Sachin Tendulkar spewed oral venom, Vinod Kambli didn't improve; 2 youngsters shocked Australia, built legendary careers

It didn’t take long for the ICC KnockOut Trophy to veer from its stated objective of pitting the eight best teams in the world against each other. The second edition, played in Nairobi in 2000, featured 11 teams including hosts Kenya, the only non-Test outfit in the competition who were put in their place in the pre-quarterfinals, by eight wickets, by Sourav Ganguly’s India.

The match-fixing scandal had reared its ugly head just a few months previously and the lay Indian fan was both disappointed and disillusioned. To win their faith back was paramount, and India got a great immediate chance to do so against 50-over World Cup champions Australia in the quarterfinals.

Not for the first time in his career, Sachin Tendulkar set the tone with a blazing assault on a shellshocked Glenn McGrath, whose consternation was compounded when the former India captain uncharacteristically sledged him. Tendulkar didn’t spew oral venom before or after that day, but on October 7, he dumped a torrent on McGrath with a trend-establishing 38 off 37 deliveries on a sticky surface at the Nairobi Gymkhana.

For India to make a match of it, Tendulkar’s effort had only to be the appetiser, and so it turned out as a young man broke out of the shadows, translating the immense promise he had shown at the Under-19 level to a bruising maiden outing at the crease on the senior stage.

Enter Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh had been one of the stars of India’s victorious Under-19 World Cup campaign in Sri Lanka in January 2000 and was rewarded with a maiden call-up to the national team for this tournament. Still only 18, the left-hander didn’t get to bat against Kenya, but when he got his chance against Australia, he made an instant impact with a flourish and chutzpah that was to be his calling card for the next 17 years.

The teenager joined fellow left-hander Vinod Kambli, without an ODI fifty for three years, with India on 90 for three and unleashed an innings for the ages, full of power-packed strokes off front foot and back as he tamed an Australian attack that, McGrath apart, included the furious Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, slower-ball specialist Ian Harvey and Brett’s older brother, Shane. Showing no signs of nerves, Yuvraj blazed to his maiden half-century off just 47 deliveries, holding the middle order together while also doing the bulk of the scoring.

Yuvraj contributed 56.38% of the 149 runs accrued when he was in the middle, ultimately dismissed caught and bowled by Shane Lee for an 80-ball 84 in India’s 265 for nine. It was the first of numerous gems that would flow from his bruising willow and culminate in the left-hander being named the Player of the Tournament for his all-round heroics despite failing health in the 50-over World Cup in 2011, which India won handsomely.

Yuvraj was just one half of a left-handed duo that made an immediate impact on the cricket world. The other answered to the name of Zaheer Khan, belonging to that rare breed of Indian fast bowlers – an out-and-out left-arm quick.

Like Yuvraj, Zaheer had made his debut against Kenya and finished with impressive figures of three for 48. Australia, though, would be a different challenge altogether, especially given that their openers were Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist, and that Ricky Ponting, Michael Bevan, captain Steve Waugh and Damien Martyn populated the middle order.

If the challenge unnerved Zaheer, it was barely visible on the outer. Touching and going past 140 kmph quite regularly, the left-armer harried and hustled the Australian top order, eventually beating Gilchrist for pace and having him caught on the pull at mid-on for 33. It was a crucial blow, given that during his 23-ball stay, the left-hander had threatened to run away with the game.

Zaheer's prized wicket

Australia kept going hard at the target but India stayed in touch by eking out a wicket here, prising out a batter there. With wickets tumbling around him, Steve Waugh stood as the last beacon of hope. The captain had a history of getting the lower order to bat above themselves and had put on 35 for the eighth wicket with Brett Lee when Zaheer outfoxed him.

Having bowled a couple of yorkers in his previous over and sowed seeds of doubt in the batter’s mind, Zaheer produced a length ball and castled Waugh, who had made room anticipating another yorker. It was a wonderful exhibition of not just craft but thought. With Waugh’s exit went any realistic chance of an Australian heist, India squeezing into the semis with a 20-run victory.

Brief scores: India 265/9 in 50 overs (Sachin Tendulkar 38, Vinod Kambli 29, Yuvraj Singh 84; Brett Lee 2-39, Jason Gillespie 2-39) beat Australia 245 all out in 46.4 overs (Adam Gilchrist 33, Ian Harvey 25, Ricky Ponting 46, Michael Bevan 47, Brett Lee 31; Zaheer Khan 2-40, Ajit Agarkar 2-59, Venkatesh Prasad 2-43) by 20 runs. PoM: Yuvraj Singh.