Sachin Tendulkar, who is regarded as the greatest cricketer of all time, is known for taking the game of cricket to new heights in India. Sachin Tendulkar has a cult following, not just in India, but all around the world. His fans not just respect him but also treat him as the ‘God’ of this game.
Though Sachin Tendulkar has given us many memorable moments but Sachin’s 72 off just 27 balls in India’s tour of New Zealand, 2002, has to be one of the most epic knocks ever. The 27-ball knock definitely deserved more recognition and appreciation but the gem was overlooked by the fans and the media.
That particular match was also a memorable one as it was a unique concept of a “Super Max International”, which was basically a 10 over game played in two innings played in colored jerseys.
New Zealand batted first and put a total of 123 runs on the board in the overs. Then came the most fearless openers of India, Virender Sehwag, and Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin Tendulkar kick-started the match by smashing the kiwi bowlers to all the corners of the ground.
On the field, there was one designated area called ‘Max zone’ on the ground behind the bowler where the batsmen could aim to get his runs counted double on that shot. Sachin Tendulkar, being the run-machine that he is, smashed two 8s and one 12-run hit in that area. He had also hit 10 fours.
The Indian cricket team was all set to win the match until Virender Sehwag went for 31 runs in the 9th over of New Zealand’s second innings. Both the openers thumped 48 runs in the last two overs and ended 2nd innings at 118 to set India a target of 109 runs.
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