Sachin Tendulkar recalls how India won the Chennai Test after 26/11 terror attack

The former Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar has revealed the way the Indian team drew inspiration to win the Chennai Test against England after 26/11 terror attack. Nine years ago in 2008, few terrorists wreaked havoc in the commercial capital of India, Mumbai and killed many innocent people. However, the touring England side had returned to their country immediately after the attacks as a measure of safety.

The Indian team during that period was playing the Test match in Cuttack and the incident had shaken the world. The terrorists had attacked the railway station, hospitals along with the iconic Taj Mahal hotel. However, when England team returned bravely to India to complete the tour and the Test match in Chennai was scheduled in January. The master blaster still remembers every incident and has recalled the way the players concentrated hard to win the game for the heroes of the country.

The 165-run unbeaten stand between Sachin and Yuvraj Singh had helped India chase the fourth highest score in the Test history successfully. The former had played a heroic knock of 103* to secure a memorable six-wicket win over the visitors.

Nobody thought it was a terror attack

Sachin Tendulkar was speaking to former Marine Commando Praveen Kumar Teotia in an interview as part of the Indian Express’ ‘Stories of Strength’ event held in Mumbai on the ninth anniversary of the 26/11 attacks and enlightened each and every moment of the memorable Chennai Test. He revealed that the Indian team drew inspiration from the bravery and valour of the Indian security forces which helped them win the match despite struggling for must part of 4 days.

“When the terror attack took place in Mumbai, I remember we were playing a Test match against England in Cuttack. After the match, we went to the dressing room and saw news channels on television reporting that a gang-war has started in Mumbai. The reporting, initially, was of gang-war. Nobody had any thought that it was a terror attack. When we reached our hotel in Bhubaneswar after an hour and a half, the news reporting about the incident changed. News channels were showing Taj Hotel, Trident Hotel, and other things. But they were now not using the word gang-war. We couldn’t sleep the whole night. The situation got worse in Mumbai,” he said of the attack.

He also narrated that every team member had the attacks in the back of their minds despite England agreeing to tour again. “Next day, the ongoing tour got cancelled. The England cricket team decided to return back. We also returned back to Mumbai. After 10 days, we had our Test match in Chennai. The England cricket team came back and agreed to play two Test matches. When we reached Chennai, the frame of mind of the entire team was different. No matter how much we tried to focus on cricket, at the back end of our minds, we all were thinking about the terror attack.”

“For the first three and a half days of the Chennai Test, England completely dominated us. But we didn’t give up. We all had in our minds that we will do something for the country, for the people. After three and a half days in the Test match, things started to change and we went on to win the match, that too comprehensively. The whole team was so high on emotions that after the win, for the very first time, groundswomen, instead of groundsmen, came to the field, they celebrated our win, they congratulated us,” he recalled emotionally.

The master blaster signed off while giving the due credit to the armed forces of the country and saluted them. “Even in our cricket team, we have people from different castes, religions etc but they all play together for India. When it comes to India, we all are together. This feeling of togetherness can never be removed. And all this was possible because of you guys, our brave Indian soldiers. On behalf of the entire nation and the people of India, I thank you, our Indian armed forces and your bravery. I salute you,” Sachin concluded.