Sachin Tendulkar registered the record of hitting the first-ever double ton in ODI cricket in 2010. (Photo – AFP)
New Delhi: A handful of cricketers make it to the ‘legendary’ mark but to get oneself to be accredited as the ‘God’ requires something different. Sachin Tendulkar, a name that graced the game of cricket for 24 years has several monikers and for all the right reasons, one of which is the ‘God of Cricket.’ Tendulkar faced some of the deadliest bowlers in his prime and carved out a name for himself by taking them to the cleaners.
The likes of speedsters Wasim Akram, Glen McGrath, Alan Donald, Curtly Ambrose, and Brett Lee have faced the wrath of the Master Blaster, and also spin legends like Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Saqlain Mushtaq struggling to get him out. Even Sir Donald Bradman was a fan of Tendulkar’s technique, compactness, and shot production. It was a sight to behold to watch him play and bring out some excellent shots that brought laurels to the nation.
We try to rewound the clock and revisit a few of Master Blaster’s greatest centuries of all time –
In the Coca-Cola Cup in 1998, India took on Australia in the sixth ODI match and Sachin Tendulkar displayed great batting skills to smash 143 runs off 131 balls laced with nine fours and five sixes. The innings is popularly known as the ‘Desert Storm’ as the match was halted due to a sandstorm but resumed later. Australia had an attack including Shane Warne, Damien Fleming, and Michale Kasprowicz but Sachin didn’t bother hitting them.
In the final of the series, he struck 134 runs laced with 12 fours and three sixes as India comfortably chased down 272 to win the cup.
(Photo – AFP)
When it comes to Test cricket, matching Sachin’s skills becomes all the more tough. During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy of 2002-03, Sachin struggled with deliveries outside the off stump, edging it to the slips and not getting enough runs. However, he turned the tide on the criticism he faced bringing a minor change in his technique. He decided to let go of all the outside off-stump deliveries in the fourth Test vs Australia in Sydney.
The God indeed pulled off the unbelievable, not playing a single cover drive, and went on to pile up a double hundred. The innings can be a case study of how to control one’s natural instincts and focus on playing according to the situation. Sachin defied the odds in this gritty knock.
(Photo – AFP)
With batters reaching 194 in ODIs in the past, it seemed like the milestone of an inaugural double-hundred in the history of the format waited for Sachin. In 2010 against South Africa, the swashbuckling batter did something extraordinary by reaching the 200-run mark in ODI cricket. He became the first batter to do so and made the rest believe that 200 is indeed achievable.
(Photo – AFP)
Not just Sachin but hard hitter Virender Sehwag also made a huge impact for Team India in the first Test against Pakistan and in the process became the first Indian ever to score a triple century in Test cricket. This earned him the title ‘Multan ka Sultan’ as Sachin supported him enough from the other end. What happened afterward still has the internet divided after so many years. Stand-in skipper Rahul Dravid declared the innings on 675/5 and Sachin was notably on 194*. The innings were outstanding, to say the least, and Sachin has openly spoken about the incident several times in a fun manner.
(Photo – AFP)
Tendulkar was just a century short of becoming the groundbreaker having 51 Test centuries and 48 ODI tons to his name. As India toured Bangladesh for the 2012 Asia Cup, Sachin grabbed the opportunity in the fourth ODI to slam the 100th century of his career and become the first-ever batter to have done so. Cricket fans around the world waited for the moment and Sachin had a simple look-in-the-sky celebration after taking a single off Shakib Al Hasan’s delivery.
(Photo – AFP)
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