Tendulkar's ODI centuries

The following are the complete details of each of Sachin Tendulkar's hundreds in ODI cricket arranged in chronological order:

1) 110 (186 minutes, 130 balls, 8 fours, 2 sixes, strike rate 84.61) in the first innings v Australia at Colombo (RPS) on September 9, 1994: Brief score (India 246-8/50 and Australia 215/47.4), India won by 31 runs. India won the toss and decided to bat first. Tendulkar's maiden century in 78th ODI was fashioned from a blazing assault in the first hour. He raced to fifty in 43 balls, knocking first the pace bowlers and then Shane Warne - with two sixes in an over - out of the attack. His 110 from 132 balls began a new chapter in international cricket as he broke the shackle of going through the instant cricket sans a ton. It must be admitted that he confined himself to middle-order till then in most of the matches. He went on to win the coveted Man of the Match award.

2) 115 (184 minutes, 136 balls, 9 fours, 3 sixes, strike rate 84.55) in the second innings v New Zealand at Vadodara on October 28, 1994: Brief score (New Zealand 269-4/50 and India 271-3/48.1), India won by seven wickets. India were chasing a victory target of 270 runs at the small IPCL ground. Restored to open the innings, Tendulkar was dropped when he was on eight. He started slowly, and was associated in 144-run stand with Manoj Prabhakar for the first wicket position. He then broke loose to hit nine fours and three sixes to guide India to seven-wicket triumph with 11 balls to spare. He was eventually run-out as Mohammad Azharuddin's straight drive ricocheted off bowler's hand to hit the stump. He once again went on to win the Man of the Match award.

3) 105 (180 minutes, 134 balls, 10 fours, strike rate 78.35) in the first innings v West Indies at Jaipur on November 11, 1994: Brief score (India 259-5/50 and West Indies 254/49), India won by five runs. Tendulkar scored his third limited-overs century in two months, following his 115 v New Zealand a fortnight earlier and 110 against Australia in September. He was named Man of the Series, in which he amassed 246, despite two ducks. He put on 95 with Ajay Jadeja and 117 with Vinod Kambli as India raced to 212 for one at one stage after being sent in. India lost the momentum there after but still managed to win the match by a slender margin of five runs.


4) 112 not out (137 minutes, 107 balls, 15 fours, 1 six, strike rate 104.67) in the second innings v Sri Lanka at Sharjah on April 9, 1995: Brief score (Sri Lanka 202-9/50 and India 206-2/33.1), India won by eight wickets. Victory left India well-placed in the qualifying table, especially as they boosted their run-rate by passing their target inside 34 overs. They bowled well, fielded well and Tendulkar batted superbly. He drove his way to an unbeaten 112 from 105 balls, including 15 fours and a six. His first 50 took just 44 balls but he then steadied himself to play a big innings. It was his fourth century in the ODI which once again helped him to pocket the Man of the Match award.


Text: Anant Gaundalkar

Images: AFP


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