The Master's Jewels: The 10 best Test innings by Sachin Tendulkar

7. 117 vs West Indies, Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, 2002

In yet another landmark for the Little Master, he equalled the legendary Sir Don Bradman’s record of 29 Test centuries with a superb knock in the first innings against the West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 2002, laying the foundations for an eventual win.

Free from the burden of captaincy, the stylish No. 4 batsman played a free-flowing innings, replete with fierce cuts, pulls, hooks and powerful cover drives on a pitch that had a lot of grass and assistance for the pace bowlers.

He weathered the early dismissals of the openers and was nearly dismissed four times, before settling in for a masterly knock. With the ever-reliable Rahul Dravid and skipper Sourav Ganguly, the maestro added a mountain of runs before falling to Cameron Cuffy for a well-compiled 117.

Brian Lara, Sachin’s rival for the title of world’s best batsman, tried his best in both innings, but couldn’t overcome the foundations laid by the latter for a 37-run win and a series lead. This was one of those times when the Indian triumphed over his Caribbean counterpart and fellow contender for the throne – and it also happened to be his first hundred in the West Indies. Terrific stuff!

This was his first ton in the carribean islands

6. 155* vs Australia, Chennai, 1998

Chennai has been witness to a lot of great deeds in both Test matches as well as in ODI cricket. The maestro from Mumbai has traditionally revelled on this ground, having made many notable contributions with the bat as he shouldered the burden of holding the batting together.

Billed as a contest between the world’s champion leg- spinner Shane Warne and the world’s greatest batsman Sachin Tendulkar, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy drew in a lot of crowds at each venue. Initially, it was Warne who succeeded in overcoming the latter in the first innings at the Chepauk stadium.

But Sachin retaliated in grand style in the second innings, using his feet to step out of the crease and loft the bemused spinner over his head for boundaries; when Warne went around the wicket, Tendulkar employed the lofted sweep and pull shots to deadly effect, hitting a brace of sixes and fours that left the blond bowler stunned.

The spinners eventually ran rough-shod over the bleeding Aussies, and India emerged triumphant to take a 1-0 lead in the three match series. But the outcome was decided in Chennai, when Sachin tonked Warne all over the park.

This was one of his best Test knocks

5. 194* vs Pakistan, Multan, 2004

Virender Sehwag is usually called the Sultan of Multan for his magnificent triple century on that ground in 2004. In the same game, however, his guru Sachin also made his presence felt with a fluent three-figure knock of his own.

Together, the two went about demolishing the Pakistan attack as if it were nothing more than a minor nuisance. Even the banter unleashed by the likes of Mohammad Sami and Shoaib Akhtar rolled off them like water off a duck’s back. All the four frontline bowlers conceded runs in three-figures as Sachin and Sehwag went hammer and tongs at them.

While the Delhi lad was aggression personified, Sachin was his usual self – unruffled, unfazed by spin and pace, and on top of his game. After reaching 194, the crowd waited in anticipation of his first ever double century on Pakistan soil, even though it was against their own national team.

But Dravid, leading the side in Ganguly’s absence, made a decision that surprised the Master – he declared the innings, denying both Tendulkar and the spectators the landmark figure they eagerly anticipated. Even the commentators thought the former’s decision was in bad taste.

The Big Three got together at the end of the day’s play and sorted the matter out, but Tendulkar admitted to having felt let down.

Nevertheless, his and Sehwag’s knocks piloted India to an innings victory over their arch rivals, securing their first ever Test win in Pakistan.

Sachin punches off the back foot against Pakistan

4. 241* vs Australia, Sydney, 2004

The Sydney Cricket Ground has long been one of Sachin’s happy hunting grounds in Australia. With the series tied at 1-1, the decider assumed the proportions of a World Cup final, and the maestro was determined to sign off with a win.

He played an epic innings – quite uncharacteristic in fashion, but effective nonetheless. As he grew in confidence, and with Australia’s long-time nemesis VVS Laxman at the other end settling into his groove, Tendulkar pounced upon Brett Lee and hammered him out of the attack.

It was a compact innings, and while he did not dominate the bowlers as much as he did in his younger days, he did take them apart with the precision of a surgeon. The two batted on and on, ensuring that Steve Waugh, in his last Test, would have no trophy to take home.

For the record, the Indians put on a massive first innings total, and Sachin followed it up with a half-century in the second essay as Australia grimly held on for a draw to end the series with even honours.

Sachin plays a reverse sweep