Best of Sachin #4 – Which is the best innings according to you?
Throughout his illustrious playing career, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar enthralled cricket fans all over the world with his unbelievable run-making. Each of his 100 international centuries has left an everlasting impact on Indian cricket. While the other knocks have redefined the game itself in many ways. In this exclusive series ‘Best of Sachin’, we take a look at the most special knocks to have come out of the Master’s willow.
Tendulkar played in as many as 782 innings across all three formats of the game in his career. We bring you a collection of 15 of his best innings in batches of 3. Here’s the second lot:
200* vs South Africa, Gwalior (2010)
Image Courtesy: News18
For a man who had already re-written the record books, it was only befitting that Sachin became the first man to conquer the unchartered territory of scoring a double century in ODI cricket. A South African attack led by Dale Steyn was made to look hapless in Gwalior against the sheer wizardry of the Master Blaster. The monumental knock was brought up in only 147 deliveries and consisted of 25 fours and 3 sixes. The crowd stood on its feet to salute Sachin as he walked back to the pavilion, helping India put up a mammoth score of 401/3 on the board.
241* vs Australia, Sydney (2004)
Image Courtesy: Bleacher Report
This courageous double hundred by Sachin is remembered as much for his self-restraint, as it is for sheer brilliance. Managing scores of 0, 1, 37, 0 and 44 in the first three Tests, the Master found himself in an unfamiliar position of being out of form when he walked out to bat at the SCG. His downfall often came while attempting to drive wide deliveries outside the off-stump. Sachin then came up with the plan of not attempting any cover-drives, one of his favourite shots, in order to keep his wicket. It paid rich dividends as he would bat for 613 minutes, scoring an unbeaten 241 in 436 deliveries. His innings consisted of 33 boundaries and not a single one of them was played through the covers. Patience, as they say, is indeed a virtue!
117* vs Australia, Sydney (2008)
Image Courtesy: Sportskeeda
Sachin reserved his best for a high-profile clash against Australia in the 1st final of the CB series in 2008. The Indians were set a target of 240 to chase in 50 overs on a sticky wicket at the SCG. But Sachin was at his calm and composed best, helping India chase down the score in only 45.5 overs against Brett Lee and co. His knock of 117* came in 120 deliveries and consisted of 10 fours, as he dished out a masterclass on how to chase down a tricky target against a high-quality opposition bowling attack.
