Reliving Sachin Tendulkar's ODI centuries: 11-15

From a whopping 463 ODIs, Sachin Tendulkar amassed a record tally of 18,426 runs at an imposing average of 44.83. Among his unparalleled collection of 49 centuries in the format, only 14 came in losing cause.

The manner in which he metamorphosed from being an aggressive stroke-maker in the 1990s to becoming a remorseless accumulator of runs during the final phase of his glittering career reveals his versatile skill-set.

After reminiscing the sixth to tenth centuries of his stockpile, let us now move on to the next set of five tons in his career. In this segment, we relive the batting maestro's eleventh to fifteenth ODI centuries. This particular encompasses two of Tendulkar's best ever knocks in white-ball cricket.

#11 - 104 (97) against Zimbabwe at Benoni, 1997

Sachin Tendulkar — Tendulkar led from the front and powered India to a clinical victory

By the time the 1997 Standard Bank tri-series approached its last group match, India were in a woeful position. Aside from losing three matches to South Africa, they had also suffered a tie as well as an ignominious defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe. In what was effectively a must win clash for them, Tendulkar's team squared off against Alistair Campbell's side at Benoni.

On a sluggish surface at the Willowmoore Park, Campbell's gritty 86 led Zimbabwe to a competitive total of 240. India's run-chase began on a terrible note as Sourav Ganguly and Mohammad Azharuddin fell cheaply. However, Tendulkar took control of the proceedings and played a captain's knock to help his team chase down the target with ease. The skipper's 97-ball 104 contained eight boundaries and a towering six.

#12 - 117 (137) against New Zealand at Bangalore, 1997

During May 1997, India hosted a quadrangular series also involving Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. They opened their campaign against the Kiwis at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Riding on Nathan Astle's explosive 92, the visitors registered a fighting total of 220 on a viciously turning surface. They had not helped their cause at all by involving in four run-outs.

With momentum on their side, India began their pursuit confidently. The opening pairing of Ganguly and Tendulkar took heavy toll of an underwhelming New Zealand seam attack. Their 169-run partnership paved the way for the hosts to saunter to a eight-wicket victory. While Ganguly departed for 62, Tendulkar completed his 12th ODI century before being dismissed by Astle.

#13 - 100 (89) against Australia at Kanpur, 1998

After spending almost 11 months without scoring an ODI ton, Tendulkar reeled off three centuries in April 1998. All three came against a strong Australian bowling attack. The first of those occurred at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. In the fourth match of the Pepsi Triangular series, the visitors could only muster a below par total of 222 from their quota of 50 overs. With four vital scalps, Ajit Agarkar was the wrecker-in-chief.

What followed was another batting masterclass from the Tendulkar-Ganguly combine. The duo batted fluently and effectively sealed the game for India with a 175-run opening partnership. While the southpaw was content with offering solid support from his end, Tendulkar motored along at a rapid rate. He hammered seven sixes and brought up a splendid 89-ball hundred. India completed a comprehensive six-wicket triumph.

#14 - 143 (131) against Australia at Sharjah, 1998

Considering the circumstances surrounding the match and the quality of shot-making by the great man, the 131-ball 143 against Australia at the iconic Sharjah Stadium is the best among his 49 ODI centuries. When they began their run-chase, two equations confronted India. They had to overhaul Australia's total of 284 for an outright victory or score 254 to pip New Zealand on the basis of net run-rate and enter the final of the 1998 Coca-Cola Cup.

Extra Cover: Decoding Sachin Tendulkar's finest knock - The Desert Storm

After losing the in-form Ganguly in the ninth over of the innings, India yet again looked towards Tendulkar for bolstering their cause. Having been surprisingly promoted to number three, Nayan Mongia offered able assistance to the maestro. Even as the Mumbaikar was going strong from his end, a flurry of wickets left his team reeling at 143/4 from 31 overs. From nowhere, a sandstorm engulfed the arena and play was interrupted for nearly half hour.

When the sandstorm subsided, Tendulkar unleashed his own version of 'Desert Storm'. Realising that India needed a slew of boundaries to get close to the revised target of 276 from 46 overs (or 237 to eclipse New Zealand's net run-rate), he threw caution to the wind and went on the offensive. Michael Kasprowicz and Steve Waugh bore the brunt of his unbridled fury. By the time he was dismissed by Damien Fleming, Tendulkar had singlehandedly lifted India into the final at the expense of the Kiwis.

Relive Tendulkar's 'Desert Storm' at Sharjah

#15 - 134 (131) against Australia at Sharjah, 1998

Sachin Tendulkar Shane Warne — Tendulkar's riveting duel with Shane Warne was the key aspect of his majestic knock

Despite progressing to the final of the 1998 Coca-Cola Cup, the odds were still stacked against India. They had lost two of their group matches to Australia. When quickfire 70s from Steve Waugh and Darren Lehmann swelled their impending target to 273, their task became even more ominous. On a sluggish Sharjah track, chasing such a total in the bowler-friendly era of the 1990s was a daunting challenge.

With Ganguly falling early and Mongia offering obstinate support to a rampaging Tendulkar, the final followed the template set by the preceding encounter between the two teams. However, skipper Azharuddin played with authority and helped mount a double-barrelled attack on Australia.

The most significant duel within the game was between Tendulkar and Warne. The star batsmen, then at the peak of his powers, tamed the wily opponent by preventing him from finding his rhythm. The talisman leg-spinner conceded 61 runs from his quota of ten overs. Meanwhile, Tendulkar smashed a 131-ball 134 inclusive of 12 boundaries and 3 sixes. With six wickets and nine balls to spare, India successfully completed a nerve-wracking run-chase to lift the trophy.