Perth century changed my career: Sachin Tendulkar

Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar raises his bat after making a century, on February 3, 1992, during a match against Australia, in Perth

Referring to his century against Australia at WACA, Perth, the fastest track in the world at that point of time, as the knock that changed his career, Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar said that it gave him the confidence to take on any bowling attack in the world and become an even better batsman.

Although India lost the match by a whopping 300-run margin, a 19-year-old Tendulkar, coming in to bat with the visitors on 69/2 in the first innings, looked at ease against an attack that had the likes of Craig McDermott, Merv Hughes and Paul Reiffel and went on to score his second century of the series: a 161-ball 114.

In an interaction with Ryan International school children at north-western Malad during the launch of 'Kaspersky Kids Awareness Programme', Tendulkar said: "One innings that changed my career or gave shape to my career was in Perth, 1992. Perth, at least at that time, was regarded to be the fastest wicket and the hostility of the Australian fast bowlers was something which was difficult to handle. I was able to score a 100 and I was only 19."

"And just two matches before that, I had scored a hundred in Sydney but they were two different kinds of surfaces. I knew that Perth was the kind of wicket which I would not get to play anywhere in the world and If I can bat on Perth and score runs then I am possibly equipped to go on any other track which is fast and bouncy and score runs there.”

The 41-year-old added: "My career was just starting. I had done well for a couple of years by then but it really took off after that Perth innings because I felt I was ready to take on the world. By no means I was over confident but I became a confident cricketer where any challenge put up against me, I was equipped to face that."