With a wealth of options, we pick out five of India legend Sachin Tendulkar's greatest knocks.
Five of Tendulkar's greatest knocks
After an agonising wait, Sachin Tendulkar finally became the first man to score 100 international centuries when he hit 114 against Bangladesh on Friday.
And following the magical milestone, we look back on five of the Little Master's greatest innings...
119 not out v England, Old Trafford, August 1990
Tendulkar's first Test century was a significant one, earning India a draw in the second Test against England at Old Trafford. Having made 68 in the first innings - taking 54 minutes to get off the mark - he emerged at number six in the second with his side toiling to save a draw having been set an unlikely 408 to win. Batting in a pair of Sunil Gavaskar's pads, his style echoed the legendary opener as he put on an unbroken 160 with Manoj Prabhakar. His only real alarm came when he was dropped by Eddie Hemmings on 10, after which he displayed astounding maturity and class for a 17-year-old.
114 v Australia, WACA Ground, February 1992
India simply had no answer to a lightning-fast pitch in Perth in the final match of a five-Test series against Australia in which they were beaten 4-0 - with the honourable exception of the then 19-year-old Tendulkar. Promoted to his now-established No.4 position, his first-innings 114 featured a string of withering cuts for four and saw him accelerate through his second 50 runs in just 55 balls, sharing in India's record ninth-wicket stand against Australia of 81 with wicketkeeper Kiran More. It was to no avail, though, as India were bowled out for 141 second time around to lose by 300 runs.
98 v Pakistan, Centurion, March 2003
Chasing 275 to beat their bitter rivals in the World Cup group stage, India needed a swift start - and Tendulkar provided the launch pad with a six and two fours from the final three balls of Shoaib Akhtar's first over. The 'Rawalpindi Expres's was immediately taken out of the attack and Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag put on 53 at almost 10-an-over, the former going on to make 98 from just 75 balls despite cramp before Shoaib finally got his man thanks to Younus Khan's catch. India would go on to win with more than four overs in hand and subsequently reach the final, where they were beaten by Australia.
241 not out v Australia, SCG, January 2004
Australia have suffered more than most at Tendulkar's hands, and this relentless knock represented his best Test score - until he beat it by seven against Bangladesh in 2004 - but more importantly helped set up a series-clinching draw in what was Steve Waugh's last Test for Australia. He added a colossal 353 for the fourth wicket with VVS Laxman, another consistent tormentor of the Australians, and the innings was made all the more remarkable by Tendulkar's subsequent admission that: "I had got out a couple of times to balls outside the off stump, so I decided not to play [the cover-drive]." He added: "I would put this innings right at the top of my hundreds."
200 not out v South Africa, Gwalior, February 2010
It took 40 years for any batsman to record a double hundred in a one-day international - and fittingly the 'Little Master' was the man to do so. He batted through the 50 overs to see his team to 401 for three against South Africa, displaying all facets of his game. He made steady progress to a 90-ball ton before the fireworks began, with nine fours and a six in an uncharacteristic third half-century from just 28 deliveries. He launched two more huge maximums on his way past the previous ODI record of 194 and having reached 198 with three overs remaining, displayed remarkable restraint to first block a ball from Charl Langeveldt and then reach his historic landmark with two singles. Ever modest, Tendulkar said afterwards: "I don't think any record is unbreakable. I hope that if this record is broken, it's done by an Indian."
