Top 3 Underrated Centuries Scored by the Legendary Sachin Tendulkar
India’s legendary cricketing icon, Sachin Tendulkar, is commemorating his 50th birth anniversary. Sachin, a former Indian batting maestro, is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant cricket players of all time. His journey, epitomizing an exemplary tale of inspiration, serves as a source of awe for many.
Sachin’s illustrious international cricketing career spanned an astounding 664 matches, where he amassed a staggering 34,357 runs across all formats. However, these figures fail to capture the emotional bond that Sachin shared with innumerable cricket aficionados.
He stands alone as the solitary player in cricketing history to notch up 100 international centuries, comprising 51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs. Sachin also holds the record for the highest number of runs in Test cricket, with a total of 15,921 runs in 200 matches. In the following article, we will talk about three of Sachin Tendulkar’s most underrated centuries:
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1. 100 vs Pakistan, 1996:
Sachin Tendulkar delivered a stunning batting performance just a month after India’s elimination from the World Cup semi-final. He faced a formidable Pakistan bowling attack that included the likes of Aqib Javed and Waqar Younis.
Yet Sachin was in his zone, and in a rain-hit match, he kept accumulating runs with ease. He received substantial assistance from Sanjay Manjreker as India finished with 226 runs.
Tendulkar’s contribution was especially notable as he scored a mind-blowing 44% of the team’s total runs. Unfortunately, India lost the match due to a revised target. Nevertheless, Tendulkar managed to score his seventh ODI hundred in his 108th innings.
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2. 194* vs Pakistan, 2004:
It was the match where Virender Sehwag became the first Indian batter to hit a triple century, garnering all the headlines for his intrepid batting and for dismantling the Pakistan bowlers. Nevertheless, this was also a game where Sachin Tendulkar went about his work discreetly and registered another century.
He partnered with Sehwag, guiding the batter throughout his innings. As he was cruising along, Indian captain Rahul Dravid declared the innings, leaving Sachin stranded on 194.
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3. 124*(92) vs Zimbabwe, 1998:
In 1998, during a triangular series in Sharjah, Sachin Tendulkar confronted Zimbabwe’s Henry Olonga. Olonga dismissed Tendulkar with a slightly awkward short-pitched delivery and overzealously rejoiced. Sachin withdrew, but the narrative was far from over.
Just a few days after, India faced Zimbabwe, where their bowlers restrained the African side to a meagre score of 196. Although the pitch wasn’t entirely favourable for batting, Sachin was a man on a mission. He dominated Olonga, punishing every ball.
Tendulkar’s splendid innings included a score of 124 runs off only 92 balls, which led India to triumph. It was an impeccable demonstration of Tendulkar’s ability to overpower any bowler when he sets his mind to it.
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