The former Indian allrounder Ajay Jadeja recently shared an interesting story related to Sachin Tendulkar and Henry Olonga and how they had a fierce battle between them during the Coca Cola Cup in 1998, which was a triangular series played between India, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in UAE.
Henry Olonga was the young, pace sensation of Zimbabwe who had started his international career only three years ago and during one of the games in the preliminary round of the Coca Cola Cup, Olonga managed to bounce Sachin Tendulkar out with a very sharp, rising delivery. According to Ajay Jadeja, that dismissal really annoyed Tendulkar.
Tendulkar was also young at that time, but he was already one of the best batsmen in the world and he couldn’t easily accept the fact that he was bounced out by a fast bowler who was relatively newer in the international arena. Ajay Jadeja was a part of the Indian squad for that triangular series and he saw Sachin from close quarters after that dismissal.
Sachin Tendulkar didn’t have ego, but he had pride: Ajay Jadeja
Jadeja revealed, while speaking on Sony Sports Network, that Tendulkar was not someone who had a big ego, but he used to play with pride and his pride took a bit of a shaking after the kind of dismissal he had against Olonga.
However, it was only a matter of two days before Tendulkar had his revenge. The master blaster was up against Olonga in the final of the triangular series again and this time around, he smashed the Zimbabwean quick to all parts of the ground.
Sachin Tendulkar taking Henry Olonga to the cleaners.
Sharjah 1998 pic.twitter.com/HHH2qFzdwx
— Cricfinity (@cricfinity) April 15, 2020
India won the final match by 10 wickets as the opening duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly hunted down the target of 197 set by Zimbabwe without getting dismissed. Tendulkar was the aggressor by quite a big margin in that partnership, as he scored 124 runs off just 92 balls with 12 fours and 6 sixes. Olonga, on the other hand, conceded 50 runs off just 6 overs he bowled in the game.
#OTD in ‘98
1998 – Sachin Tendulkar – Sharjah – Olonga!
Starter pack of nostalgia for a 90s kid & any Sachin fan!
Tendulkar 124* (92) & Ganguly 63* (90) made sure they chase down target of 197 without breaking sweat!
What memories 🤩 pic.twitter.com/63Rydm2n8p
— North Stand Gang – Wankhede (@NorthStandGang) November 13, 2020
