Sachin Tendulkar has finally ticked the lone nagging box in his otherwise comprehensive career – a Test century at the home of Sir Donald Bradman.
It was Bradman who elevated Tendulkar above the ranks of batting’s mere mortals by remarking in a 1996 interview that the little Indian reminded him of how he must have batted.
And so tonight, after he had walked off to unanimous acclaim from the crowd of 19,654, Tendulkar dedicated his century to Bradman, who died in February 2001.
Tendulkar has endured some rum luck at Adelaide Oval in the past, at least once being wrongly dismissed when a hundred looked ripe for the plucking.
“I know Adelaide hasn’t been a great ground for me, in 1999 I scored 61 but it otherwise hasn’t been a great ground, so I was determined to get a big one,” Tendulkar said tonight.
“It also happens to be Sir Don’s home ground so I think that it was a tribute to Sir Don.”
There was gratefulness also for the crowds around Australia, who have lauded Tendulkar in the warmest and most sustained burst of adulation since Steve Waugh did his final lap of Australian grounds in the series against India in 2003-04.
“It’s truly special and very overwhelming,” Tendulkar said.
“Sometimes I need to look at the scoreboard to figure out if I’m batting 100 plus or whether I’m on zero, so the ovation has been truly fantastic, it is a special one and it has made my trip very, very special.”
Tendulkar’s past misadventures in Adelaide will probably be forgotten after today, pleasingly erased by today’s innings.
In December 1999 as captain of India, he was flying towards the milestone on the third morning of the first Test of a series his team would eventually lose 3-0.
He coshed Michael Kasprowicz for three boundaries in succession and gave the general impression he would be good for three figures and probably more.
But on 61 he essayed a legside flick at Shane Warne, the ball travelled briskly from pad to Justin Langer at short leg, and, for reasons best known to umpire Daryl Harper, the “little master” was given out.
In the second innings he again fell victim to ill-fortune, ducking into a Glenn McGrath bouncer that skidded through low and he was given somewhat speculatively lbw, again by Harper.
It was perhaps with this rum luck in mind, as well as the realisation they were watching him bat for the last time in a Test here, that the crowd rose a little more enthusiastically than usual to cheer Tendulkar when his century arrived at a shade after 5pm.
They were grateful, too, for a performance that sparkled, taking up only 133 balls between zero and 100, with three sixes and eight fours struck to all parts.
Tendulkar has now scored six centuries in Australia, all of them different in tone and character – further proof of the ability Bradman himself so admired.
39 – Sachin Tendulkar (India) 146 matches from 1989-2008
34 – Sunil Gavaskar (India) 125 matches from 1971-87, Brian Lara (West Indies) 131 matches from 1990-2006
33 – Ricky Ponting (Australia) 116 matches from 1995-2008
32 – Steve Waugh (Australia) 168 matches from 1985-2004
29 – Don Bradman (Australia) 52 matches from 1928-48, Matthew Hayden (Australia) 94 matches from 1994-2008, Jacques Kallis (South Africa/World XI) 114 matches from 1995-2008
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
Johnny Bairstow has hit his way back into form with a 45-ball century as he steered his side to a record-breaking win, easily chasing…
It seems franchise cricket has forgotten about the great battle between bat and ball. In fact, this season in the IPL there is no battle at all.
The mammoth rise of Jake Fraser-McGurk - his enormous potential and the destructive shot-making that he possesses makes him a very tempting option.
Marcus Stoinis produced his first IPL century and it was a beauty. He went 6, 4, 4, 4 to finish off the Lucknow Super…
Xavier Bartlett has been permission to extend his cricketing education with a spell of T20s in England, playing in the Blast competition for Kent…
Three-Test spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has signed with Tasmania in a bid for red-ball game time ahead of Australia's tour of Sri Lanka next summer.…
