World Cup heroes: When Tendulkar shouldered India

Greatness is usually determined by a player's impact on the biggest stage. By 2003, 30-year-old Sachin Tendulkar was already an international veteran. It was his 14th year in cricket and there was little doubt that he was amongst the best batsmen of his generation. He had already played in three World Cups and had his moments in each of those editions. By 2003, it was public knowledge that Tendulkar craved World Cup glory.

His hunger for success was quite evident just by the way he played in that tournament in South Africa. His batting had undergone an evolution in itself. From being a brash, aggressive and successful opener, Tendulkar had turned into a mature and accumulative batsman. The transformation was visible in the manner he played the game but not in the runs scored. There was little change in the numbers. However, his highest score in the eight innings prior to the World Cup had been just 16. There were question marks over his form.

India got off to a rather lacklustre start in the tournament. Tendulkar too had starts against Netherlands and Australia but had failed to convert them into big scores. Soon after that came the news of a few players' houses being stoned by irate 'fans' back home. Tendulkar took it upon himself to address the nation and assured them that the team would give their 100% throughout the tournament, and went onto back it up by returning to form.

Scores of 81 and 152 against Zimbabwe and Namibia may not mean much, but the first knock came with India under pressure to revive their campaign, and the second established his ruthlessness in dispatching the minnows. England fast bowler Andrew Caddick had begun playing mind games, insisting that he had found a way to keep Tendulkar quiet in a bid to disturb the batsman's confidence. Caddick's efforts, however, fell flat as Tendulkar's run-a-ball fifty against England came on the back of a vicious assault on the veteran seamer, including a pulled six deep into the stands that remains one of the lasting images from the tournament.

By the time the Super Sixes came along, Tendulkar had hit his stride. Arch-rivals Pakistan were dealt with the same venom, as an attack comprising Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar was taken apart as Tendulkar bludgeoned his way to 98 - arguably the best innings of the 2003 edition.

The win against Pakistan appeased Indian fans but Tendulkar had set the bar higher as his target was the biggest prize. He took India closer with important knocks against Sri Lanka (97) and Kenya (83), and by then had become the highest scorer in a single edition of the World Cup, going past his own mark set in 1996. The 673 runs he racked up in 2003 still stands as the best across all editions.

Tendulkar's returns, combined with a disciplined Indian bowling took India to the final, but Australia shut the door on them when they amassed 359 thanks to Ricky Ponting's 140. Tendulkar was out for 4 as India went down by 125 runs, a bitter-sweet end to the competition as he was named Man of the Tournament.

The defeat continued to rankle but India and Tendulkar were celebrated, even though he expressed his regret at not crossing the final hurdle. He would have to wait another eight years to taste World Cup glory and for a jubilant Indian team to carry him on their shoulders. But 2003 remained Tendulkar's World Cup as he shouldered the team throughout the competition and surged ahead of his contemporaries.