Sachin gifted me a bat: Pagnis

MUMBAI: Sachin Tendulkar''s 204 for Mumbai against Australia in 1998 is now a Brabourne legend, but it was Amit Pagnis who began the assault on the Aussie attack in the game, especially Shane Warne.
Opening Mumbai''s first innings after Australia had declared at 305 for eight, Pagnis scored a seat-of-the-pants 50, carving four boundaries off Warne in one over.Warne''s figures for the innings were 16-1-111-0.
"I middled the first ball I faced (Paul Reiffel was the bowler)," the 26-year-old Pagnis told TOI from Delhi, where he is attending a Ranji Trophy camp. "After that, I was confident. Against Warne I relied on instinct. I faced only two overs of his. It helped, of course, that he had yet to get used to the conditions."
Back in the dressing room, Pagnis received back pats and more. "Sachin gave me a bat," the strokeful left-hander said. "I also remember Sanjay Manjrekar. Before the game, I was tense. It was my first big match. But Manjrekar (who was competing in his final first-class game) told me to play without worry."
Pagnis joined Railways the next season. "It was difficult to leave Mumbai," he said. "But playing for Railways assured me a secure job."
The former India under-19 captain has been among the main engines for Railways, scoring seven hundreds over four seasons. But where an India opportunity goes, he is, like Viktor Navorski in ''The Terminal'', waiting.
"The memory of the Australia match is a source of motivation and confidence," Pagnis said. "I know I can do it."