Legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar has donned the Indian jersey just once in his career on his birthday. He made that occasion count by scoring his 15th ODI century against Australia in Sharjah in 1998. It was the final of the Coca-Cola Cup and he dedicated that century to his wife Anjali Tendulkar.
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The final was played just a couple of days after the iconic ‘Desert Storm’ knock. Australia batted first in Sharjah and posted a score of 272/9. Then Australian captain Steve Waugh and batter Darren Lehmann scored brilliant half-centuries. Former Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad bowled an excellent spell of 10-1-32-2.
It was a tough chase and former captain Sourav Ganguly got out early. Tendulkar then added 89 runs with batter Nayan Mongia for the second wicket. After Mongia’s dismissal, then-captain Mohammad Azharuddin joined Tendulkar in the middle and both of them combined for a 120-run partnership to take the team closer to victory.
Australian pacer Damien Fleming was bowling great in that match, but Tendulkar negated him. He smashed the Australian bowlers all over the park. He scored 134 (131) with the help of 12 boundaries and three sixes. Tendulkar completed his century on the fourth ball of the 37th over by taking a single. The whole crowd gave him a thunderous ovation, but he just raised his bat as the job was not finished yet.
When Sachin Tendulkar Dedicated His 15th ODI Century to Anjali Tendulkar On His 25th Birthday
For his excellent performances, Tendulkar was named both Man of the Series & Man of the Match. It was Tendulkar’s 25th birthday and he wished for more birthdays like the same. In the post-match conference, he had said that the inning was a gift for his wife.
“I wish I could have many birthdays like this,” Tendulkar had said.
“It is good for the country. I was tired but I had to give a gift to my wife on my birthday. So this is for her. I thought Damien Fleming was bowling really well. My plan was to see him off and then take charge.”
Tendulkar scored 435 runs in five innings at an average of 87.00 with the help of two half-centuries and one century. This was certainly one of the most memorable tournaments for the ‘Master Blaster’.
Team India ODI record when Sachin Tendulkar scored century
Tendulkar scored 49 ODI centuries for India, where India managed to win 33 out of them. The winning ratio of India, when Tendulkar scored a hundred in ODI cricket, is 67.35%. India lost 28.57% of the matches when he scored a century in One Dayers.
