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On This Day In 1992: It was the same match where two cricketing greats Sachin Tendulkar and Ian Botham faced each other for the first and only time.
On This Day In 1992: Ian Botham scalped Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket and was named the Player of the Match for his 2/27 spell. (Image: ICC/X, formerly Twitter)
On This Day In 1992: One of international cricket’s most significant moments occurred over three decades ago during the 1992 Benson and Hedges World Cup. On February 22 that year, India locked horns with England in the tournament’s second fixture.
It was the same match where two cricketing greats Sachin Tendulkar and Ian Botham faced each other for the first and only time. The high-stakes affair was held at the Western Australia Cricket Association Ground in Perth. The match saw England eventually seal a narrow nine-run win over the Mohammad Azharuddin-led squad. Botham scalped Tendulkar’s wicket and was named the Player of the Match for his 2/27 spell.
On this day in 1992….when Sachin met Beefy………the ONLY time Sachin Tendulkar played against Ian Botham in international cricket.
Sir Ian seemed pretty happy with his wicket….
Pretty amazing eh!!! pic.twitter.com/OECTO7qGSL
— Rob Moody (@robelinda2) February 22, 2021
Before the 1992 World Cup, India suffered a 0-4 beatdown in a Test series against Australia. They also fared poorly in the tri-series Cup, featuring Australia and the West Indies.
With Mohammad Azharuddin at the team’s helm, the Men in Blue were looking to make a comeback by putting up a dominant display at the World Cup. England were led by Graham Gooch who spearheaded a squad featuring top names like Robin Smith and Ian Botham.
Ian Botham didn’t feature in the 1987 World Cup but made a return in the 1992 edition. Given his age and form, the England great wasn’t supposed to be the frontrunner for his team. As a matter of fact, Botham’s selection in the squad sparked controversy because he was 36 years old at the time.
While the Englishman was competing in his final World Cup event, a young 18-year-old Sachin Tendulkar was making his debut in the ICC tournament. The right-hand batter was competing alongside several Indian cricket greats, including Kapil Dev and Ravi Shastri.
On this day in 1992, England batted first and put up a score of 236 runs in 50 overs. Ian Botham failed to make an impact during England’s batting display, adding a mere nine runs. Robin Smith rescued the innings with a 91-run knock in 108 deliveries. He smashed eight fours and two sixes in the game.
Ravi Shastri and Kris Srikkanth opened the chase for India and partnered up for 63 runs.
Sachin Tendulkar arrived at number four and formed a steady partnership with Ravi Shastri. Ian Botham chose to bowl against the young batter, to break India’s momentum. Tendulkar was dismissed for 35.
After the 18-year-old departed from the crease, India crumbled under pressure, falling easily to the bowling attack of Dermott Reeve and Phil DeFreitas. India were dismissed at 227, sealing a comfortable victory for Graham Gooch’s men.
