Cricketers of the calibre of Sachin Tendulkar are born once in every 100 years and as Indians we must consider ourselves fortunate because Sachin Tendulkar is our national property.  If at all there is one thing which gives us a sense of having pride in being an Indian, it is Sachin Tendulkar because he owns almost every batting record in Tests and One dayers.  Apart from an entire nation, there are millions all over the world who take great pride in Sachin's records.  One such record the entire cricketing world is looking forward to is Sachin getting to 100 centuries in international cricket.

With a combined tally of 88 international hundreds, getting another 12 hundreds should be considered one of the most easiest things for Sachin.  However the big problem for Sachin is he is running short of time as there is every possibility that he may quit cricket after the 2011 World Cup. At 36, Sachin Tendulkar is the second oldest in the team behind Rahul Dravid and by the time the 2011 World Cup is scheduled to be played he would be 38 and in every likelihood may quit the game.  Form has never ever been a problem for Sachin because he has been in top form from the moment he made his debut in 1989 and continues to be in top form even after 20 years.  The only issue for Sachin is would he able to motivate himself after a couple of years and chances are there that he would be likely to pick up new injuries in addition to the long list of injuries he carries.

In this context it therefore becomes very important that Sachin makes the most of each and every run in his pursuit for 100 international centuries as he has often been at the receiving end of some poor decisions from umpires.  Sachin Tendulkar had the best every opportunity when India needed a mere 13 runs from 52 balls at a asking rate of 1.04 runs per over with 6 wickets in hand.  Sachin was well placed to get another international hundred as he needed just 10 runs with as many as 52 deliveries to get those runs.  India were under no pressure as there was no pressure on them to increase their net run rate as in other matches as what India needed was a simple win to go ahead in the seires.  The batsman at the other end Dinesh Karthik too was under no pressure because his place in the team was assured for two matches because of Dhoni's absence.  Dinesh Karthink success or failure with the bat at that point of time meant nothing to himself, as irrespective of how many runs he was going to add to his tally he has to vacate his place to Dhoni after two matches as there is no away a couple of additional boundaries or sixes could prevent Dhoni from getting his place back from Karthik.  . Inspite of Sachin Tendulkar being in the best position to score a century and Dinesh Karthink in the right time and frame of mind to help Sachin Tendulkar to a century, what Karthick did was exactly the opposite.  Karthik hit a six and made Sachins Tendulkar's task that difficult to reach 100 international centuries.

One of the reasons for India's rise in World Cricket has been due to Sachin Tendulkar.  While Sachin Tendulkar has conquered the cricketing world with his bat, he was also responsible for others meteoric rise to super stardom like Sehwag, Dhoni and Yuvraj.  It is great to see guys like Sehwag, Dhoni and Yuvraj openly admitting that they took up to cricket by watching Sachin bat on television.  Inspite of Dhoni, Yuvraj and Sehwag being superstars in world cricket they never shy away from expressing their admiration to Sachin Tendularkar at every possible opportunity.  

Sachin Tendulkar should have easily achieved 100 international hundred by now, but luck was never by his side because he got out in nineties on as many as 24 occasions, 7 in tests and 17 in one dayers prior to the 3rd ODI against Sri Lanka on 21st December 2009.  Dinesh Karthik piled on the misery by making him remain unbeaten on nineties for the first time ever in 20 years.  Cricket is a team game and centuries can be scored only with the co operation of other members of the team.  Sachin was at the receiving end earlier when Dravid declared a free flowing Tendulkar at Multan on 194 in 2004.  Sachin was going great guns having got his runs of a mere 348 balls with the last 50 coming at almost run a ball.  While Dravid defended his decision saying it is in the interests of the team, he himself stone walled to a double century in the same series consuming as many as 424 deliveries. Dravid decision was excusable because he deprived Sachin of a double hundred, but the record books still show a century while Karthik cannot be excused because he deprived Sachin of a century when millions of fans all over the world wanted the genius to inch a step closer with another century.

Sachin Tendulkar has done a lot for Indian cricket and while it is the duty of every Indian and millions of fans all over the world to wish him the very best, it also becomes the duty of his team mates to help him reach the milestone of 100 international centuries.

• Written by N R SATISH.
• In category Cricket.
• 14 years ago.

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