VVS Laxman revealed how Sachin Tendulkar locked himself after being dismissed cheaply during a Test match against Australia in Chennai in 1998 and had teary eyes after he came out of the room.
The Little Master was dismissed for four while trying to play a big shot by Shane Warne, the manner of which seemed to hurt Tendulkar badly.
“Sachin was really well prepared for the Test match in Chennai. In the first innings, he was dismissed for 4 runs. He hit a boundary and then tried to play a big shot over mid-on, hitting against the turn and was caught by Mark Taylor,” Laxman was quoted as saying on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected.
“I remember Sachin locked himself in the physio’s room and only came out after almost an hour. When he came out, we could see his eyes were red. I felt he was very emotional because he was unhappy in the manner he was dismissed,” he added.
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After conceding a 71-run lead in the first innings, India were up against it in the match untill an inspired Tendulkar took to the crease and launched a counter-attack in testing conditions.
He smashed an unbeaten 155 off just 191 deliveries hitting 14 boundaries and four sixes.
“The way he blasted and hammered Shane Warne, who was bowling into the rough outside the leg stump. Warne was using the depth of the crease and when he used to pitch it up, Sachin used to hit it through the mid-off, mid-on region. He went on to get a hundred. That battle with Shane Warne is the best I have seen,” Laxman said.
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India declared their second innings at 418/4, setting Australia a target of 348. The visitors struggled in the fourth innings and were bowled out for 168, losing the match by 179 runs.
India went on to win the series 2-1 and Tendulkar’s knock in that first Test in Chennai set the tone for the Indian victory.
