Best of Sachin Tendulkar

This has got to be the toughest task of my long journalistic career. When I was asked to pick ten of Sachin Tendulkar’s best knocks in two formats of the game I knew it would be virtually Mission Impossible. How do you zero in on just ten of the 686 innings he has played over 20 years with many outstanding knocks down the line? Well, after a great deal of time and effort I offer the final list with some trepidation.

TESTS: He was just 17 when he became the second youngest century maker in Tests. And it was a ton which rescued India from defeat and steered them to an honourable draw. Set to get 408 runs for a victory in 88 overs India lost six wickets for 183 when Manoj Prabhakar joined Tendulkar playing in his ninth Test. There were still 2-1/ hours remaining and the odds were on an England victory. Displaying the temperament that was to become his hallmark over the next two decades Tendulkar held the England attack at bay with a disciplined show of immense maturity. Graham Gooch crowded the bat and shuffled his bowlers like a croupier but Tendulkar and Prabhakar carried on regardless adding 160 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket and at final draw of stumps India were 343 for six. As Wisden noted ``Of the six centuries scored in this fascinating contest none was more outstanding than Tendulkar’s which rescued India on the final afternoon. He looked the embodiment of Sunil Gavaskar and indeed was wearing a pair of his pads. While he displayed a full repertoire of strokes in compiling his maiden Test hundred most remarkable were the off side shots off the backfoot. Though only five feet, five inches tall he was able to control without difficulty short deliveries from the English pacemen.’’ For the record Tendulkar batted 224 minutes and hit 17 fours.

TESTS: Even though India lost by 300 runs this innings of Tendulkar is rated very high – and rightly so – because of the bouncy surface and the incessant pace barrage that he had to put up with even as his colleagues succumbed meekly. Australia had already gained a winning 3-0 lead in the five-match series and led off by scoring 346. Indian openers Kris Srikkanth and Navjot Sidhu were back in the pavilion with 69 runs on the board when Tendulkar came in. On a traditionally fast WACA wicket Australia unleashed their pace quartet of Craig McDermott, Paul Reiffel, Merv Hughes and Mike Whitney who gave the batsmen no respite with their speed and hostility. But while wickets fell regularly Tendulkar still some three months short of his 19th birthday not only stood firm but counter attacked brilliantly. India slid sharply from 100 for two to 159 for eight and it looked like Tendulkar would be left high and dry with a well deserved half century. Kiran More (43) however gave him able support for the ninth wicket and the two added 81 runs before Tendulkar was out. During his stay of 161 balls he hit 16 fours. It was reckoned to be a gem of an innings and over the years hasn’t lost any of its luster.

TESTS: It was the first Test of the three-match series and it was being billed as a contest between Tendulkar and Shane Warne – the best batsman in the world against the best spin bowler in the game. The Aussie leg spinner won the first round by having Tendulkar caught at slip for four in the first innings. In the second innings Tendulkar turned the tables – and how! He entered at a crucial stage for India 71 runs behind were 115 for two early on the fourth morning. Rahul Dravid and Md Azharuddin helped him to figure in century partnerships for the third and fourth wickets but it was Tendulkar’s masterly mauling of Warne that was the cynosure. He treated the Aussie spin wizard like a club bowler at the nets by repeatedly hitting him for fours and sixes. When Azharuddin declared at 418 for four Tendulkar was unbeaten with a glorious 155 for which he batted only 191 balls and hit 14 fours and four sixes while Warne had the ragged figures of one for 122 from 30 overs. The hunter had become the hunted and a demoralized Aussie side was all out for 168 leaving India victors by 179 runs. Tendulkar’s breathtaking display was the last word in attacking batsman ship.

TESTS: 136 vs Pakistan at Chennai 1999 An innings that has gone down in Indian cricketing folklore. A gallant knock compiled under tremendous pressure on a last day Chepauk pitch in the face of a varied attack – Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq – ended up in vain as the support for Tendulkar was woefully inadequate. He was out for a third ball duck in the first innings but in the second came up with a master class that was constructed despite a painful back. India chasing 271 for victory lost five wickets for 82. Tendulkar had come in late on the third day with India tottering at six for two. It was not until Nayan Mongia entered that Tendulkar found some support. The wicketkeeper was content playing a supporting role and all eyes were on the maestro who braving the heat and the pain steered India closer to the target. The two added 136 runs for the sixth wicket before Mongia was out for 52. Tendulkar already well past his century got the total to 254. With four wickets in hand and only 17 to get it seemed that Tendulkar’s valiant effort was going to result in a famous Indian victory. However a tired shot from him – he holed out to mid off trying to hit Saqlain out of the ground – saw the end of his 405-minute vigil during which he faced 273 balls and hit 18 fours. The tail offered no resistance and India folded up for 258. It was a pity that such a sustained effort was not crowned with victory.

