Sachin's Blasters vs Warne's Warriors: An all-star showdown

Published November 8, 2015
Shoaib Akhtar celebrates dismissing Warne's Warriors batsman Matthew Hayden. ─ AFP
Shoaib Akhtar celebrates dismissing Warne's Warriors batsman Matthew Hayden. ─ AFP
Sachin's Blasters captain Sachin Tendulkar and Warne's Warrors captain Shane Warne (R) wave to fans at end of the match. ─ AFP
Sachin's Blasters captain Sachin Tendulkar and Warne's Warrors captain Shane Warne (R) wave to fans at end of the match. ─ AFP
Australian cricketer Shane Warne and Indian Sachin Tendulkar walk to the field for toss before their first of a three-match T20 series at the Citi Field in New York on November 7, 2015. ─ AFP
Australian cricketer Shane Warne and Indian Sachin Tendulkar walk to the field for toss before their first of a three-match T20 series at the Citi Field in New York on November 7, 2015. ─ AFP
Sachin's Blasters (in blue) and Warne's Warriors line up during the US national anthem before the start of the match. ─ AFP
Sachin's Blasters (in blue) and Warne's Warriors line up during the US national anthem before the start of the match. ─ AFP
A group of dancers perform before the start of the match. ─ AFP
A group of dancers perform before the start of the match. ─ AFP
Sachin Tendulkar (R) and Virender Sehwag confer. ─ AFP
Sachin Tendulkar (R) and Virender Sehwag confer. ─ AFP
Sachin Tendulkar plays a shot to be caught out by Jacques Kallis. ─ AFP
Sachin Tendulkar plays a shot to be caught out by Jacques Kallis. ─ AFP
Jacques Kallis catches the ball to dismiss Tendulkar. ─ AFP
Jacques Kallis catches the ball to dismiss Tendulkar. ─ AFP
Warne's Warriors, celebrate as Sachin Tendulkar leaves the field after getting caught out. ─ AP
Warne's Warriors, celebrate as Sachin Tendulkar leaves the field after getting caught out. ─ AP
Virender Sehwag reacts after being dismissed by Daniel Vettori. ─ AFP
Virender Sehwag reacts after being dismissed by Daniel Vettori. ─ AFP
Teams captained by Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar play during the Cricket All-Star exhibition match. ─ Reuters
Teams captained by Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar play during the Cricket All-Star exhibition match. ─ Reuters
Sachin Tendulkar warms up before bowling the final overs. ─ Reuters
Sachin Tendulkar warms up before bowling the final overs. ─ Reuters
Crowds cheering for their teams. ─ AFP
Crowds cheering for their teams. ─ AFP
Muttiah Muralitharan at the crease. ─ Reuters
Muttiah Muralitharan at the crease. ─ Reuters
Sachin's Blasters bowler Shoaib Akhtar (R) celebrates with captain Sachin Tendulkar after dismissing Warne's Warriors batsman Kumar Sangakkara. ─ AFP
Sachin's Blasters bowler Shoaib Akhtar (R) celebrates with captain Sachin Tendulkar after dismissing Warne's Warriors batsman Kumar Sangakkara. ─ AFP
Fans cheer at end of the match. ─ AFP
Fans cheer at end of the match. ─ AFP
Wasim Akram bowls to Sachin's Blasters. ─ AFP
Wasim Akram bowls to Sachin's Blasters. ─ AFP
Fans cheer as Warne's Warriors and Sachin's Blasters play during the match. ─ AFP
Fans cheer as Warne's Warriors and Sachin's Blasters play during the match. ─ AFP
Shane Warne (R) celebrates after dismissing Sachin's Blasters batman VVS Laxman. ─ AFP
Shane Warne (R) celebrates after dismissing Sachin's Blasters batman VVS Laxman. ─ AFP
Kumar Sangakkara (L) breaks the wicket to dismiss Sachin's Blasters batman VS Laxman. ─ AFP
Kumar Sangakkara (L) breaks the wicket to dismiss Sachin's Blasters batman VS Laxman. ─ AFP
Moin Khan plays a shot at the crease. ─ AFP
Moin Khan plays a shot at the crease. ─ AFP
Batsman Ricky Ponting and wicket-keeper Moin Khan (R) watch a hit ball. ─ Reuters
Batsman Ricky Ponting and wicket-keeper Moin Khan (R) watch a hit ball. ─ Reuters
Kumar Sangakkara plays a shot. ─ AFP
Kumar Sangakkara plays a shot. ─ AFP
Carl Hooper (R) plays a shot to for an LBW by Warne's Warriors Andrew Symonds. ─ AFP
Carl Hooper (R) plays a shot to for an LBW by Warne's Warriors Andrew Symonds. ─ AFP
Sachin Tendulkar other players wave at fans at end of the match. ─ AFP
Sachin Tendulkar other players wave at fans at end of the match. ─ AFP

NEW YORK: Amid a sea of Indian shirts, fluttering Pakistan flags and deafening roars, New York cricket fans turned out in their thousands to watch greats of the game face off against each other on Saturday ─ in a baseball stadium.

Australian spin king Shane Warne and Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar captained two star-studded teams in a Twenty20 match designed to introduce Americans to the world's second most popular sport.

Warne's Warriors beat Sachin's Blasters, with Warne man of the match after claiming Tendulkar's wicket.

But it was the Indian star whom most of the overwhelming South Asian expatriate crowd had come to see.

"Sachin, Sachin, Sachin," screamed the stadium in unison, hundreds wearing blue Indian shirts, many with the record-breaking batsman's name emblazoned on the back.

"Sachin for President," read one banner.

Snacking on hot dogs and nachos, chewing on pretzels and quaffing beer, for many it was the first time in years they had watched live cricket in America, long starved of the sport.

The three-hour match will be followed by games in Houston and Los Angeles.

Warne told reporters 36,000 people had packed into the Citi Field ─ home of the New York Mets baseball team ─ for the game.

"I thought it was fantastic, the atmosphere was amazing," he said.

At the end, the players lapped the pitch, waving and applauding the crowd, which Tendulkar compared to the home crowd at the Mets' World Series.

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