List of Sachin's Test 100's (Courtesy: ESPNCricinfo & Cricbuzz)
200 Tests; 329 Innings; 24 years
15,921 runs @53.78; 6 200's; 51 100's; 68 50's; HS 248*
46 wickets @54.17; Economy 3.52; Best 3/10
Test Hundred No. 1: 119* v England, 2nd Test, Old Trafford, Manchester, August 1990. Result: Match drawn.
Tendulkar was all of 17 years and 112 days old when he made his first Test hundred, his first hundred ensured India saved the match on the final day. He added 160 runs with Manoj Prabhakar and often advised his much senior partner on how to go about things. India were staring down the barrel at 4/109 when Tendulkar came to the middle and by the time he had finished, he had ended up on 119 studded with 17 glorious boundaries. India ended with 6/343, with a match drawn next to their name. It was the beginning of something special and on that chilly day in Manchester, those who saw Sachin bat knew that they were seeing something very rare. The Manchester ton was the start of many more. The match was drawn with India losing only on more wicket in the day.The first signs of greatness from the Little Master. The journey that would see him leave all contemporaries far behind started in England at Old Trafford.
Test Hundred No. 2: 148* v Australia, 3rd Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, January 1992. Result: Match drawn.
Richie Benaud called it the best Test innings that he had seen, very high praise from one of the shrewdest thinkers the game has seen. Tendulkar also by virtue of his 100 was the youngest man to score a Test century in Australia. Along with Ravi Shastri, Sachin added 196 runs for the 5th wicket as the duo toyed with a debutant blonde leggie by the name of Shane Warne. Warne ended with the unflattering figures of 1-150 as Shastri and Sachin carted him all over the park. It was the start of a long love affair for Sachin with the Sydney Cricket Ground which would see him go on to make a mountain of runs at the famous venue. Australia in the first innings put up a total of 313. The Indians came out to bat with Ravi Shastri being the top-scorer, making 206 runs and Sachin Tendulkar scored 148 taking the innings total to 483. Australia made 173 in the second innings. India did not come out to bat in the second innings and the match was drawn. Tendulkar’s reputation as young batting prodigy was swelling. In his first series in Australia, Tendulkar stamped his class scoring two hundreds the first of which arrived in Sydney.
Test Hundred No. 3: 114 v Australia, 5th Test, Western Australia Cricket Association, Perth, February 1992. Result: Australia won by 300 runs.
Perhaps his finest Test hundred and certainly one of the best played at the WACA ever. All of 18-years old and faced with a formidable bowling attack of McDermott, Hughes, Whitney and Reiffel, Tendulkar showed how to play quality fast bowling with strokeplay of the highest order when his far more experienced and well established team-mates were floundering. In those days, the WACA pitch was lightning quick and was a haven for the fast bowlers, but Tendulkar overcame all those with a pristine hundred that showcased his unlimited potential on the world stage. Australia posted a total of 346 in the first innings. India came out to bat and wickets fell at regular intervals with Sachin scoring 114 runs. Australia then posted another huge total of 367 in the second innings and India could not match up to the batting display of the Aussies. India lost the match. When most of the batsmen squirmed away from the bouncers and were unable to cope with the extra pace of the Perth wicket, Tendulkar was a picture of concentration and calm. The knock of 114 runs was a classic, and one which is rated supremely by the little master himself.After this innings, Merv Hughes had this to say to his captain Allan Border: 'This little prick's going to get more runs than you, AB.'
Test Hundred No. 4: 111 v South Africa, 2nd Test, The Wanderers, Johannesburg, November 1992. Result: Match drawn.
The familiar top-order collapse followed before Sachin set about resurrecting the innings. He came in at 2/27 and by the time he was 9th out at 212, he had scored his 4th Test hundred and in the process reached 1000 runs becoming the youngest batsman to do so at the age of 19 years and 217 days. This was not the usual aggressive Tendulkar innings but a less positive one. Sachin managed to play the likes of Donald, McMillan and Mathews with relative ease at such a young age which once again put him head and shoulders above the rest of his team-mates in dealing with adverse conditions. South Africa in the first innings scored a total of 292 runs. India came out to bat and none of the batsmen performed well. Sachin was the only player who managed to get a three-figure score of 111 taking the total to 227. South Africa in its second innings scored 252 and India in its second innings had a target of 318 to win. The Indian’s managed 141. The match ended in a draw.On a hard and pacy Johannesburg track South Africa led by Allan Donald blew away the Indian batting order. The pace and bounce had all the Indians ducking, weaving and edging, except one, Sachin Tendulkar. India’s first innings score read 227, out of which 111 belonged to Tendulkar.
Test Hundred No. 5: 165 v England, 2nd Test, M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, February 1993. Result: India won by an innings and 22 runs.
Tendulkar's first hundred at home and it came against a pretty pedestrian England attack which posed no threat to a strong Indian batting line-up at home. This was the Test which became famous for the bout of food poisoning that left regular skipper Graham Gooch unfit to play and forced a couple of others to leave the field due to sickness. India and Tendulkar weren't in any mood to hand out any gifts though and comprehensively thrashed the visitors. Tendulkar's innings of 165 was a 'gem' wrote Wisden but he had a let-off on 9 when a run-out appeal wasn't reviewed by the TV umpire. Tendulkar took full advantage of that slip and ensured India won the series handsomely.India in its first innings scored a mammoth 560 with Navjot Singh Sidhu scoring 106 and the Master Blaster scoring a massive 165. England scored 286 in its first innings and were forced to follow on. In their second innings they scored 252 and India won the match by an innings and 22 runs. Sachin Tendulkar was named Man of the Match. England suffered an innings defeat and handed India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match Test series.
Test Hundred No. 6: 104* v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, July 1993. Result: India won by 235 runs.
The foundation had been laid for Tendulkar to take charge in the 2nd innings. The openers had put on 171 and it was just a matter of adding more runs to set Sri Lanka a hefty 4th innings target. Tendulkar took charge and notched up his 6th Test ton with a 161-ball 104 which helped India set a target of 472. Eventually India won by 236 runs, their first win on Sri Lankan soil and which also ended their away sequence of 10 defeats and 16 draws. It was also their first win in 27 overseas Tests since 1986.India scored 366 in its first innings and managed to bowl out Sri Lanka for 254. In its second innings India amassed a massive total of 359 with the help of Manoj Prabhakar who scored 95, Navjot Singh Sidhu who scored 104 along with Sachin who scored 104 as well. India managed to bowl out Sri Lanka for 236, winning the match by 235 runs.An unbeaten century in the second innings helped India set a massive 472-run target against the Lankans. India won the Test handsomely and went on to draw the final game, thereby winning the series 1-0.
Test Hundred No. 7: 142 v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, KD Singh Babu Stadium, Lucknow, January 1994. Result: India won by an innings and 119 runs.
Another slow pitch and another Tendulkar hundred. It was all so easy against a Lankan attack that had only one threat the offspin of Muttiah Muralitharan. Tendulkar added 121 runs with Sidhu, which saw the latter dominate the bowling and then another 142 with skipper Azharuddin which saw Tendulkar shift gears. The bowling was poor, the pitch was flat and Sachin plundered the attack at will, notching up his 7th Test ton. He ended with 142 off 224 balls studded with 22 hits to the fence. India made 511 and bowled the visitors out twice in a row, to win by an innings and 119 runs. The Indian’s went out to bat and scored a massive 511 with the help of Sidhu who scored 127 and Sachin Tendulkar who scored 142. Sri Lanka’s reply to India’s first innings total was poor as the visitors scored 218. They were forced to follow on and scored 174 handing the match to India who won by an innings and 119 runs.Sachin and India continued to torment Sri Lanka. Tendulkar produced another big ton and the visitors went down by an innings to give India a 1-0 lead in the series.
Test Hundred No. 8: 179 v West Indies, 2nd Test, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur, December 1994. Result: Match drawn.
The highest of his 8 Test hundreds so far and one of his most memorable. India won the toss and opted to make first use of the conditions. Sidhu laid a solid foundation with his second Test ton and Tendulkar built on it with a patient innings which consumed 7 hours. He hit 24 fours and reached his hundred with a hooked six off Walsh. India piled on the runs but the combined efforts of Hooper, Lara and Adams ensured West Indies came out of the game with a draw. India were sent into bat and amassed a huge total of 546 with the help of Sidhu who scored 107 and Mohammed Azharuddin’s 97. Sachin Tendulkar scored 179 in 414 balls. West Indies replied with a commendable total of 428 and India in its second innings scored 208. The match ended in a draw. A masterclass from Tendulkar saw India racking up 546 runs in the first innings. The knock was his highest Test score then. Tendulkar brought up his ton with a six off Courtney Walsh.
Test Hundred No. 9: 122 v England, 1st Test, Edbagston, Birmingham, June 1996. Result: England won by 8 wickets.
India were facing a deficit of 99 from the first innings and in trouble at 2/17 when Tendulkar strode out to the middle and made a superb 122. Sachin stood between England and victory as he produced spell binding strokes all round the wicket. The next best score in the innings apart from Sachin's 122 was the 18 made by Manjrekar as it brutally showed up India's batting deficiencies when the ball did something. If not for Tendulkar's ton, the match would've ended inside three days. Wisden wrote that Tendulkar didn't deserve to be among the vanquished but they were undone by the poor efforts of their colleagues, a less than satisfactory pitch and some indifferent umpiring. India were sent into bat and none of the batsmen clicked, scoring a low total of 214. England in its first innings scored 313. India were sent into bat again, and this time round, no one besides Tendulkar managed to put up a decent score. Sachin scored 122 in that match while the other players could not score over 18 runs individually. India were bowled out for 219 with England needing 121 to win which they achieved easily. The burden of India’s fragile batting order was once again on the shoulders of Tendulkar who played another gem of a Test knock. While Tendulkar sparkled with a hundred none of the Indian batsmen got past 20 runs.
Test Hundred No. 10: 177 v England, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, July 1996. Result: Match drawn.
Mohammad Azharuddin won the toss and had no hesitation in opting to bat first on a batting beauty. It was the series that was fast becoming 'Sourav Ganguly's' dream series as both he and Sachin batted beautifully to add 255 runs for the third wicket. Tendulkar batted for seven and a half hours and made a majestic 177 off 360 balls with 26 fours. India ended with 521 on the board but the wicket posed no demons and eventually the match petered out into a tame draw. Tendulkar had the chance to make tons in both innings of a match, but fell for 74 in the 2nd essay. With the help of Sourav Ganguly’s 136 and Sachin’s 177, India scored a total of 521. Sachin hit 26 boundaries for his 177 at an average of 49.16. England came out to bat and scored 564. India in its second inning scored 211. Ganguly and Tendulkar produced great artistry on a slow Nottingham pitch and helped themselves with big centuries. India posted a 500-plus score in the first innings and the match petered out to a draw.
