Reliving Sachin Tendulkar's ODI centuries: 11-15

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

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.

Reminisce Tendulkar's century in the 1998 Coca-Cola Cup final