'Tendulkar didn't bat in the nets for even one single day' - Harbhajan Singh recalls Sachin Tendulkar's dream-run in 2003 WC ahead of his birthday

Legendary Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will be celebrating his 50^th birthday on April 24, Monday. Ahead of the birthday of the batting maestro, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh shared fond memories of the time spent with Tendulkar in the Indian team. One of the greatest performances of Tendulkar during his career was during the 2003 ODI World Cup.

Opening the innings for India, he finished as the highest run scorer of the tournament and was bestowed with the prestigious Player of the Tournament award. Revealing a startling fact from the mega event, Harbhajan said that the Master Blaster didn’t bat in the nets during the entire tournament.

"To understand the genius of Sachin Tendulkar, one little story will be enough. During the entire 2003 World Cup in South Africa, Paaji didn't bat in the nets for even one single day. The Indian bowling unit performed well but neither Javagal Srinath, Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan nor Anil Kumble or myself bowled even once to him at nets during the tournament," Harbhajan was quoted as saying by the week.

During the World Cup, the legendary cricketer surpassed his own record of most runs in a single edition of the ODI world cup (523 runs in 1996) and ended up scoring 673 runs in 11 innings at an average of 61.18 with one hundred and six fifties to his name.

He also played one of the most memorable knocks of his career during the tournament scoring a sensational 98 off 75 balls against Pakistan. Tendulkar’s innings helped India chase down the target of 274 against the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar.

The innings against Pakistan is one of the favourite innings of Harbhajan played by Tendulkar along with the twin hundreds against Australia in Sharjah in 1998.

"Yes, he has 49 ODI hundreds but those two knocks in Sharjah and the 98 against Pakistan at Centurion are three knocks that I will remember till my last day. In 1998, 275 was like 350 and in a World Cup game in 2003, 270 plus was a par score. Chasing in the high-stakes game requires a different mindset,” Harbhajan added.

Tendulkar scored a brilliant 134 vs Australia on his birthday in 1998

Tendulkar’s hundreds at Sharjah earned him the praise of being ‘the nearest thing to Bradman there’s ever been’ by former England cricketer and commentator, Tony Greig. The most prolific batter in ODI cricket first smacked 143 off 131 balls vs Australia on 22^nd April 1998, to help India reach the final of Coca Cola Cup. The innings is famously known as the ‘Desert Storm’ knock as a sand storm had hit Sharjah during the course of his innings.

Tendulkar further scored another hundred against Australia in the final on his birthday finishing his innings on 134 off 131 balls with the help of 12 fours and three sixes in his innings. This brilliant knock helped the Indian team lift the Coca Cola Cup.

Sharing his message for the legend on his 50^th birthday, Harbhajan said, "Just pray for a long, healthy life and keep inspiring us like you have always done."