This Test match will forever be remembered for the sensational stand of 222 between Sachin and Azhar which stood out for the breathtaking display of stroke-making against a very high quality attack of Donald, Pollock, Klusener and McMillan on a fast Cape Town wicket. The duo came together when India were on the ropes at 58/5 and thrilled the crowd with an astounding array of strokes that left the Proteas' attack dazed. After Azhar was out, Tendulkar ensured India avoided the follow-on and when he was finally out for 169 to an out-of-the-world catch by Adam Bacher at deep midwicket, the crowd were on their feet lauding the sheer genius that they had witnessed earlier in the afternoon. Tendulkar's effort wasn't enough though as India succumbed to a heavy defeat.The Proteas posted 529. India batted poorly with Sachin Tendulkar posting a score of 126 with the help of Azharuddin who scored 115. India were all out for 359. South Africa in its second innings posted a total of 256 which left Team India to score 427. India were all out for 144 and South Africa won the match.The visitors were shot out for 100 and 66 in the first Test at Kingsmead, Durban, and a repeat looked well on cards. This until Azhar joined Sachin Tendulkar at the crease. Both the batsmen 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.
Test Hundred No. 12: 143 v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, August 1997. Result: Match drawn.
Tendulkar was now leading the side and had already established himself as one of the world's premier batsman, so when India visited the Islanders in 1997, runs were there for the taking against a decent attack. This Test match though is well chronicled for the remarkable amount of runs it produced: 1,489 runs for only 14 wickets and an array of records. Jayasuriya made 340, Mahanama 225 and together they shared 576 runs the highest partnership in Test cricket. Amidst all this madness, India batted first and Tendulkar helped himself to 143 as they ended with 537. Little did Tendulkar know that at the end of the Test, the scoreboard would read Sri Lanka 952/6 declared!
Test Hundred No. 13: International Hundred No. 25: 139 v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, August 1997. Result: Match drawn.
Having got a hundred in the opening Test, Tendulkar was in form and made the Lankans toil with his 13th Test ton. When he came in, the side was in trouble at 9/2 and along with Sidhu initially, then with Azhar and finally with Ganguly, Sachin added runs, in the process reaching his ton. Tendulkar was dropped on 34 and profited from the lapse, feasting on the Lankan attack. It was not a vintage Sachin knock, the innings consumed 266 balls for 139 and consisted of 16 hits, but it helped India gain a 43-run 1st innings lead which didn't prove significant as the match finished in a draw.
Test Hundred No. 14: 148 v Sri Lanka, 3rd Test, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, December 1997. Result: Match drawn.
Tendulkar getting hundreds against Sri Lanka was now becoming a norm and he got his 5th Test ton against them and his 14th overall. After being put in to bat first India lost Mongia early but after that a deluge of runs followed as Dravid (93) and Ganguly (173) too joined in the fun. Tendulkar was badly out of form before this innings and at one stage had spent 71 minutes making just 8 on the first day, but he found his touch and then went on the offensive, matching Ganguly stroke for stroke. In the process Tendulkar reached 4000 runs in just his 58th Test. India were put to bat in the first innings of the match and the trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid helped India post a total of 512. Rahul Dravid made 93, Sourav Ganguly scored 173, followed by Sachin’s 148. Sri Lanka in its first innings made 361. India came out to bat in its second innings and were bowled out for 181. With a target of 333 to win, Sri Lanka only managed to make a 166 runs. Tendulkar’s ‘batathon’ continued against Sri Lanka when they had a return tour to India later in the year. The other batsman to shine alongside Tendulkar was Ganguly who scored 173 runs.
Test Hundred No. 15: 155* v Australia, 1st Test, M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, March 1998. Result: India won by 179 runs.
This series was hyped up as the 'Warne v Tendulkar' series and the first match certainly lived up to that hype. After being dismissed cheaply by the leggie in the first innings, Sachin produced an all-time classic in the 2nd. He made 155 off 191 balls with 14 fours and 4 sixes, taking apart Warne at will, often sweeping him from the rough and sending him into the stands. That brutal assault completely deflated the Aussies and set India on their way towards a comprehensive win. The tone for the rest of the series had been set and what followed was complete domination from Sachin. Warne and the Aussies didn't know what hit them and the pattern was set. Before the series, in order to counter Warne, Sachin had sought the services of former India leggie, L Siva, asking him to bowl outside the imaginary rough on the leg-side and practiced for long hours. Come March, the first battle had been won by Sachin. Sachin 1 Warne 0. In the first Test against Australia, India batted in the first innings and were bowled out for 257. Australia did much better by posting 328 in the first innings. India in its second innings posted a mammoth 418 with the heroics of Sachin Tendulkar who top scored with 155. India then went on to bowl out the Aussies for a paltry sum of 168 winning the match by 179 runs. It was billed as a contest between Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar. The Australian leg spinner dismissed Sachin cheaply in the first innings, but in the second the Indian maestro made amends and took the spinner and Australian bowling apart. This Test match saw Sachin deflating Warne by hitting cross-bat shots to balls delivered outside the leg stump.
Test Hundred No. 16: 177 v Australia, 3rd Test, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, March 1998. Result: Australia won by 8 wickets.
Having already won the series, India came into the dead rubber at Bangalore looking for a clean sweep. India batted first on a slow pitch and it was Sidhu who once again set the impetus early on, then Tendulkar took over. Out of the 281 added, Tendulkar scored 177 with 29 fours and 3 sixes. Wisden wrote that Tendulkar was impossible to contain especially on the second morning. It was the second hundred of the series for Sachin and though India got a slender lead of 24, they collapsed in the second innings and Australia romped home to grab a consolation win.India in its first innings posted a good total of 424 with the help of NS Sidhu and Sachin Tendulkar who scored 177 from 298 balls which included 29 fours and 3 sixes. This was done against the spin great Shane Warne. Australia replied to India’s first innings total by reaching 400. Unfortunately India’s batting collapsed as they managed to put up 169 in the second innings. Australia needed 195 runs to win, and without the loss of too many wickets won the Test match. Australia continued to suffer at the hands of Sachin Tendulkar who served another masterclass at Bangalore. His second hundred in the series ensured that he scored well above 400-plus runs in the three Test matches.
Test Hundred No. 17: 113 v New Zealand, 2nd Test, Basin Reserve, Wellington, December 1998. Result: New Zealand won by 4 wickets.
After having drawn the opening Test at Hamilton, India came into the Boxing Day match at the iconic Basin Reserve ground hoping to upset the Kiwis. But a batting collapse in the first innings handed the home side a vital 144-run lead. From then on in, it was an uphill battle but Tendulkar stood up to the challenge. Though not his fluent self, he added crucial stands with Ganguly first and then with Azhar as India tried to set the Kiwis a challenging last innings target. Tendulkar's innings ended at 113 to the 2nd new ball and India folded soon after. The Kiwis were in trouble chasing 213 but got there thanks to McMillan and Cairns who took them home. India opened the innings and played miserably. They were bowled out for 208. New Zealand in its first innings scored 352. India in its second innings got its act together and posted a decent total of 356 with Sachin being the top-scorer, making 113 runs. With a target of 213 to win, New Zealand chased the score and won the match with four wickets to spare. A brilliant year for Sachin Tendulkar ended with another glorious century in the second Test. While Azhar mesmerized everyone in the first innings with a breathtaking hundred, Tendulkar sparkled in the second and helped India post a tricky 213-run fourth innings target. New Zealand was 74-5 but Cairns and McMillan made sure the Kiwis would take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Test Hundred No. 18: 136 v Pakistan, 1st Test, M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, January 1999. Result: Pakistan won by 12 runs.
One of Tendulkar's most famous hundreds, notable for the fact that he batted with severe back spasms throughout the entire duration of his innings and almost took India home. When he fell with 16 runs required, there were 3 wickets still left but Pakistan came roaring back and won the match by 12 runs. The result disturbed Tendulkar so much that he didn't even turn up at the post-match presentation ceremony. On a turning wicket with India chasing 271 and Saqlain Mushtaq at his peak, aided by an exceptional attack which contained Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis as well, Tendulkar batted out of his skin when the others succumbed. He didn't put a foot wrong until that fatal across the line slog. Until Tendulkar was there, Pakistan didn't have a chance and that statement sums up the match perfectly. Had India gone on to win the match, the myth that Tendulkar never finishes off Test matches in the 4th innings, would have been buried once and for all. A tragic hundred from Tendulkar. All hope was lost, and then Mongia and Tendulkar struck a crucial partnership, bringing India close to Pakistan’s target. Fighting a bad back and incisive bowling from the likes of Wasim, Waqar and Saqlain Mustaq, Tendulkar fell when India were 17 runs short of the target. India lost the match by 12 runs.
Test Hundred No. 19: 124* v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Asian Test Championship, Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, February 1999. Result: Match drawn
India opened the innings and posted a huge total of 518. They managed to bowl out Sri Lanka for 485 in their first innings. India in its second innings scored 306 with Sachin Tendulkar top-scoring with 124 runs. The match was drawn as rain disrupted the match. Another Test match in Sri Lanka played on yet another batting beauty, saw Sachin help himself to another Test match hundred. The experimental Asian Test Championship was eventually won by Pakistan. Sachin's 19th Test century came on another featherbed in Sri Lanka, with another drawn Test. This was part of the short-lived Asian Test championship, and wasn't among the more memorable hundreds he had scored.
Test Hundred No. 20: 126* v New Zealand, 1st Test, Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, October 1999. Result: Match drawn
India were bowled out for 83 runs. New Zealand came out to bat and scored 215. India needed to put up a strong batting display and that is exactly what they did with everyone firing. Sachin Tendulkar’s 126 along with Rahul Dravid’s 144 steered India to safety. They managed to notch up a total of 505 leaving New Zealand a target of 374 to win. They visitors managed to make 251 until the close of the fifth day. India was shot out for 83 in the first innings, but came back with a vengeance in the second. Led by Sachin Tendulkar’s unbeaten 126 and Dravid’s 144, India made sure the game faded into a draw. On a green Mohali pitch, India had been shot out for 83 in the first innings. Tendulkar then scored his 20th Test ton, while Rahul Dravid also got a century as India replied with a strong 505/3 to force a draw in the match.
Test Hundred No. 21: 217 v New Zealand, 3rd Test, Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, October 1999. Result: Match drawn
Just like his first ODI century had taken time, Sachin took a while to get to his first double century in Tests which finally came during his 21st Test Hundred in his 71st Test. However, no one doubted he would get there, and he did it in the third Test of the series against New Zealand. India was sent into bat and managed to post an intimidating total of 583. S Ramesh’s 110, Sourav Ganguly’s 125 and Sachin’s 217 helped India reach the total. New Zealand managed to score 308 runs in their first innings. India in its second innings declared at 148 leaving the visitors a target of 404. New Zealand reached 252 at the end of the fifth day. The match was drawn. A grinding innings from Tendulkar saw India posting 500-plus score in their first innings. The knock was Tendulkar’s second double in Test matches.
