Sachin was upset after Dravid’s decision to declare innings when he was close to 200
The 2004 Multan Test between India and Pakistan is famously remembered for Virender Sehwag’s historic triple century. His aggressive innings of 309 runs not only helped India dominate but also marked the first time an Indian cricketer reached a triple century in Test cricket. However, another big story from that match was Sachin Tendulkar’s reaction to a controversial decision by captain Rahul Dravid.
In that match, Sachin was batting on 194 when Dravid declared India’s innings at 675 for 5 wickets, leaving the cricketing legend just six runs short of a double century. This decision drew criticism from fans and cricket experts alike, many feeling that Tendulkar deserved the opportunity to complete another milestone.
Aakash Chopra opens up about the incident
Aakash Chopra, who played in that Test as an opener, recently shared insights about the incident during a conversation with the YouTube channel 2Sloggers. He revealed that Sachin was clearly unhappy with the declaration. “I was in the dressing room, but I didn’t want to get involved in the conversation because I was still quite young at that time,” Chopra said. “It was the first time I saw Paaji (Sachin Tendulkar) upset. He didn’t lose his temper, but you could tell something wasn’t right.”
Rahul Dravid and Ganguly were part of the decision-making
Chopra further explained that the decision wasn’t solely made by Rahul Dravid. Sourav Ganguly, who was not playing the match but was present in the dressing room, was also part of the think-tank behind the declaration. This adds an interesting layer to the story, as Ganguly, being a senior member and former captain, likely had input in the call.
Chopra also recalled Dravid’s words after the game. “Rahul later said that had he known the match would end within four days, he might not have declared,” Chopra added, suggesting that Dravid’s decision was made with the team’s best interests in mind.
