1997
More Centuries Than Years
Though he was barely 24 years of age, Sachin Tendulkar had established himself as the most prolific run-getter in the world. The format did not matter. In 12 Tests in 1997 he made exactly 1,000 runs with four centuries; he had scores of 88, 92 and 83 in three of the five Tests he played against West Indies. Sri Lanka came in for special treatment with three centuries in five Tests, two away and three at home. His 39 one-dayers that year produced 1,011 runs with two centuries and five fifties. By the time the year ended, he had more centuries than years to his name! Yet he could hardly have been happy.
Tendulkar was mauling the bowling, but India as a team under him was taking a beating. Barring the Sahara Cup in Toronto where India beat Pakistan 4–1, Tendulkar had little success as a captain. India lost a tri-series final in South Africa, lost an ODI series in Zimbabwe, where one of the two matches was cancelled, lost a three-match ODI series in West Indies, failed to qualify for the Independence Cup final at home, lost the Asia Cup final to Sri Lanka, were wiped out 0–3 in an ODI series in Sri Lanka and drew the ODI series at home.
In Tests, it was no better. India lost a series in South Africa, another in West Indies, and drew both home and away series against Sri Lanka.
A Sublime Innings that Will Last a Lifetime in Memory
‘During our team meetings, we often speak about the importance of the first 12 balls to Tendulkar. If you get him, then you can thank your stars, otherwise it could mean that tough times lie ahead - Allan Donald, rediff.com, September 2002
THE SITUATION
The Indians were coming of a 2-1 series win at home over South Africa. But dealing with South Africa on their fast pitches was a different matter.
Back in 1992, when India had visited South Africa, Sachin Tendulkar, just 19, was already recognized as a huge talent. Now, a little over four years later, he was the captain of the Indian team.
The South Africans, whom India had helped bring out of isolation, were now vying to be the top team in the world. Despite losing a series 1-2 in India, they subjected India to a humiliating 328-run defeat inside three days in the first Test at Durban. India made 100 and 66, and Rahul Dravid’s 27 not out in a total of 66 was the only individual score above 20 in either innings.
By the time the third Test was played, the series had already been lost 2-0. India almost won the third Test at Johannesburg. They scored 410 in the first innings with Rahul Dravid (148) and Sourav Ganguly (73) showing the way. South Africa were struggling at 147 for five, but Brian McMillan and Shaun Pollock took them to 321. India may have delayed the declaration at 266 to set South Africa 356 to win. South Africa, reduced to 95 for seven, were once again saved by Cullinan (122 not out) and Klusener (49), who put on 127 for the eighth wicket. Having survived two tense hours, the Indians looked skywards for rain. In the fading light, they were unable to use quickies Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad and the hosts hung in at 228 for eight with only Alan Donald and Paul Adams to give Cullinan company as South Africa drew the match.
RELIVING THE CENTURY
After the miserable start at Durban, India reached the picturesque Newlands Ground in Cape Town for the second Test. The hosts won the toss and elected to bat. Centuries by Gary Kirsten (103), Brian McMillan (103 not out) and Lance Klusener (102 not out) helped South Africa declare at 529 for seven - their highest score since their return to world cricket - late on the second day. When play ended, India were struggling at 29 for three.
Next morning, the score moved to 58 for five and as another rout looked imminent, ex-skipper Mohammad Azharuddin joined current skipper Tendulkar.
For the next three hours, Tendulkar and Azharuddin put on one of India’s best batting displays of all time. The pair added 222 in a mere 40 overs in less than three hours. Aggressive and not averse to risks, Azhar contributed 115 of 110 deliveries with 19 fours and one six before he was run out, at which stage India were 280 for six.
India averted the follow-on, making 359; Tendulkar was the last man out for 169, made in six-and-a-half hours with 26 fours of 254 balls. Adam Bacher, a nephew of South African cricketing legend Ali Bacher, ended the innings with a brilliant catch at deep mid-wicket.
Two months earlier, the dashing Klusener had said that facing Azharuddin’s century in India was like walking into a revolving door. About Newlands, he added that it was like walking into a revolving door on both sides.
South Africa, leading by 170, were reduced to 33 for three. However, Andrew Hudson and Darryl Cullinan, and then McMillan and Shaun Pollock, took them to 256 for six before declaring to set India a target of 427 in 118 overs. The Indian team folded up for 144, leaving the hosts victors by 282 runs and leading the series 2-0.
Did you know…
» President Nelson Mandela met the teams on the third day of the Test during the lunch break, which was extended by 15 minutes.