TESTS: Scoring a hundred in a successful fourth innings run chase was according to Tendulkar himself something he had wanted, the one achievement missing from his CV. Little wonder then that he rated this innings as ``up there’’ and ``one of the best’’ among all his hundreds. And it was no ordinary run chase as India were set a target of 387 – the highest successful attempt in a Test in Asia and the fifth highest in all Tests. The first of the two- match series started with England scoring 316 to which India replied with 241. With Andrew Strauss getting his second hundred of the match Kevin Pietersen was able to declare at 311 for nine late on the penultimate day leaving India a tough task. Virender Sehwag led the way with 83 off 68 balls with 11 fours and four sixes but the fall of Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman at regular intervals on the final morning put some pressure on the Indians. When Yuvraj Singh joined Tendulkar India were 163 runs away from their target and England seemed to have the edge with their balanced attack of Steve Harmison, Andrew Flintoff, James Anderson, Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar. But with determination writ large on his face Tendulkar did not falter and he and Yuvraj (85 not out) steered India to victory without further hiccups the master making the winning boundary hit that also brought up his hundred off 196 balls with nine boundary hits.

ODIs: 82 vs New Zealand at Auckland 1994 An innings marked by blazing shots all round the wicket is also deserving of a footnote in Indian cricket history for this was the first time that Tendulkar opened the innings in an ODI. When the Indians went on their short tour of New Zealand early in 1994 Tendulkar was as usual firmly slotted in the middle order. But with regular opener Navjot Sidhu suffering from a neck strain Tendulkar offered to open the innings in the second ODI at Auckland. New Zealand were bowled out for 142 in the 50th over and such was Tendulkar’s brilliance that India reached their modest target in the 24th over with seven wickets to spare. Tendulkar just sailed into an attack that included Danny Morrison, Gavin Larsen, Chris Harris and Chris Pringle and hit 82 off just 49 balls. He put on 61 runs with Ajay Jadeja in nine overs and 56 in six overs with Vinod Kambli. He smashed three fours and a six off Larsen’s first over and by the time he was second out at 117 he had hit 15 fours and two sixes and the game was as good as over. Since then Tendulkar has stayed at the top of the order and going from strength to strength; only for very brief periods thereafter has he gone lower down the order.

ODIs: The first of two successive master classes at Sharjah which have since been nicknamed ``Desert Storm.’’ Coming into the match India’s position was shaky. They had not fared very well in the tri series (the third team was New Zealand). In this last league match after the Australians had led off with 284 for seven in 50 overs India’s target was revised following a dust storm. The winning target was 276 but India by getting 237 would qualify for the final edging out New Zealand on superior run rate. As wickets fell at regular intervals Tendulkar guided India masterfully to their first target batting in commanding fashion against a bowling line-up that included Damien Fleming, Michael Kasprowicz and Shane Warne. After four wickets had fallen for 138, Tendulkar dominated a fifth wicket partnership of 104 runs with VVS Laxman. By the time he was fifth out at 242 in the 43rd over he had made sure that India would qualify for the final with a blistering 143 from 131 balls with nine fours and four sixes. India restricted to 250 for five from 46 overs lost by 26 runs but they still had a chance of scoring over the Australians in the final two days later thanks to Tendulkar’s brilliance.

ODIs: The day of the final happened to be Tendulkar’s 25th birthday. He had already played a gem of an innings to steer India quite unexpectedly into the title clash. Could be pull off an encore? Australia again set India a difficult target scoring 272 for nine in 50 overs. India lost two wickets for 128 and then Tendulkar and skipper Md Azharuddin added 120 runs for third wicket. Batting in majestic vein Tendulkar went on to get a second hundred against the Aussies in successive matches and by the time he was out for 134 off 131 balls in the 45th over India had all but sewn up the match. He was third out at 248 after hitting 12 fours and three sixes. Azhar then fell for 58 but India were home with six wickets and nine deliveries to spare. Tendulkar’s back-to-back hundreds saw Warne in a touching gesture seek his autograph on his shirt. ``I was hit by the best batsman in the world’’ said the world’s best spin bowler and most famous adversary. Tendulkar’s reward for winning the trophy for India virtually single handed was an Opel car.

ODIs: A century against Kenya should not normally figure among Tendulkar’s greatest innings but the circumstances surrounding the knock were rather extraordinary – and poignant. India’s campaign in the World Cup had just got underway when Tendulkar’s father passed away suddenly in Bombay. He rushed back for the funeral and even as speculation was rife as to whether he would play again in the competition. Tendulkar after missing one match was back for the next game against Kenya. Here is what Wisden has recorded: ``A passionate, awe inspiring display by Tendulkar kept India in the hunt for the Super Six. He had returned from his father’s funeral the day before and when he came in at 92 for two Bristol heard a roar from the crowd that probably startled the lions in the zoo.’’ India had made a shaky start losing both their group matches. Tendulkar provided the inspiration sharing an unbroken third wicket partnership of 237 in 29 overs with Rahul Dravid (104 not out). Tendulkar’s 50 came off 54 deliveries and then he accelerated bringing up his 100 off just 30 more balls. He flicked the last ball of the innings over mid wicket for six – his third in addition to 16 fours - to finish on 140 from 101 balls. It was his 22nd ODI hundred but the first when he was not opening. India scored 329 for two from 50 overs and proceeded to win by 94 runs. Tendulkar dedicated his then highest World Cup score to his father’s memory.