India vs Australia. January 2004. SCG. Series on the line. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy of 2003/04 was coming to an end and it was level pegging going into Sydney for the fourth and final test. The Aussies were coming off the back of a fairly comprehensive victory in the Boxing Day Test just a week ago. The stakes were high for the Indians going into the new year, and there were a billion hopes of seeing India win a test series down-under for the first time ever.
3 out of the 4 Indian top order batsmen had had a significant contribution in the series, with big runs off the bat of Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, all of them coming at crucial times. Aakash Chopra also chipped in with a few handy knocks, laying a solid foundation for the strong middle order to come. The only man out of touch, was surprisingly, the master-blaster himself, Sachin Tendulkar. The Indian no.4 had scored a meager 82 runs in the first 5 innings, 2 of which included ducks. This left the legendary batsman with a big point to prove in the final 2 innings of the series.
Interestingly enough, Sachin had been dismissed caught behind in 3 of those 5 innings, all of them fishing outside off against the Aussie quicks. In a press conference prior to the start of the test, Tendulkar boldly stated that he won’t be playing a single shot through the off side in the entirety of the test match. This is a massive thing to say as the cover-drive is a stroke that is a result of muscle memory for Cricketers, let alone those playing for over 20 years. It would take a huge effort for Tendulkar to control his impulses and restrict his shots to straight down the ground or through the on side, but would he be able to do it? Only time would tell.
The 4th Test began with India winning the toss on a placid SCG wicket. A huge total was expected, especially given the form the Indian line up was in at the time. A solid opening start meant that the first wicket fell at 123. But the second victim fell soon after that, meaning it was the famous Indian no.4 who was due in to bat. The stage had been set by the Indian openers, and the shine was taken off the ball. It was now time for Tendulkar to make full use of this and put an end to his dry spell with bat.
The Aussie quicks had their tails up because of the two quick wickets, and given the form Tendulkar was in, he was seen by the hosts as a walking wicket. Little did they know what the master had in store. Sticking to his statement from earlier, Sachin refrained himself from any shots through the off side, making the Australians bowl to his strength, which was straight back past the bowler and off his pads. He frustrated the fast-bowling cartel, letting go of any deliveries outside the line of off stump.
Soon the man with just 82 runs in the series looked like the man to look out for. The Indian no.4 was in full flow, with that beautiful straight bat coming down and showing the maker’s name. He took on the likes of Lee, Gillespie, Bracken and MacGill with complete ease, playing on drives and flicks at will. As the overs ticked on and the runs piled on, Sachin moved from 50 to 100 to 150 to 200, spending over 600 minutes at the crease, gracing the SCG turf with his strokes and taking India from one milestone to the other. No bowling change could inspire a breakthrough for the Aussies, as even the unorthodox wrist spinner was taken apart by the master blaster.
Sachin ended up unbeaten on 241*, and India declared with a mammoth total of 705/7. This huge first innings lead gave the men in blue the hope of winning their first test series in Australia, but that wasn’t to be. Nonetheless, India drew the test match, with Sachin scoring another unbeaten 60 in the second innings.
The reason this innings is remembered is not just because of the sheer number of runs that he scored, but the mental fortitude that he displayed in holding himself back from playing a stroke that he had struggled with. That sort of a control over one’s mind and technique was unheard of, and that is what put Sachin in a league of his own. The Wagon Wheel, and the memories from that historical innings will be long remembered by Cricket tragics all across the globe. This, along with 24 years worth of dedication is what will keep Indian fans forever grateful for the blessing that was Sachin Tendulkar.
-Vibhor Dubey
The Average Cricketer 