Test Hundred No. 22: 116 v Australia, 2nd Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, December 1999. Result: Australia won by 180 runs
The captaincy never sat heavier on Tendulkar than when India toured Australia in 1999-2000, though he was one of the few bright spots of India's dismal performance. Test hundred No. 22 was a beautifully crafted one, but almost inevitably it was a solo effort in a losing cause for the team. Australia batted in the first and were all out after posting a total of 405 runs. India after losing its openers in quick succession had Sachin Tendulkar help steady the innings. He scored 116 in that match but neither of his teammates managed to help the maestro in anyway and India were bowled out for 238. The Aussies in their second innings declared at 208 leaving a total of 376 to be scored to win the match. India’s batting collapsed in the second innings as well as they only managed to score 195. India lost the match.
Test Hundred No. 23: 122 v Zimbabwe, 1st Test, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, October 1999. Result: India won by 7 wickets
Zimbabwe in its first innings were able to notch up a decent total of 422. India replied by amassing a total of 458 thanks to a brilliant innings by Rahul Dravid who scored 200 runs and Sachin’s 122. The two of them batted for most of the innings until declaration. Zimbabwe in its second innings notched up a total of 225 runs all out which left India with a total of 190 to win the match. India won the match with 7 wickets to spare. Rahul Dravid scored his first double in Tests and Sachin ended with only his second Test century against Zimbabwe. Ganguly made a bold declaration with India only 36 runs ahead. The bowlers responded and India won by 7 wickets.
Test Hundred No. 24: International Hundred No. 50: 201* v Zimbabwe, 2nd Test, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur, October 1999. Result: Match drawn
India batted first and managed to score 609 runs in the first innings. There were three centurions in the first innings itself with SS Das scoring 110 runs, Rahul Dravid 162 and Sachin Tendulkar who made 201 runs which included 27 boundaries at a strike rate of 71.53. Zimbabwe in its second innings scored 382. They were forced to follow on and in their second innings scored 583. The Indians did not come out to bat in the second innings and the match was drawn. Tendulkar’s fiftieth international century went on to become his second double hundred in Test matches.
Test Hundred No. 25: 126 v Australia, 3rd Test, M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, March 2001. Result: India won by 2 wickets
Test century No. 25 was among the most important ones of Sachin's career. It helped India win a nail-biting Test against Australia at Chennai to cap the greatest comeback of all time after the famous follow-on victory in the second Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Australia posted a total of 391 runs. India managed a total of 501 runs in their first innings with Sachin top-scoring with 126 runs. He got ample support from his skipper and Rahul Dravid in that match. Australia were bowled out for 264 in their second innings. With a target of 155 runs, India won the match with two wickets to spare. This match was in many ways an exhibition of test cricket. The series was levelled 1-1 before the Chennai test and when Australia put up 391 in their first innings thanks to Mathew Hayden’s double hundred, they were in a very strong position. All this changed once Sachin came out to bat and scored a majestic 126 to help India surpass the 500-run mark. India never really looked back from there and despite a lion-hearted effort by Jason Gillespie, India won the match by 2 wickets.
Test Hundred No. 26: 155 v South Africa, 1st Test, Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein, November 2001. Result: South Africa won by 9 wickets.
This was the match in which Virender Sehwag made his Test debut. Both he and Tendulkar scored centuries and shared a thrilling stand, but could not prevent defeat for India. India managed to score 379 banking on centuries of Tendulkar (155) & Sehwag (105) in the 1st innings. South Africa scored 563 banking on centuries of Gibbs (107) & Klusener (108). India faltered in the 2nd innings and managed to score only 237 and the target was easily chased down by South Africa.
Test Hundred No. 28: 176 v Zimbabwe, 1st Test, Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur, February 2002. Result: India won by an innings & 101 runs
When Zimbabwe returned to tour India in 2002, there were no repeat of the heroics of 2000 where they had fought hard. Tendulkar's 176 was the highest of three hundreds for India in an innings win. Zimbabwe managed to score only 287 in their 1st innings. Indians provided a massive reply of 570/7 decl banking on 3 centurions in this match, SS Das (105), Tendulkar (176) & Bangar (100). Zimbabwe wer bowled out for 182 in their 2nd innings giving India the 1st victory in the 2-match test series.
Test Hundred No. 29: 117 v West Indies, 2nd Test, Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad, April 2002. Result: India won by 37 runs
He drew level with Sir Donald Bradman on 29 Test hundreds with a fine innings that set up victory for India in Port of Spain. With better support around him, Tendulkar's centuries were no longer solo efforts and started leading to more wins for India. India managed to score 339 banking on Tendulkar's 117. In reply West Indies were bowled out for 245 in their 1st innings. India set a target of 313 for West Indies in the 2nd innings which they fell short by 37 runs.
Test Hundred No. 30: 193 v England, 3rd Test, Headingley, Leeds, August 2002. Result: India won by an innings and 46 runs
Dravid, Ganguly and Tendulkar all scored hundreds in a famous Indian win at Leeds in what was Tendulkar's 99th Test match. The win helped India level the series 1-1 against England, continuing the Indian team's upward trend in overseas matches. Indians posed a mammoth 1st innings score of 628/8 decl banking on 3 centurions in this match, Dravid (148), Tendulkar (193) & Ganguly (128). England replied with 273 in their 1st innings and were enforced to follow on and replied with 309 in their 2nd innings banking on Nasser Hussain's 110.
Test Hundred No. 31: 176 v West Indies, 3rd Test, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, October-November 2002. Result: Match drawn
India were under pressure going into the 2nd innings having conceded a 139-run lead and it got even worse when they were reduced to 4/87. Then things began to turn as Sachin and Laxman built a 214-run partnership for the 5th wicket. It was a trademark Tendulkar innings which saw him repeatedly put the bad ball away. It was Tendulkar's 1st ton at the Eden Gardens as well. He was neither too aggressive nor too defensive but still got the job done and silenced his critics who often criticized him for not coming up with the goods when the team needed it the most. Together with Laxman, Tendulkar saved India from what would have been an embarrassing loss at home against a decent West Indian side.
Test Hundred No. 32: 241* v Australia, 4th Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, January 2004. Result: Match drawn
It was sort of a mini-crisis for Sachin going into the Sydney Test of 2004 he hadn't got a Test ton in 7 matches and was going through a slump which saw him getting out repeatedly edging the ball outside the off stump. So in order to put an end to that, Sachin produced a remarkable knock of an unbeaten 241 his highest Test score then which didn't include a single cover drive. He had completely eliminated that shot from his armor and gave the bowlers no chance, playing balls from outside off through the on-side. He was outscored by Laxman during their stand, but he was never bothered. He showed great restraint and played at balls only when he had to. It was an innings that stood out for the sheer determination and the will to make runs at all costs attitude of Sachin. He stole the thunder from Steve Waugh's final Test in front of an adoring home crowd which had come to see their favorite son, but instead saw yet another Sachin hundred.
Test Hundred No. 33: 194* v Pakistan, 1st Test, Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan, March 2004. Result: India won by an innings and 52 runs
This match will be most remembered for the surprise declaration that Rahul Dravid the then acting captain came up when Sachin was on 194 rather than for the exploits of the Indian team. Virender Sehwag became the first Indian to score a triple-century and Sachin contributed a big hundred of his own. On a slow and placid Multan track, the duo feasted on the Pakistani bowlers adding 326 for the third wicket. When it was time for a move on, Tendulkar batted a little too slowly for Dravid's liking to get to his 200 and the latter declared. Tendulkar didn't take the field that evening and later in the press conference expressed his surprise and disappointment at the decision to declare. But the decision to declare had no impact on the game as Pakistan folded just 12 balls into the final day to hand India an innings win. To clear any lingering mistrust over his decision, Dravid called Tendulkar aside for a one-on-one and everything was sorted which showed a rare understanding of the situation and also demonstrated a facet of the new Team India which wouldn't have been possible in the faction-ridden teams of the past.
Test Hundred No. 34: 248* v Bangladesh, 1st Test, Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, December 2004. Result: India won by an innings and 140 runs
Tendulkar's highest Test score till date and also a very significant one for it enabled him to draw level with his idol, Sunil Gavaskar in the all-time list for most hundreds in Tests. The innings was special because Tendulkar had been battling a tennis elbow for at least four months before the match and he was helped by a generous Bangladesh side who dropped him thrice before he reached 50. The knock lasted 379 balls and took nine hours and 12 minutes. When he reached 100, he joined an elite club of Gary Kirsten and Steve Waugh as the only men to have scored Test centuries against all countries. As the innings progressed, the Tendulkar of old resurfaced and that proved to be the death knell for an average Bangladeshi side.
Test Hundred No. 35: 109 v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, December 2005. Result: India won by 188 runs
A record-breaking ton and a very poignant one too as Sachin went past Sunil Gavaskar's tally of 34 Test tons to take his place at the top of the summit amongst leading century-makers in the longest format of the game. The first half of the hundred was a patient one, with Tendulkar taking his time to assess the conditions and then slowly building an innings. The second one was more flashy and he opened out. The moment finally came at 4:45pm in fading light as he turned Vaas to fine leg for a single. Tendulkar admitted it was an emotional moment and added: "The wait was more for the people than for me.
The wait for No. 36 was quite a while. The record-breaking 35th ton had come in December 2005 and it was 17 months and 10 matches without a Test ton. The dry spell was due in no small part to injuries, but with this hundred, things started to get back on track, even if the opposition was weak. To end that drought, Bangladesh were the right side and Tendulkar put an end to that drought with an innings of 101. This was a rain-affected match with only 219 overs out of a possible 450 bowled. Tendulkar was again sedate to begin with and his hundred contained just 9 fours. The other centurion Ganguly was far more aggressive and dominated the partnership with Sachin. Sachin's drought of going without a Test ton for 10 Tests and 17 innings was the longest he had endured in his career between his hundreds.
Test Hundred No. 37: 122* v Bangladesh, 2nd Test, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, May 2007. Result: India won by an innings and 239 runs
With a century behind his name in the previous Test and seemingly getting his touch back, Tendulkar made back-to-back hundreds in Tests for the 6th time in his career and the 1st time against Bangladesh. It was the first Test to be played at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur and it turned out to be a disastrous one for the home side who lost by an innings and 239 runs giving India their biggest Test win then. Habibul Bashar the Bangladesh skipper inserted the visitors in and they paid a heavy price for it. Tendulkar notched up his 37th ton and he was joined by 3 others as the Indian top 4 all scored tons the first time ever that such an occurrence has happened in Test cricket. Tendulkar's unbeaten 122 contained just 8 fours and a six but he ensured that the noose was firmly tightened on the Bangladeshis.
