A Knock that Became a Tribute

Some hits are remembered for the records they created, while others survive for the emotions they carry. On May 23, 1999, Sachin Tendulkar played an unforgettable knock that touched millions of hearts. Returning to the 1999 World Cup a few days after his father’s death, Sachin scored an unbeaten 140 against Kenya without staying out. Spanning more than a century, the hit became a heartfelt tribute to his late father, watched by millions around the world.

Former Indian cricket team captain and legendary batsman Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar scored close to 100 international goals during his 24-year career as a team India player. But among these 100, his century in the 1999 World Cup match against Kenya in Bristol, England, was one of the most special. Sachin was going through personal tragedy and grief but still managed to go out on the field and hit the unforgettable hundred, which he later dedicated to his father. Sachin’s father passed away on May 19, 1999, during the mega cricket event when Tendulkar had to return home for four days to collect his final rights.

In this crucial group stage match against Kenya, Sachin moved to the fourth over after opener Sadagoppan Ramesh lost his wicket in the 21st over and remained in the field till the end of the 50 overs. He added 237 runs for the third wicket with former Indian captain and now head coach Rahul Dravid, who though not out, scored 104 in 109 balls and helped India post a total of 329 runs on the board for the loss of two wickets.

During his stay at the crease, Master Blaster faced 101 balls and scored 140 not out with the help of 16 fours and 3 sixes. After reaching the triple digit mark, he raised his bat and dedicated his hundred dollars to his father.

Sachin became very emotional after his father’s sudden death and returned to the World Cup only on his family’s insistence. In Sachin’s absence, India suffered a shocking defeat against Zimbabwe and hence the match against Kenya was a must-win match for India and the legendary batsman did not disappoint the Indian cricket fans and did enough to revive India’s challenge.

However, India failed to make it to the semi-finals and Sachin helped the Indian team reach the super sixes stage. They finished the tournament in 6th place in the general classification.

The tournament was eventually won by Australia, winning their 2nd title after defeating Pakistan.

This article is written by Divya Sharma, a student of Kristu Jayanti Deemed University, who is interning at Deccan Chronicle.