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Today, for one final time, Sachin Tendulkar will grace the Wankhede stadium, the ground where he has played numerous memorable innings against the toughest of oppositions and mesmerized one and all like no other. This is the very same ground where he began as a young prodigy making his mark and stupefying great players with a display of his unmatched talent. In this very ground, he turned out for numerous Ranji matches for Mumbai and led the Mumbai Indians to glory. Thus, it will be an emotional moment, not only for the man himself but for his teammates and for his home crowd and fans all around the world. The fact that he gets to play it in his home stadium is a small but fitting send off to a great man who has served the nation tirelessly for 24 long years without a flinch. Here I set out to refresh memories by listing out the 5 best innings he has played at his home ground.
5) 55 vs. Australia in 2004: This innings must be mentioned for the impact it managed to create in the situation of the game. India was bowled out for 104 in the first innings. Australia scored 203 and thus took a 99-run lead in the first innings. In the second innings, India lost openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag early with just 14 runs on the board. In came Tendulkar and launched a counterattack along with VVS Laxman to add 91 runs. Tendulkar’s 55-run knock included six boundaries and a huge six. In what turned out to be an edge of the seat thriller, India got a lead of 106 and bowled out the visitors for 93 to steal a narrow victory by 13 runs.
4) 94 vs. West Indies In 2011: One word that would aptly sum up this test match is heartbreak. Millions of fans left speechless in the end even though India registered a comfortable victory. After West Indies scored 590 in the first innings, India got off to a decent start before losing their top 3. Tendulkar walked in at No. 4 with score at 138. He looked well-set on the third day and was unbeaten at 67 on stumps. He had scored 99 international centuries and the ‘Tendulkar fever’ could be clearly seen on every face of the stadium. Tendulkar looked fairly comfortable on day Four and played some exhilarating shots. But in the end, the nervous nineties pressure came to haunt even the great man when at 94, he edged Ravi Rampaul to Darren Sammy at the second slip and what followed was a pin-drop silence at the Wankhede Stadium.
3) 148 vs. Sri Lanka in 1997: This was Tendulkar’s first international century at his home ground and it was an innings of pure grit and substance. Sachin batted with extreme caution in the post tea session of the first day, scoring just eight runs in 71 minutes. But on the second day, he broke loose and started playing his shots with grace and ease. His classic compendium consisted of 20 boundaries and three sixes. It was in this innings that Tendulkar reached another milestone and completed his 4,000 runs in Test cricket. He was promptly awarded the man of the match for his match winning knock.
2) 76 vs. Australia in 2001: The Border-Gavaskar series of 2001 is remembered mostly for the Eden Gardens test and VVS Laxman’s 281. But, this test match must be remembered as an indicator of how dependent Indian team of 2001 was on Sachin Tendulkar. On the opening day of the first Test match, Tendulkar played a fascinating innings of 76 against the mighty Australians comprising of the likes of Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath in their bowling line-up. He walked in at 25 for 2 and then took over the mantle of scoring for the team. His innings was marked by 13 fluent boundaries. His dismissal marked the fall of the team as Australia gained control of the game and bowled out India for a paltry 173.
1) 97 vs. South Africa In 2000: Superiority is the word for this game. The fact that no one could match the great man in the era is evident from these match stats. Tendulkar dominated the South African attack belting them black and blue as wickets kept tumbling around him. He hit 12 boundaries and two sixes en route to 97 before glancing Jacques Kallis too fine only to be caught down the leg-side by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. It was again a nervous ninety fall for the great man and the disappointment on his face said it all. Although India lost the Test match by four wickets, Tendulkar was declared man-of-the-match for his defiant counterattack.
