‘Sachin Tendulkar is a small guy and I disagree with him’
New Delhi: Reliving one of his most cherished cricketing rivalries during his 14-year-old career, former Australian speedster Glenn McGrath said that the Indian fans still haven't forgiven him for getting iconic Sachin Tendulkar out in the 2003 World Cup final.
Chasing a mammoth 360 for a win in Johannesburg, India crashed to 234 all out with McGrath drawing first blood after getting Tendulkar caught and bowled for 4 in the very first over of the innings. The 45-year-old player feels the heartbroken Indians still haven't forgotten the dismissal.
"I had some great battles with Sachin. In fact, the Indians still haven't forgiven me for getting him out in the 2003 World Cup final," McGrath said, in an interaction with ESPNcricinfo as brand ambassador of Hardys Wine.
"Sachin hit me for a four in the first over and the next ball, I dug it in short and he served up an easy caught and bowled to me," he added.
Talking about another famous dismissal that also features in Tendulkar's autobiography 'Playing It My Way', McGrath disagrees with the Little Master’s account of an LBW decision, which was given in favour of the bowler.
Tendulkar was given out LBW for a naught when a short ball from McGrath didn't bounce and hit him on the shoulder while he was ducking during the Adelaide Test in 1999.
"I read what he feels about in his book. Sachin is a small guy and I disagree with him because the ball was on the way down and I could see even the bails," said McGrath.
In a game dominated by batsmen since it's inception by the British, McGrath, who has bagged 563 Test wickets in 124 matches, takes credit for creating some space for the bowlers, especially on the celebration front.
"When a batsman scores a fifty or a hundred he raises his bat to the crowd but when a bowler bags 5 or 10 wickets he has nothing to do. Now we fast bowlers back in 2001, before the Ashes, decided to raise the ball if a bowler picks up a fifer. And fortunately, I got five wickets in Lord's and I raised the ball to the crowd. I feel nice now when fast bowlers do that," said McGrath.