Test Hundred No. 38: 154* v Australia, 2nd Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, January 2008. Result: Australia won by 122 runs
India vs Australia time again and a Test match at Sydney again which means only one thing the inevitable Sachin Tendulkar hundred. He had made hundreds at Sydney in two of his past three visits in 91-92 and 03-04 missing out in 99-00. Another splendid knock which gave India a vital 69-run lead but this match will be remembered for all the wrong reasons highly dubious umpiring and for the infamous Monkey Gate scandal. But nothing should take away from Sachin's glorious knock, if he had battled all the odds in his previous visit here in 2004 to make a double-ton, this unbeaten 154 was more of a turning the clock back, kind of innings. There were the sublime drives, the authentic back foot punches, the intentional upper-cuts and the trademark whips to the on-side which brought back vintage memories. Sadly though, all that brilliance was overshadowed and largely forgotten by the disgraceful and unwanted episodes the Test and the events that took place thereafter, which dominated everyone's minds.
Test Hundred No. 39: 153 v Australia, 4th Test, Adelaide Oval, January 2008. Result: Match drawn
Having come into the game with a chance of squaring the series after a historic win at Perth in the previous Test, India were presented with a typical subcontinental pitch which offered nothing for the bowlers. Still they slipped to 156/4 and from then on Tendulkar took control along with a trusted ally in Laxman. Once again it was a case of shifting gears once he had taken his time to get to a 50. Tendulkar took a particular liking to Bradley Hogg whom he treated with contempt. Out came those lofted hits and those powerful sweeps, he was unafraid of using his feet and got to his ton in a hurry. It was the second hundred of the series for Tendulkar, but on a pitch that never looked like producing a result, the match petered out to a draw. One of the most heart-warming features of the series was the way Australian crowds stood as one to applaud Tendulkar on and off the field at every ground.
Test Hundred No. 40: 109 v Australia, 4th Test, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur, November 2008. Result: India won by 172 runs
This was Sourav Ganguly's last Test and India went into the match with a 1-0 lead and a chance to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. So a lot of things were riding on the game and Tendulkar came to the party once again against his favorite opposition. He hadn't got a ton against them in the previous 3 matches of the series but came good in the first innings with a cautious 188-ball 109 which included just 12 hits to the fence. He forged two crucial stands with Laxman and then with Ganguly which helped India to make 441 in the first innings. He handled the debutant spinner Jason Krejza - who took 8 wickets quite well and negated his growing threat. India reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a convincing 172-run win and gave Ganguly a fitting farewell and started the run towards their Number One rank.
Test Hundred No. 41: 103* v England, 1st Test, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, December 2008. Result: India won by 6 wickets
Probably the most emotional and satisfying of Tendulkar's hundreds, it came weeks after the 26/11 terrorist attacks and brought some smiles back to faces in India. The innings itself was perfect and ended with him getting to his century and India chasing down 387 for victory in the fourth innings. England posed a total of 316 in their 1st innings. India replied with 241. England scored 311/9 decl. banking on centuries of Strauss & Collingwood, 108. India was set a target of 387 which they achieved with ease thanks to the blistering know off 83 off 68 balls from Sehwag. After the match England's players donated half their match fees to the relief fund for victims of the Mumbai attack, and the BCCI donated Rs. 3 crore (about USD 450,000).
Test Hundred No. 42: 160 v New Zealand, 1st Test, Seddon Park, Hamilton, March 2009. Result: India won by 10 wickets
Tendulkar and India set the tone early on in the series as they dominated proceedings at Seddon Park in Hamilton. It was the opening match of the series and Tendulkar was in imperious touch. The Tendulkar of old returned who batted as if he didn't bother about mundane things. There were some magnificent strokes played all round the wicket and no-one was spared. It was Tendulkar's 3rd ton in his last 4 Test matches which showed his rich vein of form. Finally after making his 18th score of 150+ in Tests he departed edging one to slip. By then India had taken firm control of the game and they never let that slip as they registered their first Test win in New Zealand in 33 years.
Test Hundred No. 43: 100* v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, November 2009. Result: Match drawn
Most of Tendulkar's hundreds against Sri Lanka have been match-setting up or the match-winning ones but this was different this was a match-saving one. Sri Lanka had dreams of winning their first ever Test in India after racking up a score of 760 after India had made 426, but along with Gambhir - who was fast becoming an expert at saving games, Tendulkar took victory out of the equation from the visitors' hand. Since the primary objective was on saving the game, Tendulkar opted for a safety first policy and cut out all the risks during his 211-ball knock which took almost 5 hours.
Test Hundred No. 44: 105* v Bangladesh, 1st Test, Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong, January 2010. Result: India won by 113 runs
The talking point before the match began was the comment that Sehwag made about Bangladesh being an ordinary side. That comment came back to bite India after the opening day when they were reduced to 213/8 with Tendulkar saving the visitors the blushes. On day 2, Tendulkar completed his 44th Test ton a very important one in the context of the game as Bangladesh sensed an opening. He knew that his wicket was a crucial one and never indulged in any fancy strokeplay instead concentrating on treating each ball on its merit. The Bangladeshis probed away but couldn't prise out the champion. On the way to his 44th Test hundred, he crossed 13,000 Test runs and by the end of the innings, he had reached 13,075. Even though he failed in the 2nd innings, the others made up for it and India won comfortably.
Test Hundred No. 45: 143 v Bangladesh, 2nd Test, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, January 2010. Result: India won by 10 wickets
Tendulkar repeated his feat of scoring back-to-back hundreds against Bangladesh by getting one in the 2nd Test at Dhaka. He had achieved a similar feat in 2007 when India toured the country and repeated the dose in 2010. As he had done so often in the past, he took his time to change gears. His first 50-runs took 89 balls while the next took just 45 balls. Bangladesh didn't help themselves dropping Tendulkar twice and that was the last gift that the great man needed. Once he had earned reprieves, he ensured he got his customary ton, though he would've wished for a far bigger score than the 143 that he got. Tendulkar also became the first man to get to 90 international hundreds after he got to the three figure mark. This telling statistic underscores Tendulkar's dominance over Bangladesh: Tendulkar has scored a hundred every time he has gone past 50 against Bangladesh. Thus, he has five hundreds and no half-centuries in seven Tests against Bangladesh.
Test Hundred No. 46: 100 v South Africa, 1st Test, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur February 2010. Result: South Africa won by an innings and 6 runs
Rarely has an Indian side been outplayed so comprehensively at home like they were at Nagpur in 2010. It was the Dale Steyn show, he ripped India apart with a seven-for in the first innings. India were forced to follow-on and Tendulkar notched up his third hundred in as many matches. Walking in at 2/24, still needing 301 to make South Africa to bat again, Tendulkar handled Steyn and Co. even as the Proteas kept chipping away at the other end. Tendulkar's innings was a balance between attack and defence and he opted to kick away deliveries bowled outside leg stump by Paul Harris. When he wanted to score, he opted to play the right stroke and when he was dismissed for exactly 100, the result was just a foregone conclusion. Soon South Africa were celebrating a huge win.
Test Hundred No. 47: 106 v South Africa, 2nd Test, Kolkata, February 2010. Result: India won by an innings and 57 runs
This was a huge game for India. They needed to win to keep their No. 1 ranking intact and nothing less than a win would've done. The win almost didn't materialise due to one man's super human efforts Hashim Amla made hundreds in both innings and remained unbeaten in the 2nd, but he couldn't prevent India winning with just minutes remaining for the game to end. India's batting was woeful at Nagpur but they made up for it here with 4 hundreds in a total of 643 for 6 declared. Tendulkar's hundred was all about playing second fiddle to the brilliance of Virender Sehwag. Though Tendulkar was willing to play second fiddle, he didn't give a chance and continued his astounding run of form this hundred was his fourth in as many matches and his 92nd international ton. While Sehwag was all brute force, Tendulkar played the percentages well playing all his trademark cute shots to get himself another 100. While four Indians got hundreds and the home side won the game, all the credit almost went to Hashim Amla who was undismissable in the series.
Test Hundred No. 48: 203 v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo, July 2010. Result: Match drawn
When Sri Lanka and India play, it was always going to be a batathon with bowlers merely proving to be cannon fodder. This Test was no different. Sri Lanka made 642 and India replied with 707 with Tendulkar scoring his fourth double-century. The remarkable aspect of this effort was that Tendulkar was on the field in one capacity or the other for almost the entire duration of the game. He fielded for more than 5 sessions and then batted for 516 minutes. He eliminated risks and knew that there were runs for the taking on a flat wicket. By the time he finished, he had ensured that the match would have only one result a dull draw and it so proved to be.
Test Hundred No. 49: 214 v Australia, 2nd Test, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, October 2010. Result: India won by 7 wickets
There has rarely been a series involving India and Australia which hasn't seen a Sachin Tendulkar hundred and this one was no exception. It was his 49th Test ton and 11th against Australia which put him 2nd on the all-time list behind Jack Hobbs. It was a highly entertaining hundred and he reached there with consecutive sixes off Nathan Hauritz the first time ever he had done so in getting to that landmark. This double-ton was a chanceless innings and special treatment was reserved for the offspin of Hauritz. The others too couldn't do anything to break through the defences of the legend as he grinded the Aussie attack into the Bangalore dust. It set India on their way to yet another series win, which they duly achieved by chasing down 207.
Test Hundred No. 50: 111* v South Africa, 1st Test, Supersport Park, Centurion, December 2010. Result: South Africa won by an innings and 25 runs.
Tendulkar scaled the summit of 50 Test hundreds when India toured South Africa, and though he couldn't save the game, India had made a statement by climbing out of a hole after being shot out for 136 in their first innings. The Indians were put to bat and were all out for a dismal score of 136 while the South Africans romped in a huge total of 620 runs. India fought hard to reach a total of 459, with Sachin Tendulkar scoring a century. However his efforts were in vain as India did not manage to pull off a victory here. It was an inauspicious start for India to their ‘final frontier’ campaign. Batting first on damp Centurion wicket, India folded up for just 136. The Proteas then carved out 620 thanks to a double hundred by Kallis and two other centurions. India then tried hard to hang in for a draw but the task was way too enormous. Sachin fought in vain with his 50th test century but that was the only takeaway from an otherwise miserable match.
Test Hundred No. 51: 146 v South Africa, 3rd Test, The Newlands, Cape Town, January 2011. Result: Match drawn.
In the third Test of the series, Tendulkar and Steyn waged a battle for the ages. Steyn controlled the ball as if on a string, while Tendulkar brought all of his skill into play to survive. And survive he did, and went on to score his 51st Test hundred. India started their second innings at the Centurion stadium chasing a score of 484 and being reduced to 277 for 6 at the time. It was then that Tendulkar along with MS Dhoni held fort at the crease, and the Master Blaster’s century changed India’s game, clinching a victory for the team. After registering one of their finest triumphs, India came to Cape Town with a chance to win a series on South African soil for the first time ever. And the quest began in fine fashion with Sachin scoring a magnificent 146 in nearly 8 hours. Given a tough target of 340 runs to win their maiden series on South African soil, India decided not to take the risk of losing the match. The two teams settled for a draw.
