8 instances which prove that Sachin Tendulkar is the epitome of sportsmanship

Tendulkar pacifies the Kolkata crowd after colliding with Shoaib Akhtar; Asian Test Championship, 1999

Eden Gardens, known for the vociferous passion it exudes, are famed equally for being notorious and erupting in anger at the slightest occasion, especially when the opposition seems to get on the wrong side of the home team.

It happened during the 1996 World Cup semi-final between India and Sri Lanka. An encore followed during the first match of the Asian Test Championship in 1999, where a crowd of over 100,000 watched India and Pakistan sweat it out in the middle.

And then it happened. The fourth day of the Test match. Chasing 279 for victory, Tendulkar, batting on 7, clipped Wasim Akram for two runs. The Indian was on his way back for a third run, when he collided with Shoaib Akhtar, who was waiting near the non-striker’s end to gather the throw from deep midwicket.

The collision resulted in Tendulkar’s run-out and although Akhtar wasn’t to be blamed, the crowd went on a rampage.

The Pakistani was pelted with bottles, an act which forced the match to be delayed for well over an hour.

However, in a praiseworthy deed, Tendulkar entered the field amidst the chaos in a bid to pacify the crowd. Although the match was resumed and played under an empty stadium after all the spectators had been banished, Tendulkar’s act stood out amidst the gloom.