Sachin Tendulkar recalls mongoose ‘help’ in India’s Hero Cup semifinal win

Kolkata, Jan 28 : Batting great Sachin Tendulkar on Saturday recalled how a mongoose proved to be good omen for India in their sensational last-over win in the semifinal of Hero Cup here way back in 1993.South Africa buckled under pressure as Tendulkar, bowling the final over with only six runs needed, scripted a memorable victory for his side at the Eden Gardens. “I don’t know how many of you have noticed this but because it was the first day and night match, there was a mongoose which kept coming in the second half of the match,” Tendulkar, who is the face of IDBI Federal Life Insurance Kolkata Full Marathon, said on the eve of the race.
“We got some wickets when it came. Then there were some runs and again the mongoose came and we got wickets. So I was waiting for the mongoose to keep coming. The match got rather close and I ended up bowling the last over.” Tendulkar had failed with the bat but skipper Mohammad Azharuddin gave him the task to bowl the last over.
It was a gamble that paid off and still remembered fondly as Tendulkar bowled three dot balls to Allan Donald preceded by a runout and Brian McMillan failed to get a boundary off the last delivery with the crowd buzzing from behind.