Crowd jeered Ravi Rampaul after he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar

Rampaul has said he was jeered a bit by the crowd after he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar six short of his 100th international century, but he added he was not worried by the incident.

Rampaul had Tendulkar caught by captain Darren Sammy at second slip for 94 -- six runs short of the landmark in the morning session on Friday.

"Yeah, I got that (jeers) as soon as Sachin went. I went back to the boundary and all that time, I was heckled. That's life, you know. A lot of fans had their hearts broken but we can't just let him (Tendulkar) go there and let him live freely. It's a Test match and we are fighting hard to win. We have a job to do."

Rampaul also outlined how he and West Indies Head Coach Ottis Gibson planned the move and worked on it in the morning warm-up before play started on the fourth day of the third and final Test match at the Wankhede Stadium.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy said he was delighted with Rampaul's effort, not just on Friday, but throughout the year.

"Ravi bowled with great heart and kept us in the game. He had a good plan of how to get Sachin's wicket and it worked superbly. He was patient and tried to make sure he got the ball in the right areas. When he hit the edge and I saw ball coming there was just one thing on my mind -- that I had to hold on to it.

"That was just part of the overall picture. We wanted to get as big a lead as possible so we could stay on top in this Test match. We have worked hard as a team. Nothing comes easy at this level. We just want to stay focussed and take our chances when they come our way -- with bat, ball and in the field."

Will 24th be lucky for Sachin Tendulkar again

 Will Sachin Tendulkar get his 100th international century on Thursday (24-11-2011) considering the figure 24 on the calendar has special significance for him? A look at how the number has played a role in Sachin's career.

24 November, 1989
His maiden Test half-century (59) at Faisalabad was a hard-earned one against the likes of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Abdul Qadir as India posted 288 in the first innings. 

24 November, 1993
The last over against South Africa in the Hero Cup semi-final has gone down in cricketing folklore especially at Eden Gardens. Needing six runs to win, SA could score only three and India ended up winning a thriller.

24 April, 1998
His 134 not out on his 25th birthday against Australia in the 1998 Coca-Cola Cup final at Sharjah is regarded as one of his best ODI innings. He single-handedly led India to victory chasing 272 with six wickets in hand.

24 February, 2000
India collapsed to 225 against South Africa in the first innings at Wankhede Stadium, but Tendulkar was the only shinning star with 97 runs. The Proteas won by four wickets as the Test ended in three days.

24 October, 2001
He dominated the Kenyans from the start, scoring 146 to put a mammoth stand of 258 runs for the first wicket with Sourav Ganguly (111). India posted 351 runs to win by 186 runs in the triangular series at Paarl in
South Africa.

24 February, 2002
Tendulkar top-scored with 176 as India gave a fitting reply to Zimbabwe's 287 runs in the first innings at Nagpur. SS Das and Sanjay Bangar too got centuries as India posted a mammoth 570. The hosts won by an innings and 101 runs.

24 August, 2007

Tendulkar's 99 was the driving force in India's nine-run win against England at Bristol. Munaf Patel and Piyush Chawla claimed three wickets each to restrict the hosts to 320-8 in 50 overs.

24 January, 2008
A masterful 124 not out on Day One against Australia at Adelaide saved India the blushes. He went to score to 153 to help the visitors post 526 in the first innings. The match ended as a draw and Australia claimed the series 2-1

24 February, 2010
The batting genius achieved the unimaginable by scoring ODI cricket's first double century. Tendulkar remained unbeaten on 200 as India posted 401 against South Africa at Gwalior. The Proteas were all out for 248.

24 March, 2011
Though Yuvraj's 57 was the standout feature in India's win over Australia in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final at Ahmedabad, Tendulkar's contribution of 53 was significant in that win.

Sachin’s the best: Lara

Participating in a panel discussion at Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's "East Meets West" Gala Dinner at the Hilton Park Lane in London on Monday, Lara said, "Sachin started playing (Test cricket) at the age of 16. And at 38 now, we have not seen a better player. Sachin is the best batsman in the world."

"I am going to the Lord's to see Sachin make his 100th century," he said.

Stewart, who also participated in the discussion, described Tendulkar as the "modern day Bradman".

India's veteran batsman Rahul Dravid added to the praise, saying, "In India we have many gods and he is one of them."

Answering questions from cricket commentator Henry Blofeld, Lara said, "While Sachin is special, Dravid is the wall."

"Dravid is always going to be there -- he is a tremendous player," he said.Stewart described Dravid as a "great player".

"Dravid is India's most technically gifted player," he said.

About Lara, Stewart said, "he was the best player in the 90s. But in modern day, Sachin is a better player than Lara -- a modern day Bradman."

Asked to forecast on the outcome of the India-England series, Stewart gave it 2-1 to England.

