One day, two venues, four centuries and a legend: Sachin Tendulkar's romance with January 4th

January 4th is the birthday of French educator and inventor - Louis Braille. As we all know, Braille invented the system of reading & writing for use by the blind and in recognition of it, his birthday is observed as the World Braille Day.

I think Sachin Tendulkar must have taken some inspiration from this and it won’t be wrong to say that he could have batted blindfolded on January 4th. For, in his long and illustrious career, Tendulkar has four Test centuries to his name on this day (either scored or finished his innings on January 4th).

People might argue that when one has scored 100 international centuries in a career spanning over 24 years there are bound to be such days. Now, I am not a statistician to confirm if Tendulkar has indeed scored more centuries on any other specific day (although I doubt it). But I will only say that it definitely is a significant day in Little Masters career.

A romance which started at Cape Town in 1997

His romance with January 4th started way back in 1997, when as the captain of the Indian team he scored a chanceless 169 against South Africa at Cape Town. India were looking down the barrel at 58 for 5 wickets in response to Proteas’ first innings score of 529-7. But then, Tendulkar with the company of Mohammad Azharuddin, put together 222 runs in a display of immaculate batting. Even after the fall of Azhar’s wicket (who scored 115 runs), Tendulkar carried on and ensured that India avoided the follow-on.

He was the last man out owing to a spectacular one-handed catch at the boundary line by Adam Bacher. Though India lost the match due to another batting collapse in the second innings; this innings of Tendulkar would go down as one of his all-time best knocks and was a treat for the eyes of his fans.

Year 2004 and a masterclass when Sachin didn’t hit a single cover-drive

Seven years later, 4th of January, 2004 was to witness yet another Tendulkar masterclass at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The opponents were his favourite – the Australians. But this was a different Tendulkar innings, not the type we had got used to in the last 15 years.

And Tendulkar himself rated it as one of his best hundreds; he had said then, “I would put this innings right at the top of my hundreds. I had a plan and I am happy I could execute it well. I am happy that I was able to maintain the discipline throughout the innings. Things had gone wrong a couple of times with my shot selection, and I knew I had to cut out a few strokes.”

Talking about discipline, he cut down on the cover-drive for the entire duration of the innings. Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 241 runs batting for more than 10 hours. India could have won the match had it not been for a defiant Steve Waugh who scored 80 in his last test innings.

2008: January 4th, SCG and Australia again

Another century at the SCG against Australia for the Little Master

Tendulkar’s love with January 4th, Australia and SCG continued in the 2008 series Down Under. Like he had done four years earlier, along with VVS Laxman he ensured that India puts together a big first innings score. Tendulkar himself scored an unbeaten 154 runs.

As always in Australia, such was his fan following during this innings that when a few kids who had come to watch the match were making noise, their teacher screamed, “Nobody talks when Tendulkar is on strike”.

India eventually lost the match but more than the loss or Tendulkar’s innings, this match is remembered for the “monkeygate” scandal and many umpiring blunders which had hurt the Indians badly.

Love with January 4th returns to the venue where it had all started

Tendulkar scored his last Test century against South Africa in Newlands

Last of Tendulkar’s century on World Braille Day came in 2011 at a venue from where he began his love with January 4th - Newlands, Cape Town. Yet again, Tendulkar with his 146 was India’s highest scorer in the match. While it was Allan Donald & co. whom he had tamed 14 years ago; the Proteas attack this time around was led by Dale Steyn.

Speaking about Steyn’s bowling, Tendulkar had said that it was one of the best spells that he had faced. Out of the ten overs that Steyn bowled, Tendulkar had faced 48 deliveries and in the remaining 12 deliveries, Steyn got 2 wickets. Tendulkar’s own words on that eventful session facing Steyn tells us a lot about that innings. He had said, “That eventful session on the third morning was one of the best sessions of my life in Test cricket.”

So, if that was one of Tendulkar’s best sessions in Test cricket; then by virtue of those four classy centuries spread across 14 years, January 4th ought to be one of his favourite days for batting. To put it in cricketing terms he hit a boundary of centuries on the 4th day of the year.