3 greatest ODI knocks by Sachin Tendulkar in a losing cause
In a career spanning almost a quarter of a century, Sachin Tendulkar captivated and bewitched the cricketing world in a way that nobody else could. And in the process he racked up the numbers too; the 'Little Master’ holds just about every single batting record in ODI cricket, including most runs (18426), most hundreds (49), most fifties (96) and most man of the match awards (62).
More significantly, Tendulkar was the lone warrior for his side for a major part of his career. He carried the burden of not only the entire team but also that of a billion-plus Indians, who pinned their hopes on him to answer their prayers.
As great as the man was, there were numerous occasions when Tendulkar’s mastery with the willow failed to get his side past the finish line. In this article, let us look at the three greatest ODI knocks played by Sachin Tendulkar in a losing cause:
#3 141 vs Pakistan, 2004
India took on arch rivals Pakistan at Rawalpindi in 2004. Pakistan batted first and posted a mammoth 329 runs on the board, courtesy a whirlwind opening stand of 138 runs between Yasir Hameed and Shahid Afridi and a cameo from Abdul Razzaq lower down the order.
In reply, Tendulkar led the charge with the willow for India. The master batsman scored a scintillating 141, inclusive of 17 fours and a six. But he fell with the score at 265, and India folded like a pack of cards for 317 runs - enabling Pakistan to win by 12 runs.
To put things into perspective, the next highest scorer for the Indian team was Rahul Dravid who managed 36 runs.
Match summary: Pakistan 329/6 (Yasir Hameed 80) beat India 317/10 (Sachin Tendulkar 141)
Also see – World Test Championship points table