In a nutshell, perhaps the most complete batsman and the most worshipped cricketer in the world, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar holds every record worth owning in the game, including those for most runs and hundreds in Tests and ODIs, and most international runs. He is, arguably, the biggest cricket icon as well. His batting is based on the purest principles: perfect balance, economy of movement, precision in stroke-making, and that intangible quality given only to geniuses: anticipation.
As far as memory can stretch itself, I reminisce the following masterful innings played by him:-
TESTS: - ar's game. He can score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back, can tune his technique to suit every condition, temper his game to suit every situation, and has made runs in all parts of the world in all conditions.
Some of his finest performances have come against Australia, the overwhelmingly dominant team of his era. His century as a 19-year-old on a lightning-fast pitch at the WACA is considered one of the best innings ever to have been played in Australia. A few years later he received the ultimate compliment from the ultimate batsman: Don Bradman confided to his wife that Tendulkar reminded him of himself.
119 vs England at Old Trafford(1990)*
In his debut series in England, Tendulkar all of 17 and a half years scored a century that staved off English efforts for a victory. India was tattering at 180 odd runs with six wickets squandered away: staring at the visage of defeat, but Sachin had plans of his own. In rear-guard action that would have made the original'little master' Sunil Gavaskar proud, the teenager pulled his team towards the safer shores of a draw. Sachin finished with an unbeaten knock of 119 runs. This was Sachin's first century and the making of history- the making of the largest ‘little man’ to have graced a cricketing field.
114 vs Australia at Perth(1992)*
A miniature Sachin, juvenile and untested on the bouncy and lethal wickets of Australia, took on the pace battery in the Perth Test. When most of the batsmen squirmed away and were unable to cope with the extra pace of the wicket, Tendulkar was a picture of concentration and calm. Most of his runs came square of the wicket or straight down the ground, which is an indication of how well he was judging and playing the extra bounce in the pitch. The knock was a classic, and one which is rated supremely by the little master himself.
169 vs South Africa at Capetown (1997)*
India was in a familiar situation on an away tour the fragile top-order struggling at 58-5; the story looked more than just grim. This until Azhar joined Sachin Tendulkar at the crease. They took on the bowlers and turned the firing the other way. While Azhar played at his carefree best, Sachin was more compact but no less grand. He changed the mood of his knock at ease- defensive to offensive; calm to furious.
136 vs Pakistan at Chennai(1999)*
Tragedy at its worst! Sachin Tendulkar almost pulled off the win single-handedly, but then with 17 runs remaining for a victory, held out in the deep. What more, within a space of five runs India capitulated and handed over the Test to Pakistan. Reports claimed that the loss was so heart-breaking for Sachin that tears swelled up in his eyes. Playing under immense pressure and an agonising back strain, Tendulkar produced a gem of an innings but alas it was not enough to ring home a sweet victory over arch-rivals Pakistan.
103 vs England at Chennai(2008)*
A record chase of 387 runs loomed at India in the fourth innings and while Sehwag's rocket-paced 83 runs set up the game for India, Sachin's unbeaten knock of 103 runs delivered the knock-out punch. It was a flawless innings which took the match away from the visitors. A determined Sachin reached his 41st hundred with a boundary which simultaneously brought India the winning runs. Overjoyed, Tendulkar leapt in the air, pumped his fist and relished a memorable win. All talk of him not measuring up in crunch situations looked like feeble excuses now.
ONE-DAYS: -
200 against South Africa at Gwalior(2010)*
This was truly matchless in every sense and it came when most people were starting to talk about the ageing legs of the little master. This fabulous innings showed spirit for sport defies all other minnows like age, stamina, etc. Even the South Africans were left happy that they were a part of the treat. This inning broke Saeed Anwar's old record, which incidentally came against India. Sachin truly knows how to undo a bad record for India.
143 against Australia at Sharjah(1998)*
Tears and goose bumps were the emotional feelings that ruled not just India but every lover of the game of cricket with this innings. Truly majestic and it came at a time when India had their backs to the wall and had to get past New Zealand on run rate to qualify for the final. Even the desert storm, which engulfed Sharjah may have rushed the players to dressing room but the little master stood in the middle and sent the storm away. Sachin exploded and even made commentator Tony Greig say, "This is unbelievable. Sachin Tendulkar wants to go for a win and they are dancing in the aisles of Sharjah." Splendid innings(all in vain at the end).
175 vs Australia at Hyderabad(2009)*
Did I say vain? This beats them all. I would have rated it as the greatest cricketing innings ever by anybody in any format, but alas! One act of folly from Sachin- he trusted his team-mates to pull of a victory even if he departed playing a rash shot after almost sealing the match for India. It was again a “Sachin vs Australia” match- how meekly the rest ceded to the Aussies. Nevertheless, a remarkable knock.
134 against Australia, Final, Sharjah 1998*
It is not always in a player's long career that two innings from a same tournament feature in the elite list. If Sachin's kangaroo lunch during Sharjah 1998 semi final was an absolute treat, the 134 in the final was no less. The only difference, the effort in the final was certain even before the first ball of the final was bowled given the massive momentum. Reaction of Aussie bowlers was a testimony to the dominance of Sachin in that series
163(retired hurt) vs New Zealand at Christchurch(2009)*
Sachin had got into the 3rd ODI at Christchurch with some unease in the stomach. But, when he is feeling a little unwell, we all know who faces the heat. The Kiwi bowlers were smashed all over the park as the master blaster raced to 163 before stomach cramps proved too much to handle. The job was done as India headed to 392. Sachin could not play in the next 2 ODIs but that inning of 163 was enough in getting India the series 3-1. Simply masterful!
98 vs Pakistan in the 2003 World Cupis also worth mentioning: superlative, as usual
Sachin, may you play for ages to come and bring glories to the nation and. a World Cup!*
Blessed with the keenest of cricket minds, and armed with a loathing for losing, Tendulkar set about doing what it took to become one of the best batsmen in the world. His greatness was established early: he was only 16 when he made his Test debut. He was hit on the mouth by Waqar Younis but continued to bat, in a blood-soaked shirt. His first Test hundred, a match-saving one at Old Trafford, came when he was 17, and he had 16 Test hundreds before he turned 25. In 2000 he became the first batsman to have scored 50 international hundreds, in 2008 he passed Brian Lara as the leading Test run-scorer, and in the years after, he went past 13, 000 Test runs and 30, 000 international runs.
He currently holds the record for most hundreds in both Tests and ODIs - remarkable, considering he didn't score his first ODI hundred till his 79th match. Incredibly, he retains a divine enthusiasm for the game, and he seems to be untouched by age: at 36 years and 306 days he broke a 40-year-old barrier by scoring the first double-century in one-day cricket. It now seems inevitable that he will become the first cricketer to score 100 international hundreds, which like Bradman's batting average, could be a mark that lasts for ever.
Tendulkar's considerable achievements seem greater still when looked at in the light of the burden of expectations he has had to bear from his adoring but somewhat unreasonable followers, who have been prone to regard anything less than a hundred in each innings as a failure. The aura may have dimmed, if only slightly, as the years on the international circuit have taken their toll on the body, but Tendulkar remains, by a distance, the most worshipped cricketer in the world.
Sambit Bal February 2010
