A look at Sachin Tendulkar's immortal World Cup legacy
For any Indian or Pakistani cricketer, no match generates as much hype as one against their arch-rivals. When this match happens to be a World Cup match, the frenzy of cricket crazy fans knows no bounds. No matter how much they try and play it down, no other match even comes close to the pressure that an encounter between India and Pakistan carries.On Sunday, the 15th of February, the traditional arch-rivals begin their World Cup 2015 campaigns against each other in what is expected to be a capacity crowd of 53,000 at the Adelaide Oval. It will be the 6th occasion when the two Asian giants face off in World Cups. It will also be the first time in 23 years that Sachin Tendulkar will not be a part of an India-Pakistan clash at the mega event. The jury is out on whether or not India will be able to continue its winning streak, but one thing is certain - India will miss their favourite son. Of the 5 previous India-Pakistan clashes in World Cups, Sachin was the Man of the Match on 3 occasions.Tendulkar brought out his best against the arch-rivals from across the border, but it was not just them. He had this habit of raising his game in ICC’s pinnacle event. “Couldn't have asked for something bigger than this. I think winning the World Cup is the biggest thing and I am experiencing it. It's the proudest moment of my life,” said the “Little Master” after finally laying his hands on the coveted trophy in his 6th and last attempt. No surprise, then, that Tendulkar happens to be the most successful batsman in World Cups, a tournament that meant so much to him.The 41-year-old scored 6 hundreds and 15 fifties, winning 9 Man of the Match awards in the process, each one being a World Cup record. He scored 2278 runs in 44 World Cup innings, averaging 56.95 and striking at 88.98.Sachin Tendulkar's batting record MatchesInningsNORunsHSBatting Avg.SR100s50sWorld Cup45444227815256.9588.93615Overall Career4634524118426200*44.8386.234996Here’s a detailed look at Tendulkar’s 6 World Cup campaigns:
#1 World Cup 1992 - Australia and New Zealand
Sachin made his World Cup debut against England at the WACA in Perth, one of the fastest pitches in the world. He scored 35 runs and bowled 10 wicketless overs in his maiden appearance for India in the World Cup. India fell short by 9 runs in the end, but Tendulkar truly had arrived.
Tendulkar scored a fighting 54 not out to help India beat Pakistan, thereby earning the Man of the Match award. However, India failed to qualify for the knockout stages whereas Pakistan went on to win the showpiece event.
His other notable innings during the tournament included his 81 against Zimbabwe and 84 against New Zealand.
| Matches | Innings | NO | Runs | HS | Batting Avg. | SR | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 7 | 1 | 283 | 84 | 47.16 | 84.73 | 0 | 3 |