My favourite Sachin's Test 100's:-
200 Tests; 329 Innings; 24 years
15,921 runs @53.78; 6 200's; 51 100's; 68 50's; HS 248*
46 wickets @54.17; Economy 3.52; Best 3/10
Test Hundred No. 1: 119* v England, 2nd Test, Old Trafford, Manchester, August 1990. Result: Match drawn.
Tendulkar was all of 17 years and 112 days old when he made his first Test hundred, his first hundred ensured India saved the match on the final day. He added 160 runs with Manoj Prabhakar and often advised his much senior partner on how to go about things. India were staring down the barrel at 4/109 when Tendulkar came to the middle and by the time he had finished, he had ended up on 119 studded with 17 glorious boundaries. India ended with 6/343, with a match drawn next to their name. It was the beginning of something special and on that chilly day in Manchester, those who saw Sachin bat knew that they were seeing something very rare. The Manchester ton was the start of many more. The match was drawn with India losing only on more wicket in the day.The first signs of greatness from the Little Master. The journey that would see him leave all contemporaries far behind started in England at Old Trafford.Test Hundred No. 2: 148* v Australia, 3rd Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, January 1992. Result: Match drawn.
Test Hundred No. 4: 111 v South Africa, 2nd Test, The Wanderers, Johannesburg, November 1992. Result: Match drawn.
The familiar top-order collapse followed before Sachin set about resurrecting the innings. He came in at 2/27 and by the time he was 9th out at 212, he had scored his 4th Test hundred and in the process reached 1000 runs becoming the youngest batsman to do so at the age of 19 years and 217 days. This was not the usual aggressive Tendulkar innings but a less positive one. Sachin managed to play the likes of Donald, McMillan and Mathews with relative ease at such a young age which once again put him head and shoulders above the rest of his team-mates in dealing with adverse conditions. South Africa in the first innings scored a total of 292 runs. India came out to bat and none of the batsmen performed well. Sachin was the only player who managed to get a three-figure score of 111 taking the total to 227. South Africa in its second innings scored 252 and India in its second innings had a target of 318 to win. The Indian’s managed 141. The match ended in a draw.On a hard and pacy Johannesburg track South Africa led by Allan Donald blew away the Indian batting order. The pace and bounce had all the Indians ducking, weaving and edging, except one, Sachin Tendulkar. India’s first innings score read 227, out of which 111 belonged to Tendulkar.Test Hundred No. 5: 165 v England, 2nd Test, M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, February 1993. Result: India won by an innings and 22 runs.
Tendulkar's first hundred at home and it came against a pretty pedestrian England attack which posed no threat to a strong Indian batting line-up at home. This was the Test which became famous for the bout of food poisoning that left regular skipper Graham Gooch unfit to play and forced a couple of others to leave the field due to sickness. India and Tendulkar weren't in any mood to hand out any gifts though and comprehensively thrashed the visitors. Tendulkar's innings of 165 was a 'gem' wrote Wisden but he had a let-off on 9 when a run-out appeal wasn't reviewed by the TV umpire. Tendulkar took full advantage of that slip and ensured India won the series handsomely.India in its first innings scored a mammoth 560 with Navjot Singh Sidhu scoring 106 and the Master Blaster scoring a massive 165. England scored 286 in its first innings and were forced to follow on. In their second innings they scored 252 and India won the match by an innings and 22 runs. Sachin Tendulkar was named Man of the Match. England suffered an innings defeat and handed India an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match Test series.Test Hundred No. 6: 104* v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, July 1993. Result: India won by 235 runs.
The foundation had been laid for Tendulkar to take charge in the 2nd innings. The openers had put on 171 and it was just a matter of adding more runs to set Sri Lanka a hefty 4th innings target. Tendulkar took charge and notched up his 6th Test ton with a 161-ball 104 which helped India set a target of 472. Eventually India won by 236 runs, their first win on Sri Lankan soil and which also ended their away sequence of 10 defeats and 16 draws. It was also their first win in 27 overseas Tests since 1986.India scored 366 in its first innings and managed to bowl out Sri Lanka for 254. In its second innings India amassed a massive total of 359 with the help of Manoj Prabhakar who scored 95, Navjot Singh Sidhu who scored 104 along with Sachin who scored 104 as well. India managed to bowl out Sri Lanka for 236, winning the match by 235 runs.An unbeaten century in the second innings helped India set a massive 472-run target against the Lankans. India won the Test handsomely and went on to draw the final game, thereby winning the series 1-0.
Test Hundred No. 7: 142 v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, KD Singh Babu Stadium, Lucknow, January 1994. Result: India won by an innings and 119 runs.
Another slow pitch and another Tendulkar hundred. It was all so easy against a Lankan attack that had only one threat the offspin of Muttiah Muralitharan. Tendulkar added 121 runs with Sidhu, which saw the latter dominate the bowling and then another 142 with skipper Azharuddin which saw Tendulkar shift gears. The bowling was poor, the pitch was flat and Sachin plundered the attack at will, notching up his 7th Test ton. He ended with 142 off 224 balls studded with 22 hits to the fence. India made 511 and bowled the visitors out twice in a row, to win by an innings and 119 runs. The Indian’s went out to bat and scored a massive 511 with the help of Sidhu who scored 127 and Sachin Tendulkar who scored 142. Sri Lanka’s reply to India’s first innings total was poor as the visitors scored 218. They were forced to follow on and scored 174 handing the match to India who won by an innings and 119 runs.Sachin and India continued to torment Sri Lanka. Tendulkar produced another big ton and the visitors went down by an innings to give India a 1-0 lead in the series.
The highest of his 8 Test hundreds so far and one of his most memorable. India won the toss and opted to make first use of the conditions. Sidhu laid a solid foundation with his second Test ton and Tendulkar built on it with a patient innings which consumed 7 hours. He hit 24 fours and reached his hundred with a hooked six off Walsh. India piled on the runs but the combined efforts of Hooper, Lara and Adams ensured West Indies came out of the game with a draw. India were sent into bat and amassed a huge total of 546 with the help of Sidhu who scored 107 and Mohammed Azharuddin’s 97. Sachin Tendulkar scored 179 in 414 balls. West Indies replied with a commendable total of 428 and India in its second innings scored 208. The match ended in a draw. A masterclass from Tendulkar saw India racking up 546 runs in the first innings. The knock was his highest Test score then. Tendulkar brought up his ton with a six off Courtney Walsh.Test Hundred No. 9: 122 v England, 1st Test, Edbagston, Birmingham, June 1996. Result: England won by 8 wickets.
India were facing a deficit of 99 from the first innings and in trouble at 2/17 when Tendulkar strode out to the middle and made a superb 122. Sachin stood between England and victory as he produced spell binding strokes all round the wicket. The next best score in the innings apart from Sachin's 122 was the 18 made by Manjrekar as it brutally showed up India's batting deficiencies when the ball did something. If not for Tendulkar's ton, the match would've ended inside three days. Wisden wrote that Tendulkar didn't deserve to be among the vanquished but they were undone by the poor efforts of their colleagues, a less than satisfactory pitch and some indifferent umpiring. India were sent into bat and none of the batsmen clicked, scoring a low total of 214. England in its first innings scored 313. India were sent into bat again, and this time round, no one besides Tendulkar managed to put up a decent score. Sachin scored 122 in that match while the other players could not score over 18 runs individually. India were bowled out for 219 with England needing 121 to win which they achieved easily. The burden of India’s fragile batting order was once again on the shoulders of Tendulkar who played another gem of a Test knock. While Tendulkar sparkled with a hundred none of the Indian batsmen got past 20 runs.Test Hundred No. 10: 177 v England, 3rd Test, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, July 1996. Result: Match drawn.
Mohammad Azharuddin won the toss and had no hesitation in opting to bat first on a batting beauty. It was the series that was fast becoming 'Sourav Ganguly's' dream series as both he and Sachin batted beautifully to add 255 runs for the third wicket. Tendulkar batted for seven and a half hours and made a majestic 177 off 360 balls with 26 fours. India ended with 521 on the board but the wicket posed no demons and eventually the match petered out into a tame draw. Tendulkar had the chance to make tons in both innings of a match, but fell for 74 in the 2nd essay. With the help of Sourav Ganguly’s 136 and Sachin’s 177, India scored a total of 521. Sachin hit 26 boundaries for his 177 at an average of 49.16. England came out to bat and scored 564. India in its second inning scored 211. Ganguly and Tendulkar produced great artistry on a slow Nottingham pitch and helped themselves with big centuries. India posted a 500-plus score in the first innings and the match petered out to a draw.
Test Hundred No. 12: 143 v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, August 1997. Result: Match drawn.
Tendulkar was now leading the side and had already established himself as one of the world's premier batsman, so when India visited the Islanders in 1997, runs were there for the taking against a decent attack. This Test match though is well chronicled for the remarkable amount of runs it produced: 1,489 runs for only 14 wickets and an array of records. Jayasuriya made 340, Mahanama 225 and together they shared 576 runs the highest partnership in Test cricket. Amidst all this madness, India batted first and Tendulkar helped himself to 143 as they ended with 537. Little did Tendulkar know that at the end of the Test, the scoreboard would read Sri Lanka 952/6 declared! Test Hundred No. 13: International Hundred No. 25: 139 v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, August 1997. Result: Match drawn.
Having got a hundred in the opening Test, Tendulkar was in form and made the Lankans toil with his 13th Test ton. When he came in, the side was in trouble at 9/2 and along with Sidhu initially, then with Azhar and finally with Ganguly, Sachin added runs, in the process reaching his ton. Tendulkar was dropped on 34 and profited from the lapse, feasting on the Lankan attack. It was not a vintage Sachin knock, the innings consumed 266 balls for 139 and consisted of 16 hits, but it helped India gain a 43-run 1st innings lead which didn't prove significant as the match finished in a draw.Test Hundred No. 14: 148 v Sri Lanka, 3rd Test, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, December 1997. Result: Match drawn.
Test Hundred No. 15: 155* v Australia, 1st Test, M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, March 1998. Result: India won by 179 runs.
This series was hyped up as the 'Warne v Tendulkar' series and the first match certainly lived up to that hype. After being dismissed cheaply by the leggie in the first innings, Sachin produced an all-time classic in the 2nd. He made 155 off 191 balls with 14 fours and 4 sixes, taking apart Warne at will, often sweeping him from the rough and sending him into the stands. That brutal assault completely deflated the Aussies and set India on their way towards a comprehensive win. The tone for the rest of the series had been set and what followed was complete domination from Sachin. Warne and the Aussies didn't know what hit them and the pattern was set. Before the series, in order to counter Warne, Sachin had sought the services of former India leggie, L Siva, asking him to bowl outside the imaginary rough on the leg-side and practiced for long hours. Come March, the first battle had been won by Sachin. Sachin 1 Warne 0. In the first Test against Australia, India batted in the first innings and were bowled out for 257. Australia did much better by posting 328 in the first innings. India in its second innings posted a mammoth 418 with the heroics of Sachin Tendulkar who top scored with 155. India then went on to bowl out the Aussies for a paltry sum of 168 winning the match by 179 runs. It was billed as a contest between Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar. The Australian leg spinner dismissed Sachin cheaply in the first innings, but in the second the Indian maestro made amends and took the spinner and Australian bowling apart. This Test match saw Sachin deflating Warne by hitting cross-bat shots to balls delivered outside the leg stump.Test Hundred No. 16: 177 v Australia, 3rd Test, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, March 1998. Result: Australia won by 8 wickets.
