Sachin Tendulkar's Masterclass: Reliving the Classic India vs Pakistan World Cup Clash with Vintage Upper-Cuts against Shoaib Akhtar

India Masters asserted their dominance on Sunday, emerging victorious over West Indies in the IML T20 Final held in Raipur. Captain Sachin Tendulkar led the team to a convincing victory, chasing down a target of 149 runs in just 17.1 overs and clinching the title by six wickets.

Sachin failed to get a big knock, but contributed with some stylish boundaries as he displayed upper-cuts in its true vintage manner.

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Batting against Jerome Taylor in the final over of the powerplay, Sachin smacked the pacer for a four and a six in back-to-back deliveries. The maximum reminded fans of his stunning shot against Pakistan legend Shoiab Akhtar at the 2003 World Cup. His upper-cut six against Akhtar is considered to be one of the best shots in his career.

India were chasing 274 runs, and Sachin was removed by Akhtar for 98. But it wasn’t enough as India won the match. Sachin’s shot selection toyed with the Pakistan pacer’s tactics, and destroyed his confidence. In the second over of the run-chase, he launched a short and wide delivery by Akhtar over the third-man region for a smashing six. Then he also hit the next two deliveries for boundaries.

Video of Sachin Tendulkar's upper-cuts:

Chasing 149 runs, India raced to 149/4 in 17.1 overs as opener Ambati Rayudu hammered 74 runs off 50 balls, packed with nine fours and three sixes, in classic T20 style. Initially, Vinay Kumar’s three-wicket haul saw India restrict West Indies to 148/7 in 20 overs. Meanwhile, Lendl Simmons got a half-century, smacking 57 runs off 41 balls. The India Masters players also took a victory lap around the ground, turning back the clock, as they thanked the massive Raipur crowd for their entertaining support.

Speaking after the win, India Masters’ Yusuf Pathan said, “It is always a special feeling to win the first edition of a tournament. The pressure of playing in the blue jersey is something else. You have the Indian logo and that gives you a big responsibility. A lot of cricketers dream of sharing the dressing room with Sachin paaji. He has played so many years of cricket, a lot of cricketers call him "God of Cricket". There's a lot to learn from him actually.”

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