As memorable as India’s 2003 World Cup campaign was, with the team reaching the final, the only match that team’s players and fans would not want to remember is the final against Australia on March 24. Australia swept India with 125 runs with Ricky Ponting scoring a ballistic 140, and along with contributions from Adam Gilchrist (57) and Damien Martyn (88), pushing the total to 359/2.
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Needing 360 to win, India was faced with a Herculean task of chasing the total. As rigid as the goal for 2003 was, India relied on its initial partner of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar to provide a start. The onus, as in the past, lay on Tendulkar, who had racked up 669 runs in the tournament before the final, to produce a classic. But those plans were thwarted when McGrath, pitching first, fired the master hitter for 4.
More than 17 years later, McGrath recalled that that set the tone for Australia’s victory, revealing how he still meets Indian fans who have not forgiven him for throwing himself in and firing their beloved hitter, Tendulkar.
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“I remember that match quite well and a lot of people in India tell me that they will never forgive me for the first change. The first two balls were pointy balls and Sachin just took the length off me, hit me right in the middle of four. And the crowd was going through India except for a small portion of Australians, ”McGrath recalled on the ‘Extraaa Innings’ show before the second India-Australia ODI in Sydney.
“The noise was incredible and the next ball just bounced some more and Sachin tried to repeat it. The ball went straight up into the air and I took a comfortable catch and throw. I was quite happy, but obviously for billions of Indians, it was not the case. “
McGrath finished 3/52 of 8.2 overs and India was eliminated by 234 in the 40th over. Only Sehwag’s 82 was the face saved for India, and the next highest score was a 47 from Rahul Dravid. Having said that, McGrath said that he always enjoyed playing the best hitters of that generation, which Tendulkar was up to.
“I always enjoyed those challenges against the hitters who were the best. Sachin was definitely one of those. It was a great key terrain in the Indian team. Our hitters Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn set it up, ”the former Australian quickly added.
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