Tendulkar completes 22 years in international cricket

Kolkata: Batting genius Sachin Tendulkar Tuesday completed 22 marathon years in international cricket, still awaiting a record 100th international ton. The Mumbaikar has gone without a century for the last eight months.

 

It was it was on Nov 15, 1989 that a shy 16-year-old Tendulkar made his debut for India under Krishnamachari Srikkanth in the Karachi Test against Pakistan, with cricketing pundits immediately professing the advent of a talent capable of breaking all batting records in the years to come. He made his ODI debut in the same tour at Gujranwala, and has never looked back.

Tendulkar now lies ninth in the list of players with the longest careers in Test cricket. English all-rounder Wilfred Rhodes holds the unique record of representing his country for 30 years 315 days from June 1, 1899 to April 12, 1930.

Englishmen Dennis Brown Close and Frank Wooley occupy the second and third place respectively. Close played Test cricket for 26 years 356 days, while Wooley's career spanned 25 years 13 days.

Others ahead of Tendulkar are George Headley (West Indies), John Traicos (South Africa and Zimbabwe), Jack Hobbs (England), Geroge Gunn (England) and Syd Gregory (England).

With 15,086 runs under his belt in 183 Tests (till the first innings of the ongoing match against West Indies at Eden Gardens) and 18,111 in 453 ODIs, Tendulkar holds the record for the maximum number of appearances and being the highest run-getter in both forms. He also has to his credit the most number of hundreds - 51 in Tests and 48 in ODIs. At 38 years, he is the second oldest Indian still playing international cricket after team mate Rahul Dravid.

Having carried the aspirations of millions of fans for over two decades, defying a number of injuries -- including a career threatening tennis elbow -- Tendulkar has emerged possibly one of the greatest icons the country has produced in all spheres of life.

Fans from Kashmir to Kanyakumari worship him, sponsors and endorsers stake their fortune on him confident of reaping rich dividends, and budding players know, who to look up to as role model.

On his part, Tendulkar has always steered clear of controversies on and off the field and played the gentleman's game in its true spirit.

The century draught from Tendulkar's blade has generated lot of debates and discussions. After day one of the ongoing Test at Eden, West indies head coach Ottis Gibbs commented that the pressure of expectations from his huge Indians fans seem to be affecting Tendulkar.

After scoring a century in the Cape Town Test against South Africa, January 2, Sachin has failed to play even one triple figure knock in the 12 Test innings, the highest being 91 at Oval during India's disastrous English tour in summer.

However, he did get two ODI hundreds during this time - 120 against England at Bangalore and 111 facing South Africa in Nagpur. The last one came March 12.

When Tendulkar started his ODI career, he took almost five years to get his maiden hundred that came in 1994 against Australia in Colombo. Then even Sunil Gavaskar commented that once he gets his first one, there will be no stopping him.

There has been no stopping the 5'5'' talent, and one hopes the magic big ton comes soon.

100 list

Century No 1

119 not out vs England at old trafford on Aug 14, 1990 Sachin scored his first match

century against England at Old Trafford. After England stretched the lead to 407, India lost several wickets with the score at 127/5. He batted for nearly four hours and remained unbeaten at 119. The match was drawn with India losing only on more wicket in the day.

Century No 2

148 not out India vs Australia at SCG on Jan 6, 1992 Australia in the first innings put up a total of 313. The Indians came out to bat with Ravi Shastri being the top-scorer, making 206 runs and Sachin Tendulkar  scored 148 taking the innings total to 483. Australia made 173 in the second innings. India did not come out to bat in the second innings and the match was drawn.

Century No 3

114 vs Australia at WACA, Perth on Feb 3, 1992
Australia posted a total of 346 in the first innings. India came out to bat and wickets fell at regular intervals with Sachin scoring 114 runs. Australia then posted another huge total of 367 in the second innings and India could not match up to the batting display of the Aussies. India lost the match.

Century No 4

111 vs South Africa at Wanderers, Johannesburg on Nov 28, 1992 South Africa in the first innings scored a total of 292 runs. India came out to bat and none of the batsmen performed well. Sachin was the only player who managed to get a three-figure score of 111 taking the total to 227. South Africa in its second innings scored 252 and India in its second innings had a target of 318 to win. The Indian's managed 141. The match ended in a draw.

Century No 5

165 vs England at Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Feb 12, 1993 India in its first innings scored a mammoth 560 with Navjot Singh Sidhu scoring 106 and the Master Blaster scoring a massive 165. England scored 286 in its first innings and were forced to follow on. In their second innings they scored 252 and India won the match by an innings and 22 runs. Sachin Tendulkar was named Man of the Match.

