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Sachin Tendulkar’s 64 off 33 balls wasn’t sufficient as Australia Masters secured a win by 95 runs, because of first-innings centuries by Shane Watson and Ben Dunk together with a fifer by Xavier Doherty.
Sachin Tendulkar was the lone spark within the India Masters who hit 64 off 33 balls.
It’s a battle etched in cricketing folklore — one which has thrilled generations of followers, and on Wednesday, it unfolded as soon as once more below the floodlights on the BCA Stadium in Vadodara, the place a jam-packed crowd had been handled to a classic Sachin Tendulkar masterclass for the India Masters after Australia Masters duo of Shane Watson and Ben Dunk unleashed carnage to ultimately assist their facet notch up their first win of the Worldwide Masters League, 2025.
Cometh the hour, cometh the grasp blaster —Tendulkar introduced again recollections of the epic Desert Storm in Sharjah with an electrifying 33-ball 64, setting the right tone for India Masters’ run chase. The fragile late cuts and booming straight drives had been on full show as Tendulkar took on the Australian assault with fearless intent, to boost his fifty off mere 27 deliveries, reminding followers why he stays the heartbeat of Indian cricket.
Regardless of dropping his companions on the different finish, Tendulkar waged a lone battle, smoking 4 sixes and 7 fours to energy India Masters to 100/3 halfway by means of the innings, thus enthralling the gang, who had been left shocked when Xavier Doherty held on to a catch off Daniel Christian. After his departure, Yusuf Pathan got here up with a 15-ball 25 to boost hopes of a fourth win on the trot for the India Masters, who’re already assured of a spot within the knockouts.
However with the required price mounting and the remainder of the batters anticipated to step on the fuel from the phrase go, it turned out a tall ask as India Masters ultimately fell brief by 95 runs for his or her first lack of the event. For the Aussies, left-arm tweaker Doherty (5/25) emerged the decide of the bowlers, claiming the primary fifer of the event.
Earlier, Dunk and Watson turned again the clock in fashion to boost an unbeaten 236-run partnership, the very best partnership in T20 cricket for the second wicket, to propel Australia Masters to a mammoth 269/1. Watson, who obtained a reprieve on one after being dropped by wicketkeeper Naman Ojha, made the India Masters pay for the let-off, together with his second century of the event, and 4 balls later, Dunk acquired to the three-figure landmark too, to pile on extra distress on the house facet.
There was no scarcity of pleasure to the rip-roaring contest as Shaun Marsh began off with a hat-trick of boundaries off Vinay Kumar earlier than Watson was dropped. The Aussie duo took full benefit of the sphere restrictions, racing to twenty-eight off the primary three overs earlier than leg spinner Rahul Sharma’s introduction curbed the move of runs.
Sharma, recent from a hat-trick within the earlier match towards South Africa Masters, hardly allowed the Australian pair to free their arms, and the stress helped the left-arm spinner Pawan Negi to attract first blood for the house facet with the scalp of Marsh for a 15-ball 22, laced with 4 boundaries. That ultimately turned out to be the one second to cherish for the India Masters on a moderately depressing day on the sphere.
Dunk, coming in at No.3, opened his account with a mighty six over midwicket and continued to make life depressing for the India Masters as he joined forces with Watson to set the tempo of the mighty whole. The 37-year-old wicketkeeper-batter quickly went on to outscore his skipper, attending to a half-century off simply 23 deliveries, whilst Watson, who most well-liked to take the again seat, shifted gears with consecutive sixes off Sharma to notch up a 29-ball fifty.
Refreshing recollections of their heydays, the Australian pair dealt principally in fours and sixes, because the second wicket partnership flourished to greater than 100 inside mere eight overs. At no level throughout their knocks did Watson and Dunk seem they’re previous their prime, as Watson went on to notch up a 47-ball 100 earlier than Dunk surpassed his skipper to blast a 43-ball century — the quickest of the event. In the long run, the duo went again undefeated with Watson slamming a 52-ball 110, laced with 12 fours and 7 huge sixes, whereas Dunk notched up a brutal 53-ball 132, powered by 12 hits to the fence and 10 gigantic sixes.
Including to the drama, this conflict comes only a day after the present Indian workforce’s overcome Australia within the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal in Dubai—a poetic coincidence that makes this face-off much more particular, and serves an ideal reminder of how this rivalry continues to ship, regardless of the period.
Temporary Scores: Australia Masters 269/1 (Shane Watson 110 not out, Ben Dunk 132 not out) beat India Masters 174 (Sachin Tendulkar 64, Yusuf Pathan 25; Xavier Doherty 5/25) by 95 runs.
- Location :
Vadodara, India, India