Sachin and his 100th Hundred

It was on 12^th of March 2011 during World Cup that Sachin reached his 99^th international hundred. It was against South Africa at Jamtha in Nagpur. Sachin batted like a king on that day and made the likes of Steyn, Morkel and Kallis look like weeping school boys. Unfortunately India went on to lose that match and the old story of Sachin getting hundred and India losing poked its head out. Sachin got his 48^th ODI hundred on that day to go along with 51 hundreds he scored in test match cricket. 

So media, stats guru all got busy and worked out a new record which had and which will never ever happen again. It was 100 international hundreds. Media hyped that record to such an extent that it became important as winning the World Cup. Fortunately India won the trophy but sadly Sachin was not able to get that elusive ton during World Cup. He came very score during semifinal against Pakistan when he got out on 85 runs. India won that game and for time being 100^th hundred took a back stage rather than a headline in news papers. 

Next match for India and Sachin was World Cup final and that too on his home ground at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. Million heart beats were cheering for India as usual and in one corner of their hearts they wanted to witness Sachin’s 100^th hundred on such a big stage like a Final day of World Cup. Sadly Sachin was dismissed on 18 on that big day and the disappointment among millions of Indian supporters was felt all across the planet. When Malinga forced Sachin to edge one to Sangakara behind stumps, the silence which followed across the stadium express everything. That moment at Wankhede was a perfect epitome of “Pin Drop Silence”. India won the match and World Cup which made people forget the disappointment for some time. 

After World Cup India toured England and once again media was at its best promoting the 100^th hundred. 1^st Test of the series was played at Lords which is also called as “Mecca of Cricket”. Sachin has never got a hundred at Lords even when his Mumbai mate Ajit Agarkar has got one there. So everyone wanted Sachin to reach the landmark here. But Sachin was out cheaply in both innings and the wait continued. India’s disastrous campaign in England moved from Lords to Nottingham to Birmingham and finally it came back to Oval in London. India was humiliated “3-0” by England and the only purpose of playing the last test was to avoid the white wash. 

It was the last day at Oval and India were fighting to save the test match which was looking unlikely by going with the current batting form of Indian team. Sachin Tendulkar and Amit Mishra were at the crease and it was just a matter of time for England. When Sachin nicks one to the keeper the rest will follow him was the thinking of the England team. But Sachin and Mishra looked solid right through the first session and India were sitting pretty at 269/3 with a chance of saving the Test match. Sachin was batting on 91 and suddenly the old recorded came back to everyone’s mind from commentators to media to cricket followers. 

Sachin’s 100^th hundred will bring smile to the entire country who was disappointed with the current performance of the team in England was the general perception. But suddenly disaster struck when Sachin tried to flick a delivery from Bresnan through the On side. He missed the ball and was caught plump in front to the disappointment of his more than million followers.  But being a hardcore Sachin fan I personally did not wanted Sachin to reach such a huge landmark in a losing cause for his team.

Sachin missed the next two ODI series against England due to injury and came back for the ongoing West Indies series. First test at the Kotla was concluded just couple of days back and India won the match by chasing at a stiff target of 276 on a dicey wicket at Kotla. Once again Sachin Tendulkar was the man who took India to a winning position by scoring masterly 76 runs .As soon as Sachin crossed 50 all news channels, commentators started discussing about the 100^th hundred. 

It was a perfect scenario for master to reach the landmark but sadly he missed the flipper from Bishoo and was adjudged leg before. But I think looking at the way Sachin started batting once he reached 70 runs looked as if master has taken a bit of pressure on himself to get the landmark. By looking at the destiny of the great man who won the World Cup in his own backyard for India it may be a perfect scenario for him to score his 100^th hundred at his backyard at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai when the last test begins there from 22^nd of November.