CT IPL Flashback: The night Sachin Tendulkar scored his first T20 hundred

Sachin Tendulkar, perhaps the biggest name of all time in world cricket holds the most number of batting records. Most number of runs, most centuries, most hundreds and plenty others decorate the humungous record of his. He possessed the grace in his shots that forced the world to stop and have a look at him. He was the master of Test and ODI cricket in his peak.

But when the 2007 T20 World Cup arrived, he along with other senior members opted to pull out of the side as the shortest format was not being looked upon with the same respect as compared to Tests and ODIs. India had played just the solitary T20I before going into the tournament and no one really gave them a chance. But the young Indian side led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni went the distance and brought the inaugural trophy home.

It marked the start of the T20 era in Indian cricket that just revolutionized the game. IPL was introduced a year later that involved huge stakes of the franchise and big money was introduced in the game. A lot was expected from the players in return for the prize they were paid. The youngsters enjoyed the times of their life as the tournament seemed like one tailor-made for them.

T20 cricket raised pressure on the veterans

It exerted pressure on the veterans as they were being compared to the dynamic youngsters who brought innovative strokes in the game to collect runs. Saurav Ganguly was not picked initially in the player auction by anyone in 2011. There were questions being raised on Tendulkar as well whether he would be able to cope with the transformations in the game. Though he had a plethora of hundreds to his name in international cricket and also won the orange cap in 2010 yet a ton in T20 cricket still had eluded him.

But the master proved the critics wrong and as usual, answered with his bat. It was the 4th edition of the league, Mumbai Indians played home to Kochi Tuskers Kerala on April 15, 2011. The celebration of India’s ODI World Cup triumph two weeks ago was still in the air and Tendulkar’s first hundred in the IPL only added to that.

Mumbai batted first after losing the toss and Tendulkar walked in to open the innings along with the South African Davy Jacobs. There was a buzz around the ground as the Wankhede welcomed its favorite son. He survived an early scare when a direct hit was missed by the fielder that would have found him short of the crease. But a beautiful straight drive soon eased the nerves and marked the beginning of something special.

A lovely build up

He looked in great touch post that as he was relentless on anything outside off and sent them packing to the boundaries more often than not. All the ground strokes as good as they used to be in his prime. Jacobs was not all that comfortable at the crease and departed after scoring 12 off 21 balls. The opening partnership added 61 runs off 51 balls in which Tendulkar was the major contributor.

Ambati Rayudu was the new man at number 3 who made it easy for the man at the other end by going after the bowling. He kept the tempo going that allowed Tendulkar to build his innings who brought up his fifty off 43 overs in the 14th over with a flick shot off Ravindra Jadeja.

That was the time when he decided to up the ante. He blasted two sixes and a four in the 16th over bowled by Vinay Kumar. The hundred was still far away as the overs were burning down. Then he produced a moment of magic and took a leaf out of India’s then captain Dhoni’s book and played a helicopter shot off Thisara Perera that went flying over the infield between long-on and deep midwicket for four.

It was followed by a six over long off and he moved into the 90s with just one over to go. Vinay Kumar was again at the receiving end as the master blaster smacked him for a four to fine leg. Next ball, he hit one straight down the ground and the batsmen exchanged ends, Rayudu decided to go for one more to put Tendulkar on strike and sacrificed himself at the non-striker’s end after scoring 53.

The moment finally arrived

Two balls remaining and 5 to get to reach the three figures mark. The whole Wankhede crowd was on its feet in the anticipation. Off the penultimate ball, Tendulkar struck a boundary to long-on and got ever so close to the magical number. There was tension as there always was when he was in the 90s. The last ball of the innings and he played it smartly to long off to take a single and the moment had arrived.

He reached his century off 66 balls with 12 fours and 3 sixes. The fans gave him a standing ovation as Sachin had another hundred, this time in a T20. Mumbai posted a mammoth total of 182 with the fall of just 2 wickets.

A not so fairy tale

But unfortunately, the hundred did not come in a winning cause as Kochi chased the total down courtesy half-centuries from the openers Brendon McCullum and Mahela Jayawardene and a daunting partnership of 128 runs.It turned out to be a thriller as they pulled off the victory from the last ball and achieved their first ever victory in the league.

Despite the loss, it will be remembered for the lovely hundred scored by the master of the game and the first and the only of its kind.