Virat Kohli wishes he had played Sachin Tendulkar’s 1998 ‘desert storm’ innings

The Australian cricket side in the 1990s had players like Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh and Shane Warne decorating the team. It was tough for any team to beat the formidable side. However, Sachin Tendulkar managed to score two centuries in a matter of days against the talented side during the Coca Cola Cup of 1998.

File image of Virat Kohli. AP

The game saw Sachin deliver back-to-back centuries in knockout matches that led to India lifting the winner’s trophy and defeating Australia, the then-No 1 ODI side

Current India skipper Virat Kohli recently spoke about Tendulkar’s iconic knock against Australia in Sharjah in 1998. He was speaking to India football captain Sunil Chhetri during an Instagram live session

During the session, Chhetri asked Kohli about the one knock in international cricket he wished he had played.

Kohli replied without hesitation, “1998 desert storm”.

“Which one, the first one in the semi-finals or the final?” Chhetri asked. Kohli said that it was the first innings that had led India to the finals.

Popularly known as the ‘desert storm’ innings, Sachin had managed to pull off 143 runs in the 1998 tripartite series against a heavily loaded Australian side. The match even had to be stopped for 25 minutes due to a sand storm sweeping through the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium. Although India lost the match, Sachin’s innings helped his side soar to the finals on the basis of net run rate over New Zealand.

Three days later, in the finals against Australia, Sachin had posted 134 runs to win the match and the series.