Sachin Tendulkar Was in Tears After Winning 2008 Chennai Test Right After 26/11 Mumbai Attacks

Steve Harmison in his autobiography “Speed Demons” recollected the horrific memories of the 2008 terrorist attack.

Former English fast bowler, Steve Harmison, recalled the time of 2008 England’s tour India aftermath of the deadly terror attack in Mumbai. England had already lost the seven-match ODI series 5-0 before the two-match Test series. He recalled how ECB and BCCI agreed to continue the Test series and Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar thanked them for playing the match with tears in his eyes in the wake of 26/11.

Harmison in his autobiography “Speed Demons” recollected the horrific memories of the 2008 terrorist attack. During the terrorist attack, the England team was staying in a hotel in Bengaluru. The entire English team was shaken by the attack at Mumbai Taj Hotel as two weeks ago they were staying in the same hotel that was under siege by the terrorists.

He recalled that terrifying day, “Me, Andrew Flintoff, and Kevin Pietersen were watching the terrible events unfold. There were bodies lying in the road in front of the famous Taj Palace hotel, and the building itself was ablaze. Gunshots could be heard as the terrorists went through the rooms killing guests. ‘Chilling’ doesn’t even begin to describe it – this was the same hotel we’d stayed in two weeks before. Those rooms where people were being slain as they cowered in corners were the same ones we’d stayed in.” Also read: Chris Gayle Returns to West Indies Squad for One-off T20 Against India

Harmison said he initially thought that the tour would be canceled because of security concerns. But to his surprise, BCCI and ECB agreed to go ahead with the series.

“The message coming from the top brass was that the tour should go on, otherwise they would be liable to a compensation claim from the Indians. If anything epitomizes the gulf between the suits at Lord’s and the players, it is that. Unbelievable. We were high profile targets, and all they could think about was money,” Harmison recalled.

ECB has given an option to players as it told players that not playing the series is an individual choice. Harmison in the wake of the attack consulted with England’s security expert Reg Dickinson, who assured him that it was safe to tour India. Also read: Ramiz Raja Questions MS Dhoni Getting Grade ‘A’ Contract

In the first Test in Chennai India won by six wickets, Indian batting stalwart Sachin Tendulkar scored a hundred in the fourth innings and also hit the winning stroke. When he returned to the dressing room thanked England team with tears in his eyes as Indian security personnel ran the match without any security breach in the wake of deadly 26/11 which snatched lives of more than 150 people.

“The defeat in Chennai was the only Test loss in my career that I wasn’t massively bothered about. I’m not sure even a scriptwriter could have come up with what happened – Sachin Tendulkar, the great Indian hero, walking off having hit a hundred and the winning runs at the same time.He was in tears thanking us in the dressing room. What it meant to him, the great son of Mumbai was everything, and that’s why he was so grateful we’d gone back. It was like it was written in the stars that it should pan out like that.For him to come into our dressing room and thank us was very moving, very humbling,” Harmison recounted.