Having already won the series, India came into the dead rubber at Bangalore looking for a clean sweep. India batted first on a slow pitch and it was Sidhu who once again set the impetus early on, then Tendulkar took over. Out of the 281 added, Tendulkar scored 177 with 29 fours and 3 sixes. Wisden wrote that Tendulkar was impossible to contain especially on the second morning. It was the second hundred of the series for Sachin and though India got a slender lead of 24, they collapsed in the second innings and Australia romped home to grab a consolation win.India in its first innings posted a good total of 424 with the help of NS Sidhu and Sachin Tendulkar who scored 177 from 298 balls which included 29 fours and 3 sixes. This was done against the spin great Shane Warne. Australia replied to India’s first innings total by reaching 400. Unfortunately India’s batting collapsed as they managed to put up 169 in the second innings. Australia needed 195 runs to win, and without the loss of too many wickets won the Test match. Australia continued to suffer at the hands of Sachin Tendulkar who served another masterclass at Bangalore. His second hundred in the series ensured that he scored well above 400-plus runs in the three Test matches.Test Hundred No. 17: 113 v New Zealand, 2nd Test, Basin Reserve, Wellington, December 1998. Result: New Zealand won by 4 wickets.
After having drawn the opening Test at Hamilton, India came into the Boxing Day match at the iconic Basin Reserve ground hoping to upset the Kiwis. But a batting collapse in the first innings handed the home side a vital 144-run lead. From then on in, it was an uphill battle but Tendulkar stood up to the challenge. Though not his fluent self, he added crucial stands with Ganguly first and then with Azhar as India tried to set the Kiwis a challenging last innings target. Tendulkar's innings ended at 113 to the 2nd new ball and India folded soon after. The Kiwis were in trouble chasing 213 but got there thanks to McMillan and Cairns who took them home. India opened the innings and played miserably. They were bowled out for 208. New Zealand in its first innings scored 352. India in its second innings got its act together and posted a decent total of 356 with Sachin being the top-scorer, making 113 runs. With a target of 213 to win, New Zealand chased the score and won the match with four wickets to spare. A brilliant year for Sachin Tendulkar ended with another glorious century in the second Test. While Azhar mesmerized everyone in the first innings with a breathtaking hundred, Tendulkar sparkled in the second and helped India post a tricky 213-run fourth innings target. New Zealand was 74-5 but Cairns and McMillan made sure the Kiwis would take a 1-0 lead in the series.Test Hundred No. 18: 136 v Pakistan, 1st Test, M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, January 1999. Result: Pakistan won by 12 runs.
One of Tendulkar's most famous hundreds, notable for the fact that he batted with severe back spasms throughout the entire duration of his innings and almost took India home. When he fell with 16 runs required, there were 3 wickets still left but Pakistan came roaring back and won the match by 12 runs. The result disturbed Tendulkar so much that he didn't even turn up at the post-match presentation ceremony. On a turning wicket with India chasing 271 and Saqlain Mushtaq at his peak, aided by an exceptional attack which contained Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis as well, Tendulkar batted out of his skin when the others succumbed. He didn't put a foot wrong until that fatal across the line slog. Until Tendulkar was there, Pakistan didn't have a chance and that statement sums up the match perfectly. Had India gone on to win the match, the myth that Tendulkar never finishes off Test matches in the 4th innings, would have been buried once and for all. A tragic hundred from Tendulkar. All hope was lost, and then Mongia and Tendulkar struck a crucial partnership, bringing India close to Pakistan’s target. Fighting a bad back and incisive bowling from the likes of Wasim, Waqar and Saqlain Mustaq, Tendulkar fell when India were 17 runs short of the target. India lost the match by 12 runs.Test Hundred No. 19: 124* v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Asian Test Championship, Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, February 1999. Result: Match drawn
India opened the innings and posted a huge total of 518. They managed to bowl out Sri Lanka for 485 in their first innings. India in its second innings scored 306 with Sachin Tendulkar top-scoring with 124 runs. The match was drawn as rain disrupted the match. Another Test match in Sri Lanka played on yet another batting beauty, saw Sachin help himself to another Test match hundred. The experimental Asian Test Championship was eventually won by Pakistan. Sachin's 19th Test century came on another featherbed in Sri Lanka, with another drawn Test. This was part of the short-lived Asian Test championship, and wasn't among the more memorable hundreds he had scored.Test Hundred No. 20: 126* v New Zealand, 1st Test, Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, October 1999. Result: Match drawn
India were bowled out for 83 runs. New Zealand came out to bat and scored 215. India needed to put up a strong batting display and that is exactly what they did with everyone firing. Sachin Tendulkar’s 126 along with Rahul Dravid’s 144 steered India to safety. They managed to notch up a total of 505 leaving New Zealand a target of 374 to win. They visitors managed to make 251 until the close of the fifth day. India was shot out for 83 in the first innings, but came back with a vengeance in the second. Led by Sachin Tendulkar’s unbeaten 126 and Dravid’s 144, India made sure the game faded into a draw. On a green Mohali pitch, India had been shot out for 83 in the first innings. Tendulkar then scored his 20th Test ton, while Rahul Dravid also got a century as India replied with a strong 505/3 to force a draw in the match.Test Hundred No. 21: 217 v New Zealand, 3rd Test, Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, October 1999. Result: Match drawn
Just like his first ODI century had taken time, Sachin took a while to get to his first double century in Tests which finally came during his 21st Test Hundred in his 71st Test. However, no one doubted he would get there, and he did it in the third Test of the series against New Zealand. India was sent into bat and managed to post an intimidating total of 583. S Ramesh’s 110, Sourav Ganguly’s 125 and Sachin’s 217 helped India reach the total. New Zealand managed to score 308 runs in their first innings. India in its second innings declared at 148 leaving the visitors a target of 404. New Zealand reached 252 at the end of the fifth day. The match was drawn. A grinding innings from Tendulkar saw India posting 500-plus score in their first innings. The knock was Tendulkar’s second double in Test matches.Test Hundred No. 22: 116 v Australia, 2nd Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, December 1999. Result: Australia won by 180 runs
The captaincy never sat heavier on Tendulkar than when India toured Australia in 1999-2000, though he was one of the few bright spots of India's dismal performance. Test hundred No. 22 was a beautifully crafted one, but almost inevitably it was a solo effort in a losing cause for the team. Australia batted in the first and were all out after posting a total of 405 runs. India after losing its openers in quick succession had Sachin Tendulkar help steady the innings. He scored 116 in that match but neither of his teammates managed to help the maestro in anyway and India were bowled out for 238. The Aussies in their second innings declared at 208 leaving a total of 376 to be scored to win the match. India’s batting collapsed in the second innings as well as they only managed to score 195. India lost the match.Test Hundred No. 23: 122 v Zimbabwe, 1st Test, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, October 1999. Result: India won by 7 wickets
Zimbabwe in its first innings were able to notch up a decent total of 422. India replied by amassing a total of 458 thanks to a brilliant innings by Rahul Dravid who scored 200 runs and Sachin’s 122. The two of them batted for most of the innings until declaration. Zimbabwe in its second innings notched up a total of 225 runs all out which left India with a total of 190 to win the match. India won the match with 7 wickets to spare. Rahul Dravid scored his first double in Tests and Sachin ended with only his second Test century against Zimbabwe. Ganguly made a bold declaration with India only 36 runs ahead. The bowlers responded and India won by 7 wickets.Test Hundred No. 24: International Hundred No. 50: 201* v Zimbabwe, 2nd Test, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur, October 1999. Result: Match drawn
India batted first and managed to score 609 runs in the first innings. There were three centurions in the first innings itself with SS Das scoring 110 runs, Rahul Dravid 162 and Sachin Tendulkar who made 201 runs which included 27 boundaries at a strike rate of 71.53. Zimbabwe in its second innings scored 382. They were forced to follow on and in their second innings scored 583. The Indians did not come out to bat in the second innings and the match was drawn. Tendulkar’s fiftieth international century went on to become his second double hundred in Test matches. Test Hundred No. 25: 126 v Australia, 3rd Test, M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, March 2001. Result: India won by 2 wickets
Test century No. 25 was among the most important ones of Sachin's career. It helped India win a nail-biting Test against Australia at Chennai to cap the greatest comeback of all time after the famous follow-on victory in the second Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Australia posted a total of 391 runs. India managed a total of 501 runs in their first innings with Sachin top-scoring with 126 runs. He got ample support from his skipper and Rahul Dravid in that match. Australia were bowled out for 264 in their second innings. With a target of 155 runs, India won the match with two wickets to spare. This match was in many ways an exhibition of test cricket. The series was levelled 1-1 before the Chennai test and when Australia put up 391 in their first innings thanks to Mathew Hayden’s double hundred, they were in a very strong position. All this changed once Sachin came out to bat and scored a majestic 126 to help India surpass the 500-run mark. India never really looked back from there and despite a lion-hearted effort by Jason Gillespie, India won the match by 2 wickets.Test Hundred No. 26: 155 v South Africa, 1st Test, Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein, November 2001. Result: South Africa won by 9 wickets.