Tendulkar Returns to His Calling As Opener
‘Sir Donald Bradman was great, but for me, the greatest batsman to have ever played the game is Sachin Tendulkar - Nasser Hussain at the India Today Conclave, March 2012
THE SITUATION
After the series loss against South Africa, India stayed on for a one-day tri-series that also featured Zimbabwe. But it turned out to be another disaster, with India losing to South Africa three times and to Zimbabwe once. They tied once and beat Zimbabwe once in their very last league match to qualify for the final against South Africa, who did not lose a single game along the way.
Sachin Tendulkar suffered a loss in form in the long tri-series with just one century and no other scores worth mentioning in the eight innings. After failing twice, Tendulkar dropped himself down the order, but he backed himself when the situation demanded quick runs.
RELIVING THE CENTURY
To get into the final, India needed to beat Zimbabwe in this last game, and with a good net run rate too.
Tendulkar won the toss and decided to field. After restricting Zimbabwe to 240 for eight in 50 overs, India found that they needed to get to the target in 40.5 overs to move ahead of Zimbabwe.
Tendulkar returned to open the innings and re-discovered his form in time to avoid the ignominy of being edged out of the final by Zimbabwe. His error-free 104 of 97 balls saw India get to the target in 39.2 overs, although he himself was out before victory was achieved.
Tendulkar’s 11th ODI century fetched India a place in the final and got him the Man of the Match award. But they lost the final to South Africa.
Did you know…
» This was Sachin Tendulkar’s only match at Willowmoore Park in Benoni and it fetched him his 11th ODI century.
Tendulkar’s Century Only Bright Spot for India in Independence Cup
He is a perfectly balanced batsman and knows perfectly well when to attack and when to play defensive cricket. He has developed the ability to treat bowlers all over the world with contempt and can destroy any attack with utmost ease - Greg Chappell, msn.com, 18 April 2011
THE SITUATION
Post the series in South Africa, India toured the West Indies. Their failure to get to the target of 120 for a win in the Bridgetown Test would haunt skipper Tendulkar. They were bowled out for 81 in the third Test and lost the series 0-1 with four Tests drawn. Had they won this match, like the one they missed winning in Johannesburg, it would have put Tendulkar in a different league as captain. This failure ultimately resulted in Tendulkar giving up the captaincy. India also lost the one-day series in West Indies and Tendulkar had no centuries in either format. He had three fifties in five Tests and one fifty in four ODIs.
The team’s morale was quite low and Mohammad Azharuddin was dropped after his poor performance.
It was time for the Independence Cup at home, but that too turned out to be far from memorable.
RELIVING THE CENTURY
Tendulkar, after a decent start to his reign as captain, had hit a rough patch.
But on that day against New Zealand, when India were set 221 to win, Man of the Match Tendulkar played a masterly innings as he partnered Sourav Ganguly (63) to put on 169 in 32 overs. He scored 117 with 13 fours and two sixes of 136 balls. That settled the matter, even though he himself was bowled with India five short of victory.
With India failing to make the final, it was a far from memorable tournament and a question mark against Tendulkar’s captaincy remained.
Did you know…
» In the Independence Cup held to mark the fiftieth year of India’s Independence, India won just won one match and failed to get into the final, which was played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka won.
A Century Amidst a Mountain of Runs
He is cool, has magnificent temperament, and is so mature, you tend to forget his age. I can’t think of any other example of a player who has so dominated the world before the age of 25’ - Tony Greig in the commentary box
THE SITUATION
This two-Test mini series was preceded by the Asia Cup. India won just one game against Bangladesh to enter the final, where they were beaten comprehensively by Sri Lanka by seven wickets. After that they lost the one-day series 0-3 and the high-scoring two-Test series was drawn. And the debate continued: should Sachin Tendulkar be saddled with captaincy?
RELIVING THE CENTURY
It was a nightmare for the bowlers and a delight for the statisticians as centuries were smashed and records tumbled. There was not even a remote possibility of a result as the two teams played barely one innings each.
Tendulkar won the toss and batted, but later admitted that he should have batted second. Sidhu piled on his eighth Test hundred on the first day and Tendulkar added one more century to his account – his 12th in Tests – as he put on 221 with Mohammad Azharuddin for the fourth wicket. It was Azharuddin’s 18th Test hundred and he climbed to No. 2 on the list of most centuries by an Indian batsman after Sunil Gavaskar.
Tendulkar played a composed innings of 143 in 292 minutes, with 20 fours. He was content with making sure that India had a sizeable score and did not cede any advantage to the hosts. India’s 537 for eight was their highest total in Sri Lanka.