Century No 6

104 not out vs Sri Lanka at SSC, Colombo on Jul 31, 1993
India scored 366 in its first innings and managed to bowl out Sri Lanka for 254. In its second innings India amassed a the help of Manoj Prabhakar who scored 95, Navjot Singh Sidhu who scored 104 along with Sachin who scored 104 as well. India managed to bowl out Sri Lanka for 236, winning the match by 235 runs.

Century No 7

142 vs Sri Lanka at KD Singh Babu Stadium, Lucknow on Jan 19, 1994 . The Indian's went out to bat and scored a massive 511 with the help of Sidhu who scored 127 and Sachin Tendulkar who scored 142. Sri Lanka's reply to India's first innings total was poor as the visitors scored 218. They were forced to follow on and scored 174 handing the match to India who won by an innings and 119 runs.

Century No 8

110 vs Australia, at Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on Sep 9, 1994. India had won the toss and set up a challenging total on a dicey Premadasa pitch in Sri Lanka. Sachin scored a blistering 110 which truly set up the game and paved the way for an Indian victory. It was Sachin's first ODI hundred.

Century No 9

115 vs New Zealand at IPCL, Vadodara on Oct 28, 1994. The Kiwis decided to bat first and set up total of 269 to chase. A brilliant opening partnership and Sachin's belligerent knock led to a successful run-chase

Century No 10

105 vs West Indies at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Nov 11, 1994 India scored a commendable 259 thanks to Sachin's 105 along with Vinod Kambli as they won a nail-biter defeating the West Indies by only five runs in the fifth one day international.

Century No 11

179 vs West Indies at VCA Ground, Nagpur on Dec 2, 1994
India were sent into bat and amassed a huge total of 546 with the help of Sidhu who scored 107 and Mohammed Azharuddin's 97. Sachin Tendulkar scored 179 in 414 balls. West Indies replied with a commendable total of 428 and India in its second innings scored 208. The match ended in a draw.

  

Century No 12

112 not out vs Sri Lanka at sharjha on Apr 9, 1995
Sri Lanka landed themselves in deep trouble as they were bowled out for 203. Sachin's century stand with Prabhakar ensured India did not lose ground and won the game with ease.

Century No 13

127 not out vs Kenya at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Feb 18, 1996 Kenya was bowled out for a paltry 199 and Sachin's knock of 127 included a century partnership with Jadeja which was vital for India as they recorded a thumping win over the Kenyans.

Century No 14

137 vs Sri Lanka at Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on Mar 2, 1996 Sachin's vital knock of 137 went in vain as India lost to Sri Lanka in an important group game of the 1996 World Cup. It looked as though India's score of 271 was competitive but Sri Lanka cruised to an easy victory.

Century No 15

100 vs Pakistan at Padang, Singapore, on Apr 5, 1996
In a rain-interrupted game, Sachin scored exactly 100 as India imposed a respectable total of 226 but that did not stop Pakistan from clinching an important win via Duckworth Lewis method.

Century No 16

118 vs Pakistan at Sharjah on Apr 15, 1996 India were up against their arch rivals Pakistan in a crucial game at Sharjah as Sachin's stand with Sidhu took India to a notable 305 which was far from reach of the Pakistanis and they lost the game.

  

Century No 17

122 vs England at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Jun 8, 1996
India were sent into bat and none of the batsmen clicked, scoring a low total of 214. England in its first innings scored 313. India were sent into bat again, and this time round, no one besides Tendulkar managed to put up a decent score. Sachin scored 122 in that match while the other players could not score over 18 runs individually. India were bowled out for 219 with England needing 121 to win which they achieved easily.

Century No 18

177 vs England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Jul 5, 1996 With the help of Sourav Ganguly's 136 and Sachin's 177, India scored a total of 521. Sachin hit 26 boundaries for his 177 at an average of 49.16. England came out to bat and scored 564. India in its second inning scored 211. The match ended in a draw.

Century No 19

110 vs Sri Lanka at Premadasa Stadium Colombo on August 28, 1996Sachin scored a resolute 110 against the Lankans as India posted 226. India realized hat beating Lanka in their own backyard was not that easy as a century opening stand between Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana took the game away.

Century No 20

114 vs South Africa at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Dec 14, 1996 It was Mohinder Amarnath's benefit game. Sachin played a captain's knock of 114. The Proteas found it tough and were bundled out cheaply.

Century No 21

169 vs South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town on Jan 4, 1997
The Proteas posted 529. India batted poorly with Sachin Tendulkar posting a score of 126 with the help of Azharuddin who scored 115. India were all out for 359. South Africa in its second innings posted a total of 256 which left Team India to score 427. India were all out for 144 and South Africa won the match.

