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A dose of Tendulkar thunder! Sachin’s final-over defense that broke South Africa’s heart

Poulomi Chakraborty

Sachin amazing last-over bowling (Source: @abhay3_/x.com)Sachin amazing last-over bowling (Source: @abhay3_/x.com)

Cricket never fails to entertain fans, but sometimes it comes in a disguise with a player's reverse role. The world witnessed Sachin Tendulkar’s brilliance with the bat with countless match-winning knocks, but his mastery with the ball often went unnoticed.

Master Blaster with the ball? It sounds unusual, but Tendulkar proved his all-round genius time and again. In an ODI clash against South Africa, Tendulkar showcased his bowling excellence, and the performance became a historic one.

In a nail-biting last over, Tendulkar steered India to a thrilling win. Let’s relive his mastery with the ball in the 50-over format.

Eden Gardens witnesses a nerve-shredding clash between India and South Africa

Whenever the thrills transfer from the longest format to the limited over, the excitement touches the sky, and if it's the fifty-over format, the world witnesses the perfect blend of firepower and patience. The format delivered some unreal dramas, but fans feel the extra madness whenever India and South Africa collide in the format. In 1993, the iconic Eden Gardens witnessed one of the maddest shows of these two giants.

On the big stage of the Hero Cup semifinal, India met South Africa, and the Kolkata crowd witnessed a thriller. Opting to bat first, Team India faced some early stumbles, but captain Mohammad Azharuddin stepped in with a courageous knock. Stitching a partnership with Pravin Amre, Azharuddin helped India to put on a total of 195 runs with a 90-run knock. Amre shone with a gritty 48.

The drama ignited in the second innings when the Proteas came to chase down the total. Even after Javagal Srinath secured an early breakthrough, the South African side bounced back. With a small yet impactful partnership, they turned the tide on their side. With Andrew Hudson’s half-century and Brian McMilan’s unbeaten 48, they were about to taste the glory.

Azharuddin’s clever move with bowler Sachin leaves Proteas heartbroken

With the early brilliance, the Proteas were smelling the glory as a dominating win was knocking on their door. In the final over, they needed just six runs, and the crowd went silent under the pressure. Just when the match hung by a thread, captain Mohammad Azharuddin pulled off a stunning masterstroke, throwing a surprise bowler into the attack.

In the pressured situation, Azharuddin trusted Sachin Tendulkar with the ball, and Master Blaster kept the captain’s faith. After South Africa grabbed a quick single, Fanie de Villiers’ runout added a massive twist in the match. Two dot balls cranked up the tension, and with just two runs scraped from the final deliveries, South Africa’s hopes came crashing down.

In the final six deliveries, Tendulkar conceded only three runs. The world had always marveled at his batting genius, but that night proved his talent knew no boundaries, bat or ball, the Master Blaster could do it all.

Being away from the victory by just six runs, the Proteas were about to be drenched in the rain of glory, but those six deliveries wrote their fate differently. Since then, India and South Africa locked horns in multiple ODI games, but this match remained forever iconic.