Reliving Sachin Tendulkar's Test Centuries: Century 41-45

This series of articles looks relives the magic of the 51 centuries that Sachin Tendulkar in Test cricket. Many of them were a treat for anyone who was privileged enough to have seen them live, while others showed the master's determination to grind the opposition when the chips were down. On the other hand, there were certain innings that completed a stinging counterattack in the midst of a crisis.

Here is a look at his 41st century through to the 45th and although these were scored in the latter half of his career, these are a microcosm of the sort of centuries that Tendulkar scored in his career.

5 103 not out v England at Chennai, 2008

Sachin Tendulkar's 41st century was a special one for a number of reasons. It came in the first Test match hosted in India following the November 2008 terror attacks in his home city of Mumbai and the century helped India successfully chase down the 2nd highest target in their history.

After India could only respond with 241 to England's 1st innings total of 316, they were left with an uphill battle as the visitors set them a daunting target of 387 in just over 3 sessions. Virender Sehwag''s opening salvo of 83 off just 68 balls evened things out and then Sachin Tendulkar took over on the last day.

He was patient and calculating throughout the duration of the innings and seemed determined to see India home to a famous win. Tendulkar hit only 9 boundaries in his century but he also took lots of singles and in the company of Yuvraj Singh (85 not out), the master helped India record one of its most famous wins in recent memory.

4 160 v New Zealand at Hamilton, 2009

Sachin Tendulkar in action against New Zealand

India first Test series win in New Zealand since 1967-68 was won with a 1-0 margin and the solitary win that came in the 1st Test at Hamilton was built around a massive first innings score.

After New Zealand had been dismissed for 279, India got round to posting a massive first innings score of 520 and it was Sachin Tendulkar's superb 160 that was the innings around which that huge total was made. It was an innings of outstanding technical brilliance and scintillating stroke play that made it possible for India to score at 3.4 runs an over.

In total Tendulkar hit 26 boundaries and recorded a strike rate of 61.53, as other batsmen as well as tail-ender Zaheer Khan (51) joined in the action to lift the score to 520. New Zealand were bowled out for 279 in the 2nd innings and India won the Test by 10 wickets. Tendulkar's superb effort got him the man of the match award.

3 100 not out v Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad, 2009

Sachin Tendulkar (representative image)

It was a run-fest of epic proportions when India took on Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad back in 2009. However, India had to play for survival on the last day after they ended the 4th day at 190 for 2 and were faced with a first innings deficit of 334 runs.

After India had made 426 in the first innings, Sri Lanka responded with a colossal 760 and hence the team needed to see out the game on the 5th day.

Tendulkar came in to bat on the last day with India comfortably placed at 209 for 3 and considering the fact that the team were still 125 runs behind, he played a cautious innings that simply shut Sri Lanka out of the game.

Along with opener Gautam Gambhir, he put together a superb partnership and hit 11 boundaries in his 211 deliveries vigil at the crease. He completely mastered Muralitharan on a last day pitch and by the time he got his century, Tendulkar had dominated the rest of the Sri Lankan attack as well.

2 105 not out v Bangladesh at Chittagong, 2010

Sachin Tendulkar (representative image)

In the 1st Test of the series against Bangladesh in 2009, India did not do well and were dismissed for 243 in the 1st innings. However, had it not been for the unbeaten century scored by Sachin Tendulkar, it could have been far worse.

Tendulkar came in to bat with the scoreboard reading 79 for 2 and played an innings filled with brilliant strokes as he kept losing partners from the other end. The thing with truly brilliant batsmen is that they can raise their game and go for their strokes when they realise that they might be running out of partners.

Tendulkar struck at a rate of 63.25 and hit 11 boundaries in addition to 2 sixes, to play an innings that eventually proved to be decisive in the Test. India eventually won the Test by 113 runs and Tendulkar was adjudged as the player of the match.

1 143 v Bangladesh at Dhaka, 2010

Sachin Tendulkar (representative image)

India were already leading the two-match series 1-0 when they arrived in Dhaka for the final Test. After Bangladesh were dismissed for 233 in their first innings, Indie responded with 544 and the top scorer in the innings was Sachin Tendulkar.

It was a run feast but yet again Tendulkar showed that if the bowling was there for the taking he would play his strokes and on this particular occasion, he completely brutalised the Bangladesh bowling attack with an innings of sustained aggression.

He faced only 182 deliveries to score 143 and hit 13 boundaries and six to emerge as the top scorer in the innings. Tendulkar's scintillating innings paved the way for India's run rate of 4.09 and gave the bowlers ample time to get Bangladesh out in the 2nd innings. India duly won the game largely due to Zaheer Khan's brilliant 7 wicket haul in the 2nd innings.