5 greatest knocks of Sachin Tendulkar in ODIs

In a glittering career spanning almost a quarter of a century, Sachin Tendulkar conjured several magical knocks with the bat in ODI cricket. He has scored as many as 49 centuries and has played a lot of match-winning knocks for India.

Match-winning knocks doesn't mean that it has to be centuries. Even a crucial score of 60 when the strings are down could be as worthy as a century.

In this article, let us look at the five greatest knocks played by the diminutive master in ODI cricket.

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5. 163* vs New Zealand, 2009

The venue for this classic was the AMI Stadium in Christchurch. India won the toss and decided to bat first.

Sachin Tendulkar seemed to be totally ‘in the zone’. In a magnificent knock studded with 16 fours and five sixes, the little master displayed his complete repertoire of shots against the likes of Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram and Jeetan Patel.

Tendulkar was in such form, that he never looked like getting out. And indeed, Sachin’s innings would be stopped as he had to retire hurt when he was on 163. He helped India post a match-winning total of 392, and India went on to win the match by 58 runs.

4. 98 vs Pakistan, 2003

If there were any doubts over how India would fare against the pace bowling trio of Pakistan, then they were all put to rest by the ethereal display of Tendulkar

There was tension and anticipation in the air. India were taking on arch rivals Pakistan in a high octane clash at the Super Six stage of the 2003 World Cup. Pakistan batted first and posted 273/7, helped by a patient hundred from Saeed Anwar.

India needed to bat extremely well to overhaul a very challenging target against a bowling attack consisting of the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi.

It was in this match that the fastest bowler in the world, Shoaib Akhtar was smashed to pulp. In the second over of the match, Shoaib Akhtar bowled a short ball at over 150Km/hr. Tendulkar slashed at it hard, and it flew over backward point for six. The next ball, Akhtar tried to compensate by bowling a little fuller on middle stump.

Tendulkar moved towards the off stump and just flicked the ball past mid-wicket for a boundary. In the last ball of the over, Tendulkar just punched the ball down the ground, but the timing was so good, that the ball sped away to the boundary.

If there were any doubts as to how India would fare against the deadly pace bowling trio of Wasim, Waqar and Shoaib, then they were all put to rest by the ethereal display of Tendulkar with the bat.

And in the end, the master batsman had conjured a magical 98 off just 75 balls, including 12 fours and a six, and had paved the way for a famous Indian victory over their arch-rivals.

3. 175 vs Australia, 2009

When Tendulkar is at his best, all the demons in the pitch vanish, and all the other batsmen appear ordinary

This knock will go down as the greatest ever knock played in a losing cause in ODI cricket. Tendulkar was 36-years-old, but he created an illusion of timelessness with the way he played on that day.

Chasing 351 for victory, India kept losing wickets at the other end, but Tendulkar continued on. He was at his thrilling best on that day. And when Tendulkar is at his best, all the demons in the pitch vanish, and all the other batsmen appear ordinary.

In a knock consisting of 19 fours and four sixes, he captivated all those who were watching this classic unfold. And with just 19 runs required off the last three overs, there was only one man who stood between Australia and victory- Sachin Tendulkar.

Clint Mckay’s slower ball proved to be the fatal delivery. As Tendulkar went for the scoop, the ball took the top edge and fell in the hands of short fine leg. And as was the case throughout his career, after Tendulkar fell, the other Indian batsmen folded up like a pack of cards, and India lost the match by a mere three runs.

2. 200* vs South Africa-2010

Take a bow to the first man on the planet to reach 200!

"First man on the planet to reach 200, And it’s the Superman from India-Sachin Tendulkar. 200 from just 147. Take a bow, master.”

These words will resonate in the minds of each and every Indian cricket fan as Tendulkar, just two months short of his 37th birthday, became the first man to breach the 200-run mark in an ODI innings.

The South African bowling attack, consisting of the likes of Dale Steyn, Wayne Parnell and Charl Langeveldt stood stunned, and almost dazed, as the master batsman whipped them to all parts of the ground.

Tendulkar faced 147 balls and hit 25 fours and three sixes to score the first ever 200 in limited overs cricket. The one shot which stood out in this knock was the off drive that Sachin hit to get off the mark.

To a ball that was pitched on off stump, Tendulkar lunged forward and just punched it past off the front foot. But, it was timed so beautifully, that the ball raced to the boundary. It was a shot that had class written all over it.

Tendulkar’s 200* helped India post a mammoth 401/3 and they went on to win the match by a whopping 153 runs.

1. 143 vs Australia, 1998

The Sachin Storm just blew the Australians away

What do you do, when a magician is at the peak of his powers? What do you do, when he casts spell after spell, that baffles you beyond your imagination? These would have been some of the questions in the minds of the Australians, as Tendulkar dazzled and sparkled his way to an ethereal 143.

The Australian bowling attack, consisting of the likes of Shane Warne, Michael Kasprowicz and Damien Fleming were smashed and plundered to all parts of the ground. To put things in some perspective, the next highest scorer for India was Dinesh Mongia who scored 35 runs.

This knock is also famously referred to as the ‘Desert Storm’ innings. The Australians managed to weather the desert storm, but they had no idea that another storm was about to hit them.

The Sachin Storm just blew the Australians away!