Sachin's One World beat Yuvraj's One Family by 4 wickets

Bengaluru, Jan 18 (IANS) One World, led by Sachin Tendulkar, beat Yuvraj Singh’s One Family by four wickets in 'One World One Family Cup, where 24 legendary players from seven countries participated in one-off match played here at the Sai Krishnan Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Chasing the target of 181 runs, One World rode on South African Alviro Petersen’s brilliant 74 off 50 deliveries to seal the victory. Sachin and Naman Ojha gave a brilliant start, Ojha with four boundaries scored 25 of 18 deliveries before getting dismissed to Sri Lanka veteran Chaminda Vaas.

However, it was the inning of Sachin that drew attention as he opened his account with a boundary down the fine leg. He with Alviro added 41 runs for the second wicket. With his trademark cover drive and flick off the pads, Sachin collected three boundaries in his 27-run inning.

Needed 17 off 12 deliveries, Irfan Pathan held his nerve to take his team close to the win. With just seven runs required from the last six deliveries, he confidently executed a powerful straight drive for a six, sealing the match in their favour.

Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to bat first, One Family riding on Darren Maddy’s brilliant 51 off 41 posted a total of 181.

Yusuf Pathan (38 off 24) with his brilliant batting skills gave the finishing touch to the One World innings. Skipper Yuvraj Singh with his trademark going over the mid-wicket notched two maximums and his sweep down the leg helped him get two boundaries to end his innings on 23 off 10 deliveries.

Amidst the stellar lineup of cricketing maestros included Harbhajan Singh, legendary Muthaiah Muralitharan along with Chaminda Vaas, RP Singh, and others from seven cricket-loving nations.

Noteworthy was the inclusion of the evergreen 57-year-old Danny Morrison, making a spirited return to the field after last playing professionally in 1996/97.

The 'One World One Family' Cup not only celebrated the prowess of these cricketing legends but also aimed to raise awareness for embracing the ethos of 'vasudhaiva kutumbakam' -- the concept that the world is one family.

Former cricketer and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar echoed the sentiment that sports possess the power to uplift humanity's spirit.

"If you get together sports and the community, they have a very long history. But that said, the respect and admiration is never gone. It's where we all learn how to take the bad in the sense that you haven't won, but how to accept it. Because sport is all about not just winning but also being gracious if you can accept. You know, sport has always been about it and tomorrow's game, although you made the dreams that, you know, sport embodies," said Gavaskar.