Reliving one of his most cherished cricketing rivalries
during his 14-year-old career, former Australian speedster Glenn McGrath said
that the Indian fans still haven’t forgiven him for getting iconic Sachin
Tendulkar out in the 2003 World Cup final.
Chasing a mammoth 360 for a win in Johannesburg, India
crashed to 234 all out with McGrath drawing first blood after getting Tendulkar
caught and bowled for 4 in the very first over of the innings. The 45-year-old
player feels the heartbroken Indians still haven’t forgotten the dismissal.
“I had some great battles with Sachin. In fact, the Indians
still haven’t forgiven me for getting him out in the 2003 World Cup final,”
McGrath said in an interaction with ESPNcricinfo.
“Sachin hit me for a four in the first over and the next
ball, I dug it in short and he served up an easy caught and bowled to me,” he
added.
Talking about another famous dismissal that also features in
Tendulkar’s autobiography ‘Playing It My Way’, McGrath disagrees with the
Little Masters account of an LBW decision, which was given in favour of the
bowler.
Tendulkar was given out LBW for a naught when a short ball
from McGrath didn’t bounce and hit him on the shoulder while he was ducking
during the Adelaide Test in 1999.
“I read what he feels about in his book. Sachin is a small
guy and I disagree with him because the ball was on the way down and I could
see even the bails,” said McGrath.
In a game dominated by batsmen since it’s inception by the
British, McGrath, who has bagged 563 Test wickets in 124 matches, takes credit
for creating some space for the bowlers, especially on the celebration front.
“When a batsman scores a fifty or a hundred he raises his
bat to the crowd but when a bowler bags 5 or 10 wickets he has nothing to do.
Now we fast bowlers back in 2001, before the Ashes, decided to raise the ball
if a bowler picks up a fifer. And fortunately I got five wickets in Lord’s and
I raised the ball to the crowd. I feel nice now when fast bowlers do that,”
said McGrath.