Century No 22

104 vs Zimbabwe at Benoni on Feb 9, 1997 Zimbabwe were smelling victory but Sachin's hard-fought 104 ensured India did not lose further ground and went onto record ne of the famous run chases in South Africa.

Century No 23

117 vs New Zealand at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, on May 14, 1997
India chased down a modest target of 220 thanks to Sachin's 117. The Kiwis were earlier bundled out quite easily and Sachin made sure his Man of the Match performance helped India win the game. 

 Century No 24

143 vs Sri Lanka at Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on Aug 3, 1997 India were sent out to bat and managed to post a huge total of 537 thanks to the heroics of Sidhu's 111, Azhar's 126 and Sachin's 143. Sri Lanka replied to India's 537 by scoring a massive 952 thanks to Sanath Jayasuriya's 340, Roshan Mahanama's 225 and Aravina De Silva's 126. The match ended in a draw with neither of the two teams batting in the second innings.

Century No 25

139 vs Sri Lanka at SSC, Colombo, on Aug 11, 1997
Sri Lanka started off with scoring 332 in their first innings. The Indians gave a strong reply with the help of Sourav Ganguly's 147 and Sachin's 139. The Sri Lankans, in their second innings, scored a massive 415 runs leaving a target of 373 to win. India reached 281 and the match was drawn.

Century No 26

148 vs Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Dec 4, 1997. India were put to bat in the first innings of the match and the trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid helped India post a total of 512. Rahul Dravid made 93, Sourav Ganguly scored 173, followed by Sachin's 148. Sri Lanka in its first innings made 361. India came out to bat in its second innings and were bowled out for 181. With a target of 333 to win, Sri Lanka only managed to make a 166 runs. The match was drawn.

Century No 27

155 not out vs Australia at Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Mar 9, 1998. In the first Test against Australia, India batted in the first innings and were bowled out for 257. Australia did much better by posting 328 in the first innings. India in its second innings posted a mammoth 418 with the heroics of Sachin Tendulkar who top scored with 155. India then went on to bowl out the Aussies for a paltry sum of 168 winning the match by 179 runs.

 

 Century No 28

177 vs Australia at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore on March 26, 1998. India in its first innings posted a good total of 424 with the help of NS Sidhu and Sachin Tendulkar who scored 177 from 298 balls which included 29 fours and 3 sixes. This was done against the spin great Shane Warne. Australia replied to India's first innings total by reaching 400. Unfortunately India's batting collapsed as they managed to put up 169 in the second innings. Australia needed 195 runs to win, and without the loss of too many wickets won the Test match.

Century No 29

100 vs Australia at Green Park, Kanpur, on April 7, 1998
The mighty Australians were looking all set for another victory but a disciplined Indian bowling with the help of Sachin's opening stand with Ganguly helped India win with ease.

 

Century No 30

143 vs Australia at Sharjah on April 22, 1998
Australia was hit all over the park by the Little Master to guide India into the finals of the triangular series. The Aussie bowlers had a torrid time against Sachin who scored 143 even though India lost the game.

Century No 31

134 vs Australia, Sharjah, on April 24, 1998 Tendulkar came back to haunt the Aussies with his sparkling inning of 134 taking the Australian bowlers to the cleaners. India won the game and eventually the finals and Sachin was adjudged man of the match and series.

Century No 32

Sachin's 100 not out vs. Kenya, Eden Gardens, Calcutta, 1998 May 31, 1998
India had a small target to chase after the Indian bowlers restricted Kenya to a paltry 196. In walked Sachin and with his controlled innings of 100 not out, it ensured India a victory.

Century No 33

128 vs Sri Lanka at Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on Jul 7, 1998 Sachin shared a record 200-plus stand with Ganguly as India were crowned winners of the Singer-Akai Nidahas Trophy. Sri Lanka did try to make inroads but it was a deserving victory for India and Sachin.

Century No 34

127 vs Zimbabwe at Bulawayo on Sep 26, 1998
India's accurate bowling backed by a power-packed 127 by Tendulkar led to all important victory for the Indians in the first match against Zimbabwe. Sachin's innings also made him the Man of the Match.

Century No 35

Sachin's 141 vs Australia in Bangladesh on Oct 28, 1998
Tendulkar's aggressive knock set up an all-important victory for the Indians as they defeated Australia and knocked them out of tournament.

Century No 36

118 not out vs Zimbabwe at Sharjah, on Nov 8, 1998 Sachin's 118 not out led the way of an all-important victory as India defeated Zimbabwe with seven wickets to spare. Paul Strang was the only Zimbabwean to make an impact, taking all three Indian wickets that fell.

Century No 37

124 vs Zimbabwe at Sharjah on Nov 13, 1998
Sachin displayed his all-round abilities by grabbing two wickets and scoring an unbeaten century of as India demolished Zimbabwe and clinched the final in Sharjah.

