The matches against Pakistan often carried extra weight due to the intense rivalry between the two nations and Tendulkar played some of his most memorable innings against Pakistan across formats.
One of those memorable knocks came on March 16, 2004 in Rawalpindi when Tendulkar smashed 141 against a bowling attack that boasted of Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq.
Tendulkar reached his hundred off 106 balls with a single off Shoaib Akhtar on the second ball of the 30th over of the Indian run chase.
Tendulkar reached his century with the help of 13 fours and became the first Indian to score an ODI hundred in Pakistan.
During his knock, Tendulkar also reached 13,000 runs in ODIs and needless to say, he was the first batsman to get to this landmark also.
Chasing a stiff 330-run target, Tendulkar waged a lone battle with his sparkling knock of 141 runs that came off 135 balls and was studded with 17 fours and a six. The next highest run scorer for India in that match was Rahul Dravid who scored 36.
Tendulkar fell in the 39th over caught by Abdul Razzaq off Shoaib Malik as India lost the match by 12 runs and Pakistan leveled the five-match series 1-1.
Sachin had made his international debut as a 16-year-old in a Test series against Pakistan in 1989. Facing a world-class bowling attack featuring the likes of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis (also debuting), and Abdul Qadir, Tendulkar showed immense grit, signaling the arrival of a future cricketing great.
Tendulkar’s matchups with Pakistan always carried high stakes, and his ability to perform in these pressure-filled contests cemented his status as one of cricket’s greatest players.
Tendulkar’s battles with Pakistani legends like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhtar are still remembered by fans on both sides of the border.
#Sachin #Tendulkar #Indian #score #ODI #Pakistan #Cricket #News #Times #India