7 moments from Sachin Tendulkar’s career that don’t fade away

2) A hundred on the world’s fastest pitch

Sachin Tendulkar in action against Australia at the WACA Ground in Perth

For years, there were pitches that batsmen bred on the flat subcontinental tracks dreaded playing on. Barbados and Perth were on the top of that list.

Sachin Tendulkar had earned his stripes with some bright performances in England and followed it up with a century in Australia at Sydney. But his baptism by fire happened at the WACA Ground in Perth.

The Indians came into the Test battered and bruised, trailing 0-3 in the series, facing the daunting task of batting against four of Australia’s mighty pacers on a track that was known for its bounce. Tendulkar came out to bat at 69/2 and batted as though he was a veteran of over a hundred Tests.

Deliveries buzzed around the youngster’s head, and every near escape made fans across the globe flinch. The end was imminent. But that end never came.

A batting session ensued that taught senior pros in the Indian line-up how to deal with bounce. Short deliveries were left alone, wide ones were ferociously cut while ones pitched up were dispatched via flowing drives on the up.

Tendulkar remained the lone crusader in that innings, sparkling while everyone around him perished. When he brought up his hundred off a straight drive against Craig McDermott, the usually partisan and raucous Australian crowd stood up to applaud. A genius was born.