Century No 38

113 vs New Zealand at Basin Reserve, Wellington, on Dec 29, 1998 India opened the innings and played miserably. They were bowled out for 208. New Zealand in its first innings scored 352. India in its second innings got its act together and posted a decent total of 356 with Sachin being the top-scorer, making 113 runs. With a target of 213 to win, New Zealand chased the score and won the match with four wickets to spare.

Century No 39

136 vs Pakistan at Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Jan 31, 1999 Pakistan opened the innings and posted a total of 238. India in its second innings posted 254 with a lead of 16 runs. Pakistan in its second innings posted 286 which meant India needed 271 to win the match. After the openers fell in quick succession, Sachin guided the team out of trouble by scoring a 136. 

Century No 40

124 not out vs Sri Lanka at SSC, Colombo, on Feb 28, 1999 India opened the innings and posted a huge total of 518. They managed to bowl out Sri Lanka for 485 in their first innings. India in its second innings scored 306 with Sachin Tendulkar top-scoring with 124 runs. The match was drawn as rain disrupted the match.

Century No 41

140 vs Kenya at Bristol, on May 23, 1999 Sachin had missed the earlier game due to his father's untimely death but he came back with a bang as his aggressive 140 not out set up an Indian victory in a group game against Kenya in the 1999 World Cup.

Century No 42

120 vs Sri Lanka in Colombo, on Aug 29, 1999. The Little Master led from the front as his captain's knock of 120 helped them register a victory over the Lankans in their own back yard. At one point, Sri Lanka were cruising but the Indian bowlers got wickets at crucial intervals.

Century No 43

126 not out vs New Zealand at PCA Stadium, Mohali, on Oct 13, 1999 India were bowled out for 83 runs. New Zealand came out to bat and scored 215. India needed to put up a strong batting display and that is exactly what they did with everyone firing. Sachin Tendulkar's 126 along with Rahul Dravid's 144 steered India to safety. They managed to notch up a total of 505 leaving New Zealand a target of 374 to win. They visitors managed to make 251 until the close of the fifth day.

Century No 44

217 vs New Zealand at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Oct 30, 1999  India was sent into bat and managed to post an intimidating total of 583. S Ramesh's 110, Sourav Ganguly's 125 and Sachin's 217 helped India reach the total. New Zealand managed to score 308 runs in their first innings. India in its second innings declared at 148 leaving the visitors a target of 404. New Zealand reached 252 at the end of the fifth day. The match was drawn.

Century No 45

186 vs New Zealand at Hyderabad on Nov 8, 1999
Together with Dravid, Sachin went on to create history as his record score of 186 resulted in Indias victory over the Kiwis. His record stand of 331 with Dravid till date is the highest partnership in one day internationals.

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Century No 46

116 vs Australia at MCG on Dec 28, 1999 Australia batted in the first and were all out after posting a total of 405 runs. India after losing its openers in quick succession had Sachin Tendulkar help steady the innings. He scored 116 in that match but neither of his teammates managed to help the maestro in anyway and India were bowled out for 238. The Aussies in their second innings declared at 208 leaving a total of 376 to be scored to win the match. India's batting collapsed in the second innings as well as they only managed to score 195. India lost the match.

Century No 47

122 vs South Africa at Vadodra on Mar 17, 2000 South Africa set up a massive total for India but once Sachin's magic started working, it was no respite for the South African bowlers. His 122 proved decisive as India grabbed a nail-biting victory.

Century No 48

Sachin's 101 vs. Sri Lanka, Sharjah, Oct 20, 2000 Tendulkar scored a critical 101 as his century held India's innings together and made sure they posted a competitive total. Even though India lost the game, Sachin's innings was one to be remembered.

Century No 49

122 vs Zimbabwe at Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi, on November 21, 2000. Zimbabwe in its first innings were able to notch up a decent total of 422. India replied by amassing a total of 458 thanks to a brilliant innings by Rahul Dravid who scored 200 runs and Sachin's 122. The two of them batted for most of the innings until declaration. Zimbabwe in its second innings notched up a total of 225 runs all out which left India with a total of 190 to win the match. India won the match with 7 wickets to spare.

Century No 50

201 not out vs Zimbabwe at VCA, Nagpur, on Nov 26, 2000. India batted first and managed to score 609 runs in the first innings. There were three centurions in the first innings itself with SS Das scoring 110 runs, Rahul Dravid 162 and Sachin Tendulkar who made 201 runs which included 27 boundaries at a strike rate of 71.53. Zimbabwe in its second innings scored 382. They were forced to follow on and in their second innings scored 583. The Indians did not come out to bat in the second innings and the match was drawn.