This was the match in which Virender Sehwag made his Test debut. Both he and Tendulkar scored centuries and shared a thrilling stand, but could not prevent defeat for India. India managed to score 379 banking on centuries of Tendulkar (155) & Sehwag (105) in the 1st innings. South Africa scored 563 banking on centuries of Gibbs (107) & Klusener (108). India faltered in the 2nd innings and managed to score only 237 and the target was easily chased down by South Africa.Test Hundred No. 28: 176 v Zimbabwe, 1st Test, Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur, February 2002. Result: India won by an innings & 101 runs
When Zimbabwe returned to tour India in 2002, there were no repeat of the heroics of 2000 where they had fought hard. Tendulkar's 176 was the highest of three hundreds for India in an innings win. Zimbabwe managed to score only 287 in their 1st innings. Indians provided a massive reply of 570/7 decl banking on 3 centurions in this match, SS Das (105), Tendulkar (176) & Bangar (100). Zimbabwe wer bowled out for 182 in their 2nd innings giving India the 1st victory in the 2-match test series.Test Hundred No. 29: 117 v West Indies, 2nd Test, Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad, April 2002. Result: India won by 37 runs
He drew level with Sir Donald Bradman on 29 Test hundreds with a fine innings that set up victory for India in Port of Spain. With better support around him, Tendulkar's centuries were no longer solo efforts and started leading to more wins for India. India managed to score 339 banking on Tendulkar's 117. In reply West Indies were bowled out for 245 in their 1st innings. India set a target of 313 for West Indies in the 2nd innings which they fell short by 37 runs.Test Hundred No. 30: 193 v England, 3rd Test, Headingley, Leeds, August 2002. Result: India won by an innings and 46 runs
Dravid, Ganguly and Tendulkar all scored hundreds in a famous Indian win at Leeds in what was Tendulkar's 99th Test match. The win helped India level the series 1-1 against England, continuing the Indian team's upward trend in overseas matches. Indians posed a mammoth 1st innings score of 628/8 decl banking on 3 centurions in this match, Dravid (148), Tendulkar (193) & Ganguly (128). England replied with 273 in their 1st innings and were enforced to follow on and replied with 309 in their 2nd innings banking on Nasser Hussain's 110.Test Hundred No. 31: 176 v West Indies, 3rd Test, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, October-November 2002. Result: Match drawn
India were under pressure going into the 2nd innings having conceded a 139-run lead and it got even worse when they were reduced to 4/87. Then things began to turn as Sachin and Laxman built a 214-run partnership for the 5th wicket. It was a trademark Tendulkar innings which saw him repeatedly put the bad ball away. It was Tendulkar's 1st ton at the Eden Gardens as well. He was neither too aggressive nor too defensive but still got the job done and silenced his critics who often criticized him for not coming up with the goods when the team needed it the most. Together with Laxman, Tendulkar saved India from what would have been an embarrassing loss at home against a decent West Indian side.Test Hundred No. 32: 241* v Australia, 4th Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, January 2004. Result: Match drawn
It was sort of a mini-crisis for Sachin going into the Sydney Test of 2004 he hadn't got a Test ton in 7 matches and was going through a slump which saw him getting out repeatedly edging the ball outside the off stump. So in order to put an end to that, Sachin produced a remarkable knock of an unbeaten 241 his highest Test score then which didn't include a single cover drive. He had completely eliminated that shot from his armor and gave the bowlers no chance, playing balls from outside off through the on-side. He was outscored by Laxman during their stand, but he was never bothered. He showed great restraint and played at balls only when he had to. It was an innings that stood out for the sheer determination and the will to make runs at all costs attitude of Sachin. He stole the thunder from Steve Waugh's final Test in front of an adoring home crowd which had come to see their favorite son, but instead saw yet another Sachin hundred.Test Hundred No. 33: 194* v Pakistan, 1st Test, Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan, March 2004. Result: India won by an innings and 52 runs
This match will be most remembered for the surprise declaration that Rahul Dravid the then acting captain came up when Sachin was on 194 rather than for the exploits of the Indian team. Virender Sehwag became the first Indian to score a triple-century and Sachin contributed a big hundred of his own. On a slow and placid Multan track, the duo feasted on the Pakistani bowlers adding 326 for the third wicket. When it was time for a move on, Tendulkar batted a little too slowly for Dravid's liking to get to his 200 and the latter declared. Tendulkar didn't take the field that evening and later in the press conference expressed his surprise and disappointment at the decision to declare. But the decision to declare had no impact on the game as Pakistan folded just 12 balls into the final day to hand India an innings win. To clear any lingering mistrust over his decision, Dravid called Tendulkar aside for a one-on-one and everything was sorted which showed a rare understanding of the situation and also demonstrated a facet of the new Team India which wouldn't have been possible in the faction-ridden teams of the past.Test Hundred No. 34: 248* v Bangladesh, 1st Test, Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, December 2004. Result: India won by an innings and 140 runs
Tendulkar's highest Test score till date and also a very significant one for it enabled him to draw level with his idol, Sunil Gavaskar in the all-time list for most hundreds in Tests. The innings was special because Tendulkar had been battling a tennis elbow for at least four months before the match and he was helped by a generous Bangladesh side who dropped him thrice before he reached 50. The knock lasted 379 balls and took nine hours and 12 minutes. When he reached 100, he joined an elite club of Gary Kirsten and Steve Waugh as the only men to have scored Test centuries against all countries. As the innings progressed, the Tendulkar of old resurfaced and that proved to be the death knell for an average Bangladeshi side.
Test Hundred No. 35: 109 v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, December 2005. Result: India won by 188 runs A record-breaking ton and a very poignant one too as Sachin went past Sunil Gavaskar's tally of 34 Test tons to take his place at the top of the summit amongst leading century-makers in the longest format of the game. The first half of the hundred was a patient one, with Tendulkar taking his time to assess the conditions and then slowly building an innings. The second one was more flashy and he opened out. The moment finally came at 4:45pm in fading light as he turned Vaas to fine leg for a single. Tendulkar admitted it was an emotional moment and added: "The wait was more for the people than for me.
The wait for No. 36 was quite a while. The record-breaking 35th ton had come in December 2005 and it was 17 months and 10 matches without a Test ton. The dry spell was due in no small part to injuries, but with this hundred, things started to get back on track, even if the opposition was weak. To end that drought, Bangladesh were the right side and Tendulkar put an end to that drought with an innings of 101. This was a rain-affected match with only 219 overs out of a possible 450 bowled. Tendulkar was again sedate to begin with and his hundred contained just 9 fours. The other centurion Ganguly was far more aggressive and dominated the partnership with Sachin. Sachin's drought of going without a Test ton for 10 Tests and 17 innings was the longest he had endured in his career between his hundreds.Test Hundred No. 37: 122* v Bangladesh, 2nd Test, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, May 2007. Result: India won by an innings and 239 runs
With a century behind his name in the previous Test and seemingly getting his touch back, Tendulkar made back-to-back hundreds in Tests for the 6th time in his career and the 1st time against Bangladesh. It was the first Test to be played at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur and it turned out to be a disastrous one for the home side who lost by an innings and 239 runs giving India their biggest Test win then. Habibul Bashar the Bangladesh skipper inserted the visitors in and they paid a heavy price for it. Tendulkar notched up his 37th ton and he was joined by 3 others as the Indian top 4 all scored tons the first time ever that such an occurrence has happened in Test cricket. Tendulkar's unbeaten 122 contained just 8 fours and a six but he ensured that the noose was firmly tightened on the Bangladeshis.Test Hundred No. 38: 154* v Australia, 2nd Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, January 2008. Result: Australia won by 122 runs
India vs Australia time again and a Test match at Sydney again which means only one thing the inevitable Sachin Tendulkar hundred. He had made hundreds at Sydney in two of his past three visits in 91-92 and 03-04 missing out in 99-00. Another splendid knock which gave India a vital 69-run lead but this match will be remembered for all the wrong reasons highly dubious umpiring and for the infamous Monkey Gate scandal. But nothing should take away from Sachin's glorious knock, if he had battled all the odds in his previous visit here in 2004 to make a double-ton, this unbeaten 154 was more of a turning the clock back, kind of innings. There were the sublime drives, the authentic back foot punches, the intentional upper-cuts and the trademark whips to the on-side which brought back vintage memories. Sadly though, all that brilliance was overshadowed and largely forgotten by the disgraceful and unwanted episodes the Test and the events that took place thereafter, which dominated everyone's minds.Test Hundred No. 39: 153 v Australia, 4th Test, Adelaide Oval, January 2008. Result: Match drawn
Having come into the game with a chance of squaring the series after a historic win at Perth in the previous Test, India were presented with a typical subcontinental pitch which offered nothing for the bowlers. Still they slipped to 156/4 and from then on Tendulkar took control along with a trusted ally in Laxman. Once again it was a case of shifting gears once he had taken his time to get to a 50. Tendulkar took a particular liking to Bradley Hogg whom he treated with contempt. Out came those lofted hits and those powerful sweeps, he was unafraid of using his feet and got to his ton in a hurry. It was the second hundred of the series for Tendulkar, but on a pitch that never looked like producing a result, the match petered out to a draw. One of the most heart-warming features of the series was the way Australian crowds stood as one to applaud Tendulkar on and off the field at every ground.Test Hundred No. 40: 109 v Australia, 4th Test, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur, November 2008. Result: India won by 172 runs
This was Sourav Ganguly's last Test and India went into the match with a 1-0 lead and a chance to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. So a lot of things were riding on the game and Tendulkar came to the party once again against his favorite opposition. He hadn't got a ton against them in the previous 3 matches of the series but came good in the first innings with a cautious 188-ball 109 which included just 12 hits to the fence. He forged two crucial stands with Laxman and then with Ganguly which helped India to make 441 in the first innings. He handled the debutant spinner Jason Krejza - who took 8 wickets quite well and negated his growing threat. India reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a convincing 172-run win and gave Ganguly a fitting farewell and started the run towards their Number One rank.Test Hundred No. 41: 103* v England, 1st Test, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, December 2008. Result: India won by 6 wickets
Probably the most emotional and satisfying of Tendulkar's hundreds, it came weeks after the 26/11 terrorist attacks and brought some smiles back to faces in India. The innings itself was perfect and ended with him getting to his century and India chasing down 387 for victory in the fourth innings. England posed a total of 316 in their 1st innings. India replied with 241. England scored 311/9 decl. banking on centuries of Strauss & Collingwood, 108. India was set a target of 387 which they achieved with ease thanks to the blistering know off 83 off 68 balls from Sehwag. After the match England's players donated half their match fees to the relief fund for victims of the Mumbai attack, and the BCCI donated Rs. 3 crore (about USD 450,000).Test Hundred No. 42: 160 v New Zealand, 1st Test, Seddon Park, Hamilton, March 2009. Result: India won by 10 wickets
Tendulkar and India set the tone early on in the series as they dominated proceedings at Seddon Park in Hamilton. It was the opening match of the series and Tendulkar was in imperious touch. The Tendulkar of old returned who batted as if he didn't bother about mundane things. There were some magnificent strokes played all round the wicket and no-one was spared. It was Tendulkar's 3rd ton in his last 4 Test matches which showed his rich vein of form. Finally after making his 18th score of 150+ in Tests he departed edging one to slip. By then India had taken firm control of the game and they never let that slip as they registered their first Test win in New Zealand in 33 years.Test Hundred No. 43: 100* v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, November 2009. Result: Match drawn
