The ‘Little Master’, Sachin Tendulkar, is regarded as the God of Cricket for his unrivalled contribution to the world of cricket. Highest scorer in One Day Internationals and Tests, Tendulkar has played countless match-defining knocks with a mind-boggling record of 100 international tons. His legacy is unmatched, and there won’t be any cricketer who could earn the respect and accolades the ‘Master Blaster’ gained throughout his fabled career.
Here are the 8 best innings of Sachin Tendulkar:
1- 143 vs Australia, Sharjah 1998
Sachin Tendulkar arguably played his career’s best knock in 1998 when he slammed the likes of Shane Warne and Damien Fleming to help India win an essential game in the Coca Cola Cup. Fans term this inning as the desert storm due to the game being interrupted during India’s chase by a desert storm. While chasing 285, which was reduced to 237 in 46 overs after the storm, Sachin blasted 143 to win the game for India single-handedly.
2- 241* vs Australia, Sydney 2004
Sachin Tendulkar went through a lean patch in the Border-Gavaskar trophy of India’s tour to Australia in 2004. Tendulkar announced that he would not play the cover drive even before the match began, much to everyone’s surprise. Due to being constantly getting out while attempting cover drive, Sachin took the mind-boggling decision. The Little Master did not play even a single shot to cover in his inning and showcased his masterclass and sense of belief to the world.
3- 200* vs South Africa, Gwalior 2010
Sachin Tendulkar became the first man on the planet to reach the milestone of double hundred in One Day Internationals in 2010 against South Africa. He smashed 200 in just 147 deliveries, including 25 fours and 3 sixes. Sachin’s monumental effort helped India win the game by 153 runs after posting a massive 401 runs on the board.
4- 98 vs Pakistan, Centurion World Cup 2003
Who doesn’t remember Sachin Tendulkar’s upper cut off Shoaib Akhtar’s bowling to send the ball flying into the stands? The match was built as a clash of Indian batters and Pakistani pacers. With Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar, Pakistan had one of the best bowling attacks in cricket. However, the Master Blaster blasted them all away to help India win the game comfortably.
5- 175 vs Australia, Hyderabad 2009
An inning that proved Sachin was the lone warrior of India against the Aussies. Chasing a mammoth total of 351, India needed someone to take the fight to Australian bowlers. Sachin rose to the occasion to play one of the best innings of his career. He smashed 175 off 141 deliveries, but the Kangaroos kept chipping away the wickets from the other end. Ultimately, India lost by 3 runs.
6- 134 vs Australia, Sharjah 1998
In the final of Coca Cola Cup, Sachin Tendulkar again dismantled the Australian bowling unit and helped India win the game and the tournament. Sachin’s 134 helped India comfortably chase 273 to register a historic win.
7- 119 vs England, Manchester 1990
Sachin Tendulkar showed glimpses of his greatness when he was only 17 years old. He notched up 117 runs in the second inning of the Test against England to help India draw the Test. His inning cemented his place as one of the batters to look out for in world cricket.
8- 114 vs Bangladesh, Dhaka 2012
Sachin Tendulkar created the epic milestone of 100 centuries in this game against Bangladesh. He scored 114 off 147 to help India post a significant total, but Bangladesh managed to win the game. However, the game is instilled in the memories of Indian cricket lovers due to Sachin’s elegant knock.
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