Sachin Tendulkar's five best Test knocks vs Australia in India
The Australian cricket team was invincible for the majority of the 90s and the dawn of the 21st century. If the team under Steve Waugh made winning a habit, the one under Ricky Ponting became simply unstoppable.
They were ruthless and aggressive in their approach. The oppositions perished against the most fearsome bowling attack since, perhaps the West Indies of the 70s. In all these years, no team could match up to the mighty Aussies. Yet, one cricketer defied them absolute dominion. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.
Also read: Sachin Tendulkar's top 7 knocks outside India
The following are his greatest knocks against Australia in India. Each of these innings is not only a testament to his brilliance but also thematic enough to find its place in the history books.
#5 109, Nagpur, 2008-09
Towards the end of the first decade of this century, Australia lost some major players including Gilchrist, McGrath, and Warne but continued to maintain a consistent winning record. The Border-Gavaskar series of 2008-09 was different, though.
India headed into the final match of the four-match series leading 1-0. After a frenetic run-a-ball 66 by Sehwag, Ricky Ponting’s team scrapped back with wickets at regular intervals to keep the hosts under control in the first innings.
Stability came in the form of Sachin and Laxman, who batted through some spirited bowling to put India in a dominant position by the end of day’s play. Tendulkar’s 40th Test century consisted of all his trademark shots – the sublime flicks to square leg, the controlled back foot drives and effortless cuts. India went on to win the game by 172 runs and the series 2-0.