Century No 51

146 vs Zimbabwe at Jodhpur, on Dec 8, 2000
Sachin scored an all-important 146 as India put themselves in command over Zimbabwe. An Indian victory was on the cards but a gutsy innings by Andy Flower took the game away from India.

Century No 52

126 vs Australia at Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Mar 20, 2001 Australia posted a total of 391 runs. India managed a total of 501 runs in their first innings with Sachin top-scoring with 126 runs. He got ample support from his skipper and Rahul Dravid in that match. Australia were bowled out for 264 in their second innings. With a target of 155 runs, India won the match with two wickets to spare.

Century No 53

139 vs Australia at Indore on Mar 31, 2001
A decisive partnership between Tendulkar and Laxman turned the tide in India's favour as Australia lost by a margin of 118 runs. Sachin top-scored with 139 and walked away with the Man of the Match award.

Century No 54

122 vs West Indies at Harare on Jul 4, 2001
India put up a strong fight as they took control of the match against the West Indies as Sachin's 122 guided to an all important victory. West Indies were kept at bay by discipline bowling by Indian bowlers.

 Century No 55

101 vs South Africa at Wanderers, Johannesburg on Oct 5, 2001 Ganguly and Sachin put up a magnificent century partnership with Tendulkar contributing 101 to the total. India were in the driver's seat only to see Kirsten's century dash all hopes of an Indian victory.

Century No 56

146 vs Kenya at Paarl, South Africa, on Oct 24, 2001 India demolished Kenya by a margin of 186 runs with Sachin scoring a well-deserved 146 and Ganguly chipping with 111. India set a target of 351 which was difficult for the Kenyans to chase.

Century No 57

155 vs South Africa at Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein, November 3, 2001
India lost the toss and were put into bat. They managed to rake up a total of 379 courtesy Sehwag's 105 batting lower down the order and Sachin's 155 in which he hit 23 fours. South Africa in its first innings put up a score of 563. In India's second innings they only managed to score 237 runs setting a target of 54 runs which South Africa managed to reach in no time.

Century No 58

103 vs England at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Dec 13, 2001 England scored 407 in the first innings. India were bowled out for 291 well short of England's first innings total. Sachin's 103 held the innings together along with Laxman's 75 while the rest of the batting order collapsed. England in their second innings scored 257 leaving India a target of 374 to win. India scored 198 until play was called off. The match ended in a draw.

Century No 59

176 vs Zimbabwe at VCA, Nagpur , on February 24, 2002 Zimbabwe batted first in this Test match and reached a total of 287. India in reply made 570 with three of the batsmen notching up centuries. SS Das scored 105, SS Bangar scored 100 and it was Sachin's inning that powered India to that total. He scored 176. Zimbabwe in their second innings were bowled out for 182 and India won the match.

Century No 60

117 vs West Indies at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, on April 20, 2002 India were put into bat and in their first innings managed a total of 339. While most of the batting collapsed, Sachin's 117 helped India reach that total. West Indies in reply scored 245. India in its second innings were all out for 218 and left West Indies a target of 313 runs. India won the match by 37 runs

Century No 61

105 vs England at Chester-Le-Street on Jul 4, 2002
Defeat was written on the cards for Team India but Sachin made sure his calm and composed innings of 105 set up a challenging score. The match though ended with no result.

Century No 62

113 vs Sri Lanka, Bristol, England, on Jul 11, 2002 India and Sri Lanka locked horns again as Sachin's 113 guided his team towards 300 and went on to defeat the Lankans. Sri Lankan batsmen did try their level best to make inroads but it was too late.

Century No 63

193 vs England at Headingley, Leeds, on Aug 23, 2002 India opened the innings and posted a massive total of 628. This match will be remembered forever as one in which Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar scored Test hundreds. Some disciplined Indian bowling had England all out for 273.The were forced to follow on and scored 309. India won the match by an innings and 46 runs.

Century No 64

176 vs West Indies at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Nov 3, 2002 India managed to notch up a score of 358. West Indies in reply scored 497. India in its second innings put up a diciplined batting display to help save the match. Sourav Ganguly scored 154 and Sachin's 176 guided Team India to safety. The match was drawn.

Century No 65

152 vs Namibia, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, on Feb 23, 2003 Sachin's World Cup campaign took off with a blistering knock of 152 against the minnows Namibia and as India defeated them by a margin of 181 runs. Sachin was also involved in a century partnership with captain Ganguly.

Century No 66

100 vs Australia, Gwalior, on Oct 26, 2003
Sachin and Laxman guided the innings to safety as both set up a match-winning partnership to steer India towards an all important victory over the mighty Aussies. The performance rightly earned Sachin the Man of the Match award.

Century No 67

102 vs New Zealand in Hyderabad on Nov 15, 2003
Sehwag might have received all the laurels against the Kiwis but it was Sachin's 102 which stood apart. Both the openers steered towards a famous victory as India won the game with ease.

