Sachin Tendulkar’s final over against South Africa in the semi-final of the Hero Cup in 1993 is one of the most memorable moments for an Indian cricket fan.

South Africa needed just six runs to win off the last over and Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin surprisingly gave the ball to the then 20-year-old Tendulkar who hadn’t bowled in the entire game.

Tendulkar, though, would deliver in spectacular fashion as he conceded just three runs to hand India a thrilling two-run victory.

The Press Trust of India (PTI) reports that speaking on the eve of the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Kolkata Full Marathon, Tendulkar recalled the match and spoke about how there was a mongoose which proved to be a lucky charm for the Indian team.

“I don’t know how many of you have noticed this but because it was the first day and night match, there was a mongoose which kept coming in the second half of the match,” said Tendulkar.

“We got some wickets when it came. Then there were some runs and again the mongoose came and we got wickets. So I was waiting for the mongoose to keep coming. The match got rather close and I ended up bowling the last over.”