Reliving Sachin Tendulkar's Test Centuries: Century 31-35

Sachin Tendulkar reigned as the world's best batsman for much of his career and over the course of his remarkable 24-year Test career, he scored 51 centuries. In this series, all of his centuries are being revisited in blocks of five and this article looks at his 31st century through to the 35th one.

These centuries are significant for a number of reasons.

Two of them were scored in two of the toughest places for batsmen, in Australia and Pakistan and showed a different side to Tendulkar's batting from what we had been accustomed to until then, while his 34th one remained the highest score in his career.

On the other hand, the 34th and 35th centuries are significant since one equalled Bradman's record and the other took him past it. Here is a detailed look at those centuries.

5. 176 v West Indies at Eden Gardens, 2002

The last Test of the 3-match series in India against the West Indies, back in the spring of 2002 was a dead rubber after the hosts had already taken a 2-0 lead. However, the West Indies were in a good position in this Test when they got a 139-run lead in the first innings and then had India on the mat in the 3rd innings of the Test.

Tendulkar walked in to bat at 11 for 2 after openers Virender Sehwag and Sanjay Bangar had been blasted by Merv Dillon and soon after, it was 49 for 3 when Dravid departed.

With the Test in the balance, Tendulkar played a superb innings that showed his technical excellence, ability to play an innings that pushes the opposition back and the patience to bat long enough to ensure that the Test is safe. He batted for one minute short of 7 hours and hit 26 boundaries to score 176.

VVS Laxman's equally superb 154 was also instrumental in India eventually putting the game beyond the West Indies. It was Tendulkar's first century at Indian cricket's most famous ground, the Eden Gardens, and will always be counted among his other significant centuries.

4. 241 not out v Australia at Sydney, 2004

Tendulkar plays a sweep during his epic effort at Sydney

This might not have been a vintage Tendulkar innings but his approach to batting in this innings showed a completely new side to his genius and as such, it is often regarded as one of the best innings he ever played in his career.

The 4 Test series was tied at 1-1 when the teams arrived at Sydney for the final game of the series and after winning the toss, Indian captain Sourav Ganguly elected to bat first. Tendulkar walked in at 128 for 2 on the first day but he was in no batting form at the time.

In the three previous Tests, he had scored a total of 82 runs including two ducks (and a 1) and in most of those innings, off-side strokes had been his undoing.

Then, Tendulkar came up with a master plan. He simply refused to play strokes on the off-side and instead concentrated on scoring on the on-side. He did not do so for a few hours, but in an innings spanning 10 hours. There were plenty of on-drives and nudges to the leg side that were used to exploit the gaps.

It was a masterful innings and he remained not out at the end, having taken India to 705 when they declared.

3. 194 not out v Pakistan at Multan, 2004

Tendulkar grinds Pakistan at Multan, 2004

This game is best remembered for Virender Sehwag's sensational triple century and India's innings win over Pakistan in their first full tour of the country in 15 years.

However, India's only innings in the Test also witnessed a top class Sachin Tendulkar century, and the fact that Rahul Dravid declared the innings with him 6 short of his double century is something that remains a controversial chapter in Indian cricket history.

Due to Sehwag's heroics at the other end, Tendulkar played a sedate innings and completely dominated the Pakistan attack in his own way. The opposition could hardly ever test him and the bowling attack comprising of Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shabbir Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Sami looked absolutely toothless.

He batted for more than eight hours and hit 21 boundaries, but the coveted double century against Pakistan in Pakistan was not to be as Dravid declared late on the 2nd day.

2. 248 v Bangladesh at Dhaka, 2004

Tendulkar equalled Don Bradman's record in DhakaThis was a landmark century for Sachin Tendulkar for two reasons. It was his 34th century in Test cricket and with it, he equalled Sir Donald Bradman's record. Secondly, it was his highest score at the time and by the time, he ended his career 9 years later, it remained the highest score in his Test career.

At the time, Bangladesh were still finding their feet in the international game and a bowling attack comprising of Tapash Baisya, Mushfiqur Rahman, Mohammad Rafique and Mashrafe Murtaza was never going to faze the Indian batsmen. However, only the best batsmen make such opportunities count and when Tendulkar walked in, India were actually in a bit of a spot with the scoreboard reading 24 for 2.

Tendulkar went on the counter-attack and played a superb stroke-filled innings during the course of which he put the Bangladesh bowlers to the sword.

He batted for more than nine hours and scored at an outstanding strike rate of 65.43 to completely wrest the initiative India's way. He remained not out at 248 and had hit 35 boundaries when India were finally dismissed for 526. Bangladesh were beaten by an innings and 140 runs.

1. 109 v Sri Lanka at New Delhi, 2005

Tendulkar brings up his century against Sri Lanka at New Delhi.

The second Test of the three-match home series against Sri Lanka was a crucial one, after the first Test had been drawn. When the hosts opted to bat first in New Delhi, it was Tendulkar's clinical century that took them to a fighting total in the 1st innings.

The bowling attack of Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando and Muralitharan had India on the ropes at 56 for 2 when Tendulkar came into bat.

However, along with VVS Laxman (who scored 69), he stitched together an excellent partnership and negotiated whatever was thrown at him for more than 5 hours to score 109.

He hit 14 boundaries and 1 six in his innings and in the grander scheme of things, it proved to be a vitally important innings as middle and lower order collapsed to Muralitharan. India went from 254 for 3 to 290 all out.

His 35th Test century, which helped him get pas Sir Donald Bradman's record, could not have come at a better time. Eventually, India won the game by 188 runs but the Test was a closer one than it looked and Tendulkar's innings was vital to the victory.