But India’s score was nothing compared to the runs that Sri Lanka piled up. Before the second day ended, debutant Nilesh Kulkarni had snapped up a wicket of his first ball, getting Marvan Atapattu (26) at 39. For the next two days Indian bowlers struggled to find their next wicket as Sanath Jayasuriya (340) and Roshan Mahanama (225) put on 576 for the second wicket.
On the fifth morning, Mahanama was out leg before to Anil Kumble after an innings that lasted 753 minutes and included 561 balls. Then, at the same score of 615, Jayasuriya, chasing Brian Lara’s world record of 375, seemed to lose concentration and gave a simple catch to Sourav Ganguly of Rajesh Chauhan. Jayasuriya’s 340 took him 799 minutes and it was the second longest innings ever after Hanif Mohammad’s 970-minute stay at the crease for 337 in a match against West Indies in 1957–58. Jayasuria had faced 578 balls and hit 36 fours and two sixes.
Sri Lanka went on to score 952 for six in 271 overs and declared as the match ended.
Did you know…
» Sanath Jayasuriya (340) and Roshan Mahanama (225) became the first pair in Test history to bat through two full days’ play – the third and fourth days. Sri Lanka’s 952 for 6 declared became the highest ever score in Test history. Their 576-run stand was second only to Vijay Hazare and Gul Mahomed’s partnership of 577 for Baroda’s fourth wicket against Holkar in 1946–47.
» Left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni, 24, became only the 12th bowler to take a wicket with his first ball in Tests, when he had Marvan Atapattu stumped. But that was his only wicket as he bowled 70 overs and gave away 195 runs.
» This remarkable Test produced 1,489 runs for only 14 wickets, with both teams batting only once.
A Second Successive Century but Stilt No Win for India
A little genius. Reminds me of Sunny Gavaskar’ - Keith Fletcher, hindustantimes.com
THE SITUATION
Tendulkar had two centuries in two Tests, but the team results through the Sri Lanka tour were miserable. They failed to qualify for the Asia Cup final before the Test series and lost 0-3 in the four-match ODI series. By now Tendulkar wanted to be relieved of captaincy, but he continued for the Sahara Cup against Pakistan in Toronto, which India won 4-1.
RELIVING THE CENTURY
Yet another century flowed from Sachin Tendulkar’s bat, his 25 hundreds now including 13 in 55 Tests and 12 in 148 ODIs.
India won the toss and put Sri Lanka in, then bowled them out for 332, which included four wickets for debutant Debasis Mohanty, the first Test player from Orissa. His victims included Sanath Jayasuriya, Roshan Mahanama and Aravinda de Silva, who between them had six centuries in the two Tests.
Tendulkar made the most of a reprieve to help himself to a 13th Test century, and he put on 150 for the fifth wicket with Sourav Ganguly. He played for 397 minutes for his 139 of 266 deliveries with 16 fours in a disciplined knock.
Ganguly was last out for a chanceless Test-best 147, having batted for 426 minutes with 19 fours and two sixes to give India a first-innings lead of 43.
Jayasuriya helped himself to yet another century but fell one run short of 200 while Aravinda de Silva had a century in both innings, for the second time in five months.
Sri Lanka made 415 in the second innings to set India 373 for a win. But India were struggling at 138 for four. Then Azharuddin came to India’s rescue and with the aid of three chances, he made an unbeaten century that ensured that both match and series were drawn.
Did you know…
» While Sachin Tendulkar’s 290 was the best aggregate in two Tests for India, Sanath Jayasuriya’s 571 runs in two Tests was the world’s best aggregate in a two-Test series.
» Three Sri Lankans – Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva and Roshan Mahanama – between them had six centuries and 1,260 runs in two Tests.
Tendulkar Moves Down to Find Form, but Win Eludes India
‘He can play that leg glance with a walking stick also’ - Waqar Younis, msn.com, 18 April 2011
THE SITUATION
After the rather disappointing and arduous tour to Sri Lanka in August, the Indians went to Pakistan for a three-match ODI series, which they lost 1-2, adding to the pressure on Sachin Tendulkar and the team. Then came the Sri Lankans, and India was once again unable to find victory. The three Tests ended in draws.