Century No 68

241 not out vs Australia at SCG on Jan 4, 2004 India won the toss and chose to bat amassing a total of 705 thanks to some good batting by most of the players. Sachin Tendulkar's 241 and VVS Laxman's 178 will long be remembered in this match. Australia in its second innings scored 474. India in its second innings scored 211 before declaring, leaving a target of 411 to win. Australia made 357. The match ended in a draw.

Century No 69

141 vs Pakistan in Rawalpindi, on Mar 16, 2004 The hosts Pakistan had posted a mammoth total of 329 but Sachin's composed141 ensured India were in the hunt. His innings which included 17 fours and 1 six was a spectacle for the Pakistan crowd even though India went on to lose the game.

 Century No 70

194 not out vs Pakistan at Multan, on Mar 29, 2004India batted first in this match and managed to make 675 runs. This innings belonged to V Sehwag who made 309 runs and Sachin's 194. Sachin was left not out when India decided to declare. Pakistan then came into bat and were bowled out for 407. They were forced to take a follow on and made 216. India won this match by an innings and 52 runs.

Century No. 71: 

248* vs Bangladesh, Dhaka 2004.Tendulkar drew level with Sunil Gavaskar's 34 Test hundreds with his highest Test score of 248* against Bangladesh. Even though the opposition was weak, the fact that not a single other batsman reached a century through the match, marked Tendukar's innings out as above the ordinary.

Century No. 72:

123 vs Pakistan, Ahmedabad 2005. Pakistan visited India a year after India had toured, and the ODI matches followed a similar pattern, with high scoring games being the norm. Tendulkar's 38th ODI ton gave India good total in the 4th ODI, but Pakistan chased it down. 

Century No. 73: 

109 vs Sri Lanka, Delhi 2005. Almost exactly a year after he had got to Test century No. 34, Tendulkar hit No. 35 against Sri Lanka to pull into the sole leadership position of Test centurions. This put him at the top of the list of both Test and ODI centurions - which he has remained to date. 

Century No. 74:

100 vs Pakistan, Peshawar 2006 Both Tendulkar and Salman Butt hit hundreds, but in a close, high-scoring match, Pakistan won via the D/L method when rain intervened. This tour to Pakistan was not as successful for India as their previous one, but the solid performance in the first ODI saw them go on to win the ODI series after losing the Tests. 

Century No. 75: 

141* vs West Indies, Kuala Lumpur 2006 Tendulkar returned from injury to hit a sparkling ton, to put to rest rumours that he wouldn't be the same after his elbow injury. Somewhat unfairly, West Indies won the match when rain ended their innings after only 20 overs of play, after India put up a good total. 

Century No. 76: 

100* vs West Indies, Vadodara 2007
Batting at Number 4 again, Tendulkar hit a century off just 76 balls, getting there off the last ball of the innings. India then surged to a massive win by 160 runs, giving them a 3-1 series win over West Indies. 

Century No. 77: 

101 vs Bangladesh, Chittagong 2007
Test century 36 was a long time coming after a dry spell for Tendulkar in the longer format. The dry spell was due in no small part to injuries, but with this hundred, things started to get back on track, even if the opposition was weak. 

Century No. 78:

122* vs Bangladesh, Dhaka 2007. Each of India's top four hit a century in the next Test against Bangladesh and Tendulkar continued his return to form, joining them. He wasn't at his best, but he battled hard to bring up Test ton No. 37. 

Century No. 79: 

154* vs Australia, Sydney 2008. The Sydney-Gate Test that was made famous by the acrimony that followed it, was lit up by Tendulkar in the first innings. VVS Laxman too had a century to his name as both combined at a ground - SCG - and an opponent - Australia - both were fond of. 

Century No. 80: 

153 vs Australia, Adelaide 2008. In the final Test of the series, Tendulkar signed off with another superb innings crossing 150 for the second time in the series. One of the most heart-warming features of the series was the way Australian crowds stood as one to applaud Tendulkar on and off the field at every ground. 

Century No. 81: 

117* vs Australia, Sydney 2008. In the first final of the CB series, Tendulkar laid a few ghosts to rest, guiding India to victory with an unbeaten ton in a tough chase. This gave the team the momentum to win the second final too and end the Australian tour on a happy note. 

Century No. 82: 

109 vs Australia, Nagpur 2008. This was Sourav Ganguly's final Test, and Tendulkar marked the occasion with Test hundred No. 40, which helped India to a 2-0 win against Australia and started the run towards their Number One rank. 

