Sachin held my hand. He was sweating. I asked 'What happened?': When Tendulkar got nervous ahead of India's big match

For a batter with almost 35,000 international runs and 100 centuries, you would assume Sachin Tendulkar would not get bogged down by the pressure of a big match. But that is not true.

For a batter with almost 35,000 international runs and 100 centuries, you would assume Sachin Tendulkar would not get bogged down by the pressure of a big match. But that is not true. Like any other cricketer, even the great Tendulkar had moments when he would be a nervous wreck. He has himself spoken about one such incident during the build-up of the 2003 World Cup match between India and Pakistan, when a day prior to the game, Tendulkar could not sleep. And yet, he ended up playing one of the most scintillating knocks of his career.

Even the great Sachin Tendulkar had his nervy moments. (Getty)

Similarly, former India coach Anshuman Gaekwad has revealed one more instance when the pressure of big match left Tendulkar tensed. Tendulkar played one of his most memorable ODI innings in 1998, when his 143 against Australia (famously known as the Desert Storm innings) took India home in Sharjah. But as Gaikwad revealed, Tendulkar was sweating on his way to the stadium. But if Sachin getting nervous results in him playing an innings to remember, it may just be worth it.

"If we won, only then could we play the final. It was a difficult situation. Australia was also very strong. We would go out for the match at 11AM and Sachin and I sat next to each other in the same bus. He held my hand. He was sweating. I asked him, 'What's wrong? What happened to you? Don't take pressure. It was okay if you didn't score a hundred. I told him just to play. But it was actually a good sign," Gaekwad said on the show 'Mid-wicket Tales' on YouTube.

Although India fell just short of winning the match on April 22, 1988, Tendulkar's epic innings helped India qualify for the finals. He would follow it with another century two days later in the final, this time scoring 134 as India defeated Australia to win the Coca Cola Cup. But while both innings were equally jaw-dropping, the 143 is known more famously for Tendulkar's grit and determination. More so because when the storm arrived, it charged Tendulkar up even further, while nine out of 10 times a batter's concentrations is left affected. But Tendulkar went berserk after the storm, smashing Damien Fleming, Michael Kasprowicz, Shane Warne, Tom Moody with utter disdain.

"He had total control. He knew where to hit the ball and he did that. He made a 100 runs, it was out of this world. I have not seen anything like that. Elevation was correct, shots were correct, and with so much confidence," added Gaekwad.