Sachin Tendulkar receiving the World Cup Man of the Tournament award from Gary Sobers

Team India captain Sourav following the World Cup final loss

Lahore: With a record-rewriting 673 runs in the lead-up to the 2003 final, at the Wanderers, a billion hopes rested on Sachin Tendulkar. One-day cricket’s most prolific batsman, though, left in the opening over itself and, with him, departed whatever chance India had of winning the World Cup’s eighth edition. Tuesday, incidentally, makes it exactly a year since that defeat — time, then, to reveal Sachin’s own thoughts that day which came through in a recent one-on-one with The Telegraph.

The following are excerpts

Q Were you, personally, under too much pressure on taking guard in the final?

A Under pressure, yes, not under too much pressure.

In any case, you must have been a bit nervous...

That’s always so... The nervousness stays till the first ball has been faced... It’s been like this from school. If I may add, a touch of nervousness is needed to keep you more on your toes... To encourage a more intense performance.

Looking back, what were your emotions as you walked out with Virender Sehwag?

Actually, we had a team meeting at the break where we asked ourselves whether we had the capability to strike 50 boundaries in 50 overs... The answer was a confident ‘yes’... So, 200 runs were to be taken care of in 50 deliveries. We then asked ourselves whether we could get the remaining 160 from 250 balls. Again, the answer was ‘yes’... Of course, that wasn’t ever going to be easy but, then, we did approach the awesome target in a distinctly positive frame of mind.

Having conceded 359, did the bowlers contribute to the discussion?

They were disappointed.

You haven’t talked about your own emotions...

They were mixed... Still, I knew only half the game was over... Knew that anything was possible... Knew that we had chased 300-plus more than once.

Your agenda, then, was clear...

Well, nothing short of a quickfire start would have done... I left the first delivery (from Glenn McGrath)... Did I overcome the nervousness? I think I was fine, despite not playing a shot.

However, you got out soon enough. Did that devastate you?

Everything happened so quickly... I realised I’d made a mistake, by mistiming, when I was through with the shot and found McGrath getting underneath the ball... I was left praying he would drop the catch, but... Really, when things are beyond your control, you can just pray. That afternoon, it was destined my prayers wouldn’t be answered.

How long did it take you to get over the disappointment?

(Pauses) It hurt... Whatever the occasion, no one likes to fail. It’s no different with me.

That even prompted some to question your credentials for the biggest moments...

It’s sad if people are only going to remember one or two innings... If they wish to blow up one or two...

Notwithstanding the failure in the final, you were adjudged the edition’s No.1 player...

Yes, of course, but we didn’t win the World Cup.

Many feel we probably lost our best chance of winning the tournament for a second time, that it may not be the same in 2007... Do you agree?

We’ve got to look ahead and remain optimistic. I don’t see what purpose can be served by looking back on an undoubtedly big disappointment.

The last World Cup was your fourth. What separated the 2003 team from the earlier ones?

Two things: Much improved fitness and peaking at the right time.

Finally, as with Sourav Ganguly, is winning in 2007 a goal for you?

It’s a collective one, yes. One can’t change what has happened, but one can make an effort to change whatever lies ahead.