Century No. 83:

103* vs England, Chennai 2008. Probably the most emotional and satisfying of Tendulkar's hundreds, it came weeks after the 26/11 terrorist attacks and brought some smiles back to faces in India. The innings itself was perfect and ended with him getting to his century and India chasing down 387 for victory in the fourth innings. 

Century No. 84:

163* vs New Zealand, Christchurch 2009 Tendulkar threatened to break the ODI record for the highest score for much of this innings, but had to retire hurt with 5 overs left. It did help India win the match, however. 

Century No. 85: 

160 vs New Zealand, Hamilton 2009
Test century 42 set up a series win for India in New Zealand, with Tendulkar continuing his superb run of rediscovered form. Incidentally, this would be the last time for a while to come, when India started the first Test of a series in such convincing fashion. 

Century No. 86:

138 vs Sri Lanka, Colombo 2009. ODI century 46 came in the finals of the Compaq Cup, which India won thanks to Tendulkar's innings. His stellar tournament with the bat also meant that Tendulkar was the Man of the Series for the tournament. 

Century No. 87:

175 vs Australia, Hyderabad 2009. This was a throwback to the nineties, with Tendulkar standing tall amidst Indian batting ruins. He crossed 17000 runs during the knock, and played sublimely before falling with a handful of runs needed. Team India somehow contrived to lose by 3 runs in the end. 

Century No. 88: 

100* vs Sri Lanka Ahmedabad 2009
Tendulkar celebrated 20 years in the game with an unbeaten ton that helped India draw against Sri Lanka, in a match in which the visitors had racked up 760 in their first innings. 

Century No. 89:

105* vs Bangladesh, Chittagong 2010
Bangladesh were a fired up side after Sehwag had called them ordinary, and it needed Tendulkar's calm assurance to guide India to a reasonable total in the first innings, in a match they eventually won. However, victory would have been a lot less assured if Tendulkar hadn't contributed 105* out of 243 in India's first innings. 

Century No. 90:

143 vs Bangladesh, Dhaka 2010
Shaken out of their torpor, the Indian team came out with much more intensity in the second Test against Bangladesh. Tendulkar was more dominant too and he was part of a power-packed batting performance that shut Bangladesh out of the Test. 

Century No. 91: 

100 vs South Africa, Nagpur 2010. Dale Steyn breathed fire when South Africa came to India in a battle for the top spot, and though Tendulkar hit a fine hundred, India lost the first Test at Nagpur comprehensively. Tendulkar's 100 in India's second innings was the only score above 40 for India. 

Century No. 92: 

106 vs South Africa, Kolkata 2010. In the next Test however, Tendulkar scored one of four hundreds for India to help them re-assert their dominance and preserve their unbeaten record. India won the match, levelled the series at 1-1 and retained their newly acquired Number One rank. 

Century No. 93: 

200* vs South Africa, Gwalior 2010. The ODIs that followed saw Tendulkar push the bounds of possibility even more with the first double-century in an ODI. The record he had been threatening to break was finally broken and there was no one more fitting to be the first man to 200. From start to finish, it had been an innings where Tendulkar was in supreme control. 

Century No. 94: 

203 vs Sri Lanka, Colombo 2010. India had lost the first Test against Sri Lanka on their tour and in the second, Sri Lanka had piled up 642/4 declared. That was when Tendulkar scored his 48th Test hundred while sharing a stand with Raina who scored a ton on debut, to steer India to safety and a draw. 

Century No. 95:

214 vs Australia, Bangalore 2010. Tendulkar made it a hat-trick of international double hundreds, with a superb effort against Australia in the second and final Test of the series. It had been a series that was decided on the thinnest of margins till the end, and Tendulkar made the most sizeable contribution towards ensuring an Indian win. 

Century No. 96:

111* vs South Africa, Centurion 2010

Tendulkar scaled the summit of 50 Test hundreds when India toured South Africa, and though he couldn't save the game, India had made a statement by climbing out of a hole after being shot out for 136 in their first innings. 

Century No. 97: 

146 vs South Africa, Cape Town 2011. In the third Test of the series, Tendulkar and Steyn waged a battle for the ages. Steyn controlled the ball as if on a string, while Tendulkar brought all of his skill into play to survive. And survive he did, and went on to score his 51st Test hundred. The match ended in a draw with the series shared - a fitting result. 

Century No. 98: 

120 vs England, Bangalore 2011. In the 2011 World Cup, Tendulkar scored a brilliantly paced hundred against England in India's second match. He was later matched and surpassed by Andrew Strauss as the match ended in a thrilling tie. 

Century No. 99: 

111 vs South Africa, Nagpur 2011.India lost only one match in the 2011 World Cup, but that was also a close defeat, with Tendulkar's 48th ODI century (and 99th international one) setting a good platform. A spectacular collapse negated the platform, while South Africa got over the line in the last over of the match.