Most of Tendulkar's hundreds against Sri Lanka have been match-setting up or the match-winning ones but this was different this was a match-saving one. Sri Lanka had dreams of winning their first ever Test in India after racking up a score of 760 after India had made 426, but along with Gambhir - who was fast becoming an expert at saving games, Tendulkar took victory out of the equation from the visitors' hand. Since the primary objective was on saving the game, Tendulkar opted for a safety first policy and cut out all the risks during his 211-ball knock which took almost 5 hours.Test Hundred No. 44: 105* v Bangladesh, 1st Test, Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong, January 2010. Result: India won by 113 runs
The talking point before the match began was the comment that Sehwag made about Bangladesh being an ordinary side. That comment came back to bite India after the opening day when they were reduced to 213/8 with Tendulkar saving the visitors the blushes. On day 2, Tendulkar completed his 44th Test ton a very important one in the context of the game as Bangladesh sensed an opening. He knew that his wicket was a crucial one and never indulged in any fancy strokeplay instead concentrating on treating each ball on its merit. The Bangladeshis probed away but couldn't prise out the champion. On the way to his 44th Test hundred, he crossed 13,000 Test runs and by the end of the innings, he had reached 13,075. Even though he failed in the 2nd innings, the others made up for it and India won comfortably.Test Hundred No. 45: 143 v Bangladesh, 2nd Test, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, January 2010. Result: India won by 10 wickets
Tendulkar repeated his feat of scoring back-to-back hundreds against Bangladesh by getting one in the 2nd Test at Dhaka. He had achieved a similar feat in 2007 when India toured the country and repeated the dose in 2010. As he had done so often in the past, he took his time to change gears. His first 50-runs took 89 balls while the next took just 45 balls. Bangladesh didn't help themselves dropping Tendulkar twice and that was the last gift that the great man needed. Once he had earned reprieves, he ensured he got his customary ton, though he would've wished for a far bigger score than the 143 that he got. Tendulkar also became the first man to get to 90 international hundreds after he got to the three figure mark. This telling statistic underscores Tendulkar's dominance over Bangladesh: Tendulkar has scored a hundred every time he has gone past 50 against Bangladesh. Thus, he has five hundreds and no half-centuries in seven Tests against Bangladesh.Test Hundred No. 46: 100 v South Africa, 1st Test, Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur February 2010. Result: South Africa won by an innings and 6 runs
Rarely has an Indian side been outplayed so comprehensively at home like they were at Nagpur in 2010. It was the Dale Steyn show, he ripped India apart with a seven-for in the first innings. India were forced to follow-on and Tendulkar notched up his third hundred in as many matches. Walking in at 2/24, still needing 301 to make South Africa to bat again, Tendulkar handled Steyn and Co. even as the Proteas kept chipping away at the other end. Tendulkar's innings was a balance between attack and defence and he opted to kick away deliveries bowled outside leg stump by Paul Harris. When he wanted to score, he opted to play the right stroke and when he was dismissed for exactly 100, the result was just a foregone conclusion. Soon South Africa were celebrating a huge win.Test Hundred No. 47: 106 v South Africa, 2nd Test, Kolkata, February 2010. Result: India won by an innings and 57 runs
This was a huge game for India. They needed to win to keep their No. 1 ranking intact and nothing less than a win would've done. The win almost didn't materialise due to one man's super human efforts Hashim Amla made hundreds in both innings and remained unbeaten in the 2nd, but he couldn't prevent India winning with just minutes remaining for the game to end. India's batting was woeful at Nagpur but they made up for it here with 4 hundreds in a total of 643 for 6 declared. Tendulkar's hundred was all about playing second fiddle to the brilliance of Virender Sehwag. Though Tendulkar was willing to play second fiddle, he didn't give a chance and continued his astounding run of form this hundred was his fourth in as many matches and his 92nd international ton. While Sehwag was all brute force, Tendulkar played the percentages well playing all his trademark cute shots to get himself another 100. While four Indians got hundreds and the home side won the game, all the credit almost went to Hashim Amla who was undismissable in the series.Test Hundred No. 48: 203 v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo, July 2010. Result: Match drawn
When Sri Lanka and India play, it was always going to be a batathon with bowlers merely proving to be cannon fodder. This Test was no different. Sri Lanka made 642 and India replied with 707 with Tendulkar scoring his fourth double-century. The remarkable aspect of this effort was that Tendulkar was on the field in one capacity or the other for almost the entire duration of the game. He fielded for more than 5 sessions and then batted for 516 minutes. He eliminated risks and knew that there were runs for the taking on a flat wicket. By the time he finished, he had ensured that the match would have only one result a dull draw and it so proved to be.Test Hundred No. 49: 214 v Australia, 2nd Test, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, October 2010. Result: India won by 7 wickets
There has rarely been a series involving India and Australia which hasn't seen a Sachin Tendulkar hundred and this one was no exception. It was his 49th Test ton and 11th against Australia which put him 2nd on the all-time list behind Jack Hobbs. It was a highly entertaining hundred and he reached there with consecutive sixes off Nathan Hauritz the first time ever he had done so in getting to that landmark. This double-ton was a chanceless innings and special treatment was reserved for the offspin of Hauritz. The others too couldn't do anything to break through the defences of the legend as he grinded the Aussie attack into the Bangalore dust. It set India on their way to yet another series win, which they duly achieved by chasing down 207.
Tendulkar scaled the summit of 50 Test hundreds when India toured South Africa, and though he couldn't save the game, India had made a statement by climbing out of a hole after being shot out for 136 in their first innings. The Indians were put to bat and were all out for a dismal score of 136 while the South Africans romped in a huge total of 620 runs. India fought hard to reach a total of 459, with Sachin Tendulkar scoring a century. However his efforts were in vain as India did not manage to pull off a victory here. It was an inauspicious start for India to their ‘final frontier’ campaign. Batting first on damp Centurion wicket, India folded up for just 136. The Proteas then carved out 620 thanks to a double hundred by Kallis and two other centurions. India then tried hard to hang in for a draw but the task was way too enormous. Sachin fought in vain with his 50th test century but that was the only takeaway from an otherwise miserable match.Test Hundred No. 51: 146 v South Africa, 3rd Test, The Newlands, Cape Town, January 2011. Result: Match drawn.
In the third Test of the series, Tendulkar and Steyn waged a battle for the ages. Steyn controlled the ball as if on a string, while Tendulkar brought all of his skill into play to survive. And survive he did, and went on to score his 51st Test hundred. India started their second innings at the Centurion stadium chasing a score of 484 and being reduced to 277 for 6 at the time. It was then that Tendulkar along with MS Dhoni held fort at the crease, and the Master Blaster’s century changed India’s game, clinching a victory for the team. After registering one of their finest triumphs, India came to Cape Town with a chance to win a series on South African soil for the first time ever. And the quest began in fine fashion with Sachin scoring a magnificent 146 in nearly 8 hours. Given a tough target of 340 runs to win their maiden series on South African soil, India decided not to take the risk of losing the match. The two teams settled for a draw.
1) Test hundred No. 11: 169 v South Africa, 2nd Test, Newlands, Cape Town, January 1997. Result: South Africa won by 282 runs.
This Test match will forever be remembered for the sensational stand of 222 between Sachin and Azhar which stood out for the breathtaking display of stroke-making against a very high quality attack of Donald, Pollock, Klusener and McMillan on a fast Cape Town wicket. The duo came together when India were on the ropes at 58/5 and thrilled the crowd with an astounding array of strokes that left the Proteas' attack dazed. After Azhar was out, Tendulkar ensured India avoided the follow-on and when he was finally out for 169 to an out-of-the-world catch by Adam Bacher at deep midwicket, the crowd were on their feet lauding the sheer genius that they had witnessed earlier in the afternoon. Tendulkar's effort wasn't enough though as India succumbed to a heavy defeat.The Proteas posted 529. India batted poorly with Sachin Tendulkar posting a score of 126 with the help of Azharuddin who scored 115. India were all out for 359. South Africa in its second innings posted a total of 256 which left Team India to score 427. India were all out for 144 and South Africa won the match.The visitors were shot out for 100 and 66 in the first Test at Kingsmead, Durban, and a repeat looked well on cards. This until Azhar joined Sachin Tendulkar at the crease. Both the batsmen 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.
This Test match will forever be remembered for the sensational stand of 222 between Sachin and Azhar which stood out for the breathtaking display of stroke-making against a very high quality attack of Donald, Pollock, Klusener and McMillan on a fast Cape Town wicket. The duo came together when India were on the ropes at 58/5 and thrilled the crowd with an astounding array of strokes that left the Proteas' attack dazed. After Azhar was out, Tendulkar ensured India avoided the follow-on and when he was finally out for 169 to an out-of-the-world catch by Adam Bacher at deep midwicket, the crowd were on their feet lauding the sheer genius that they had witnessed earlier in the afternoon. Tendulkar's effort wasn't enough though as India succumbed to a heavy defeat.The Proteas posted 529. India batted poorly with Sachin Tendulkar posting a score of 126 with the help of Azharuddin who scored 115. India were all out for 359. South Africa in its second innings posted a total of 256 which left Team India to score 427. India were all out for 144 and South Africa won the match.The visitors were shot out for 100 and 66 in the first Test at Kingsmead, Durban, and a repeat looked well on cards. This until Azhar joined Sachin Tendulkar at the crease. Both the batsmen 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.
2) Test Hundred No. 18: 136 v Pakistan, 1st Test, M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, January 1999. Result: Pakistan won by 12 runs.
One of Tendulkar's most famous hundreds, notable for the fact that he batted with severe back spasms throughout the entire duration of his innings and almost took India home. When he fell with 16 runs required, there were 3 wickets still left but Pakistan came roaring back and won the match by 12 runs. The result disturbed Tendulkar so much that he didn't even turn up at the post-match presentation ceremony. On a turning wicket with India chasing 271 and Saqlain Mushtaq at his peak, aided by an exceptional attack which contained Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis as well, Tendulkar batted out of his skin when the others succumbed. He didn't put a foot wrong until that fatal across the line slog. Until Tendulkar was there, Pakistan didn't have a chance and that statement sums up the match perfectly. Had India gone on to win the match, the myth that Tendulkar never finishes off Test matches in the 4th innings, would have been buried once and for all. A tragic hundred from Tendulkar. All hope was lost, and then Mongia and Tendulkar struck a crucial partnership, bringing India close to Pakistan’s target. Fighting a bad back and incisive bowling from the likes of Wasim, Waqar and Saqlain Mustaq, Tendulkar fell when India were 17 runs short of the target. India lost the match by 12 runs.
One of Tendulkar's most famous hundreds, notable for the fact that he batted with severe back spasms throughout the entire duration of his innings and almost took India home. When he fell with 16 runs required, there were 3 wickets still left but Pakistan came roaring back and won the match by 12 runs. The result disturbed Tendulkar so much that he didn't even turn up at the post-match presentation ceremony. On a turning wicket with India chasing 271 and Saqlain Mushtaq at his peak, aided by an exceptional attack which contained Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis as well, Tendulkar batted out of his skin when the others succumbed. He didn't put a foot wrong until that fatal across the line slog. Until Tendulkar was there, Pakistan didn't have a chance and that statement sums up the match perfectly. Had India gone on to win the match, the myth that Tendulkar never finishes off Test matches in the 4th innings, would have been buried once and for all. A tragic hundred from Tendulkar. All hope was lost, and then Mongia and Tendulkar struck a crucial partnership, bringing India close to Pakistan’s target. Fighting a bad back and incisive bowling from the likes of Wasim, Waqar and Saqlain Mustaq, Tendulkar fell when India were 17 runs short of the target. India lost the match by 12 runs.
No comments:
Post a Comment