The match in which I learnt what is all about sports

The match that is awaited with utmost anticipation is between India and Pakistan.I m going to  describe my experience about a ind vs pak match which I consider one of the greatest test match played .I would also recommend  all T-20 fans to watch this match to know the real excitement in watching a test match which is now a days consider boring .Let me here give my conception of test match thats "rahul and laxman batting through out a entire day to deny  a win  for Australia thats called a test match  ".OK,lets come to the point . 

Under the captaincy of Akram, Pakistan toured India in January 1999 for a three-Test series. The third Test of that series was later included in the inaugural Asian Test Championship.

The first Test, played at Chennai,It see-sawed for four days: bowled out for 238 on the first day, Pakistan struck back, restricting India to 254. Then Shahid Afridi threatened to take the match beyond India's pale with a violent 141 before Venkatesh Prasad engineered the most sensational of collapses, which sunk Pakistan from 275 for 4 to 286 all out. But at 82 for 5 before lunch on the fourth day, it all seemed over for India - barring Sachin Tendulkar, of course. With stubborn support from Nayan Mongia, Tendulkar chipped away at the target, initially nudging and pushing, and then with a flurry of dazzling strokes.

Mongia lost his head, and his wicket, when India were 53 short, but it was the dismissal of a  Tendulkar, struggling with a back injury, that swung the match for Pakistan. They claimed the last four wickets for four runs and won by 12 runs ,tears was filled in my eyes and suddenly to my surprise  the Chennai crowd gave the Pakistan team a standing ovation .That very moment i understood what is all about sports but ironically sachin didn't be a sports man that day because he didn't show up for the presentation ceremony ,he was also  awarded the MOM later informed that he cried in his dressing room because he felt he could have stayed longer to take india home but what  could i say poor man tried his best. 

Every once in a while, there are moments in sport that transcend the action on the field and yet help establish the very essence of sport by carrying it beyond the confines of nationalism, and indeed victory and defeat. By all standards the first Test of the 1998-99 series between India and Pakistan was going to be remembered as a classic even without the final touch