Tendulkar's tryst with history in South Africa: How Master Blaster achieved mega milestone against Proteas at Centurion
Dhoni was typically belligerent, smacking boundaries for fun, while Tendulkar wasn’t as indulgent, one eye perhaps on the milestone.
The very best are forever expected to maintain a certain standard, but even they occasionally stun the world, and perhaps even themselves, with a standout year. Sachin Tendulkar enjoyed a stupendous run of form in 2010, a year that saw him reach heights that no one in the history of cricket had previously.
The little man kicked off 2010 with centuries in both Tests in Bangladesh in January, then became the first to breach the 200-run mark in One-Day Internationals the following month in Gwalior against South Africa, this after having unleashed two hundreds in as many Tests that preceded the ODI series. In July in Colombo, he scored 203 in the drawn second Test against Sri Lanka and produced 214 of the very best against Australia in Bengaluru in October to set up a series sweep against Ricky Ponting’s side.
Six hundreds for the calendar year had extended Tendulkar’s record tally of Test tons to a monumental 49 when India went to South Africa for a three-match series in December, hoping yet again to manage a series triumph that had remained steadfastly elusive. Their designs of making an early statement suffered a setback when Zaheer Khan was ruled out of the opener in Centurion. To make matters worse, Graeme Smith won the toss on a cloudy, damp, dismal day and India caved in like a pack of cards, shot out for a mere 136. Tendulkar made a breezy 36, full of attacking shots before a ball that bore his name arrived, but it was too little so far as India were concerned.
As the conditions eased out, South Africa put the Indian bowling in its place. Jaydev Unadkat, Zaheer’s 19-year-old replacement, was exposed to the harsh realities of Test cricket on debut, the left-armer going wicketless while conceding 101 runs in his 26 overs. S Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma and Harbhajan Singh fared hardly better as the South Africans amassed 620 for four on the back of centuries from Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers and a maiden double-century by Jacques Kallis.
South Africa’s rapid rate of scoring – 4.76 runs per over – meant there was no escape route for India. All they could do was delay the inevitable and stack up a few runs for the sake of confidence, what with two more Tests to play. Trailing by 484 runs, India made a promising start and reached 214 for two when South Africa’s pacers plucked out four for 63 to leave the visitors facing a massive loss.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni joined Tendulkar and the two set about redressing the balance. Dhoni was typically belligerent, smacking boundaries for fun, while Tendulkar wasn’t as indulgent, one eye perhaps on the milestone of 50 Test hundreds – even all these years, that number seems surreal – that would catapult him even beyond cricketing stratosphere. The two added 172 to ensure that even in defeat, India didn’t entirely embarrass themselves. It was during that alliance that Tendulkar kept his tryst with history, driving another of his great rivals, Dale Steyn, to sweeper cover for a gentle single with the most magnificent ramifications. The South Africans made a beeline to congratulate Tendulkar, who soaked in the adulation, aware that he had gone where no man had before. And no one is likely to either, in a hurry. Among active players, Steve Smith has 32 centuries, Joe Root 30, Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli 29 each. Fifty Test centuries anyone? Na na na…
India’s innings-and-25-run defeat was reduced to a footnote in the euphoria surrounding Tendulkar’s mega milestone. For the longest of times, Sir Don Bradman’s 29 Test hundreds had towered as the gold standard of Test batting; another little master had shifted the goalpost exponentially. During Tendulkar’s early days in international cricket, the Don had told his wife that the Indian reminded him of his own batting. Tendulkar didn’t let the great man down, did he?
Two Tests later, in Cape Town, Tendulkar brought up his 51st and final Test century after a memorable faceoff with Steyn. The South African quick produced a spell of subliminal beauty, swinging the cricket ball like a banana on the third morning. For five overs, he threatened a wicket every ball, but unfortunately for him, up against him was a certain Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar expertly shielded Gautam Gambhir from the marauding Steyn, faced most of those 30 deliveries and was beaten perhaps thrice, at best, a tribute to his technical expertise. The contest ended level on points, a fitting result given the exceptional highs both the batter and the bowler had reached during the battle royale. The series, too, ended in a stalemate after India’s excellent win in the second Test in Durban.
Brief scores: India: 136 all out in 38.4 overs (Sachin Tendulkar 36, Mahendra Singh Dhoni 33, Harbhajan Singh 27; Dale Steyn 3-34, Morne Morkel 5-20) and 459 all out in 128.1 overs (Gautam Gambhir 80, Virender Sehwag 63, Rahul Dravid 43, Sachin Tendulkar 111 n.o., Mahendra Singh Dhoni 90; Dale Steyn 4-105, Morne Morkel 2-94, Paul Harris 2-88) lost to South Africa: 620/4 decl. in 130.1 overs (Graeme Smith 62, Alviro Petersen 77, Hashim Amla 140, Jacques Kallis 201 n.o., AB de Villiers 129; Ishant Sharma 2-120, Harbhajan Singh 2-169) by an innings and 25 runs. Player of the Match: Jacques Kallis.