After failing in the first two Tests of the three-Test series, Sachin Tendulkar pushed himself down the order. The move paid of as Sourav Ganguly, batting higher in the line-up, performed well. What’s more, Tendulkar found his rhythm once again in the third Test at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
RELIVING THE CENTURY
Sri Lanka won the toss, put India in to bat and quickly got two wickets. That brought Ganguly in, to join Dravid. The duo added 160 and when Dravid fell at 92, Tendulkar joined Ganguly. At a solid 215 for three, there was no pressure and Tendulkar slowly played himself in. He took more than 70 minutes for his first eight runs on the opening day. The following day, he and Ganguly hammered the Sri Lankan attack and put on 256 runs for the fourth wicket.
As Ganguly scored his fifth Test century, Tendulkar, who clearly needed runs to shore up his confidence, found them in ample measure. At one stage, he hammered Kumar Dharmasena for two successive sixes to zoom from 87 to 99. His fourteenth Test century followed soon thereafter. He also crossed 4,000 Test runs in his career during this innings, in only his 58th Test.
Once Ganguly (173 in 516 minutes) and Tendulkar (173 in 320 minutes) left in a space of four runs, the Indian innings packed up and from 475 for five, India were all out for 512.
Sri Lanka replied with 361. Javagal Srinath took his 100th Test wicket, bowling Pramodaya Wickremasinghe. In their second innings, India, riding on Sidhu’s 43 and Dravid’s 85, quickly put on 181 for nine and declared, setting Sri Lanka a target of 333 in 94 overs. With weather interrupting play, only 82 overs were bowled and Sri Lanka hung in at 166 for seven and saved the match and the series, denying India and skipper Tendulkar a series win at home.
Did you know…
» In the last five Tests against Sri Lanka, two at Colombo and three in India, Sachin Tendulkar had three centuries, but all five Tests were drawn.
» Rahul Dravid, emerging as one of the pillars of the team, had played 19 Tests by this time but had scored only one century. He made 13 fifties.
PARALLEL LIVES
Viswanathan Anand: By now Anand was among the most active and successful chess players in the world. While Garry Kasparov was the World Champion, Anand played many more tournaments and it was a highly successful year for him.
Anand won the Torneo de Ajedrez, Dos Hermanas, a category 19 tournament, and then became the first player ever to win all three titles at the Melody Amber Tournament, Monaco. He finished overall first, and individually first in Blindfold and Rapid. He continued to excel as he won 4-2 in a simultaneous against six computers in the Aegon Man vs Computers chess tournament.
Following a runner-up finish in Dortmund, Anand won the Credit Suisse Classic Tournament in Biel and the Investbanka event in Belgrade. He also won the Chess Classic Rapid Tournament, Frankfurt, beating Anatoly Karpov in the final.
Then, in the 1997 Knockout Championship at Groningen, Anand beat three of the top 10 in the world; Alexei Shirov, Boris Gelfand and Michael Adams, in the final tiebreak. He thus holds the unique record of winning the strongest ever knockout championship in the history of chess. He now qualified for the World Chess Championship of 1998.
Leander Paes: A year after the singles Olympic bronze, the Paes-Bhupathi doubles act came into its own. Their semi-final appearance at the US Open was their best Grand Slam result until then. Paes started the year with a doubles ranking of 89 and ended it on No. 14.
THIS ALSO HAPPENED IN 1997
Federal funds for human cloning, against which there was wide-spread protest, were barred by US President Bill Clinton on 4 March. In the political arena, Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese leader, died on 19 February, but there was no upheaval in China, which was prepared for such an eventuality. In a more significant turn of events, the United Kingdom returned Hong Kong to China on 1 July.
In the world of technology, on 6 August, Microsoft announced it would invest US$150 million in cash-strapped Apple Computer Inc. Years later, it was revealed that Microsoft sold those shares at a hefty profit, though the deal would have been almost 3000 times more profitable if they had held on to them for a few more years.
The political drama in India continued as the Congress withdrew its support to the United Front and H.D. Deve Gowda had to make way for Inder Kumar Gujral as the 12th prime minister. But before the year was out, Gujral had resigned as the Congress withdrew its support to his government, forcing mid-term elections on 4 December. A little over three weeks later, Sonia Gandhi decided to join politics.
As politicians continued to come under fire, Laloo Prasad Yadav resigned as chief minister of Bihar, following the issuance of an arrest warrant against him in the animal fodder scam. He named his wife Rabri Devi as his successor, even as political analysts looked on in amazement.
K.R. Narayanan became the first Dalit president of India on 25 July. On 5 September, Mother Teresa died of a cardiac arrest, leaving her followers grief-stricken.
In the sporting world, Mike Tyson was banned from boxing for biting of Evander Holyfield’s ear on 9 July. Athens was selected as the venue for the 2004 Olympics. This was a decision that would have unexpected consequences for the world and Europe in particular over the next decade or so.