13 performances that gave Sachin Tendulkar 'The God of Cricket' status (Pre-2000)

The year 1998

Sachin himself cannot recreate the Sachin we saw in 1998.

1998 was Sachin Tendulkar's year. He did not captain a single match throughout this calendar year and Azharuddin was back on duty. India participated in many multilateral ODI tournaments - mostly in Asia - through the course of this year.

But even in the five Test matches that Sachin played, he scored three centuries - two 150-plus scores and an aggregate of 446 runs in a series win against Australia at home, and a 113 in the first Test of the New Zealand tour.

In ODI's, Sachin scored a world-record 1894 runs in a single calendar year, including a world-record nine centuries, and seven fifties - all from just 33 innings at an average of over 65 and a strike rate of over 102. With the ball, he took 24 wickets at 26.50 and 14 catches as well.

Four of his ODI hundreds came in tournament finals that India won. Another one came in an ICC tournament knockout match against Australia, where he took four wickets as well. Two of the other hundreds came in virtual knockouts of triangular tournaments.

Sachin literally owned Sharjah cricket ground during this phase. His two unbelievable hundreds against Australia in the last two matches of the tournament - also called 'Desert Storm' - is well documented.

His two hundreds against an in-form Zimbabwe in another tri-series in the second half of that year in Sharjah, were also remarkable. The second of the two resulted in the first-ever tournament final that included a ten-wicket win.

Sachin became a nightmare for Australians that year. He scored centuries and took wickets against them wherever they met - UAE, India or Bangladesh. In the first match of a tri-series against Australia at Kochi, Sachin was handed the ball with Australia needing around hundred runs with seven wickets remaining. Sachin bowled leg-spinners for the first time, almost took a hat-trick and spun the ball as much as Shane Warne on that day.

His five wickets sealed India's victory, and convinced people more that Sachin could do anything. Besides being one of the best fielders and possessing all kinds of deliveries - seam up, off-spin and leg spin - Sachin would sometimes even throw with his left hand from close in positions, if the ball went in that direction.