Greatest of all time, Sachin Tendulkar, gave a batting masterclass against one of the greatest spinners of this generation, Shane Warne, in the iconic Chennai test in 1998. 

Touted as the series of ‘Sachin versus Shane’, the former showed his class in the opening test of the three-match Test series at Chennai. Sachin’s unbeaten knock of 148 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1992, on the eve of Warne’s debut, served as the precursor to this massive rivalry. 

The Master Blaster even prepared for this much-anticipated duel with special batting sessions, practising with the likes of Ravi Shastri and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan. Sachin practised facing deliveries that pitched on the rough around his leg stump for four days in an attempt to be ready to face the spinning maestro. 

On match day at Chepauk, India’s skipper Mohammad Azharuddin won the toss and elected to bat first. The little master entered the crease when the scoreboard read 126 runs for the loss of 2 wickets. As soon as Tendulkar arrived, Australian skipper Mark Waugh brought Shane Warne into the attack. Tendulkar showed his positive intent by dispatching Warne for a boundary in the first ball. However, it was Shane Warne who had the last laugh in the first innings as he got Sachin caught at first slip with his very next delivery.

India was bundled out for 257 runs in the first innings, with Shane Warne having 4 scalps to his name. Australia went on to take a decent lead in the first innings as they got bowled out for 328.

On Day four of the fierce test match, Sachin Tendulkar walked in to bat with the match slipping away. Sachin’s batting was rock solid from the start as he marched his way to a half-century. Australian captain, then introduced his trump card – Shane Warne. 

Sachin buried the ghosts of the first innings and started attacking Warne’s deliveries, hitting his boundaries towards the mid-wicket area. Sachin constantly went down the tracks to prevent the ball from spinning away and smashed Warne all over the park. Sachin scored a terrace 155 runs, an innings that included 14 boundaries and 4 sixes. His runs helped India post a total of 418 runs and gave Australia a target of 347 runs in the second innings.

Australia was unable to cope with the spinning duo of Anil Kumble and Venkatapathy Raju as they bagged a total of 7 wickets, and Australia got folded for a mere 168 runs. India won the historic Chepauk test by 179 runs.

Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.

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