SK Flashback: Sachin Tendulkar scores his 100th international hundred

The moment finally arrives – the 100^th hundred

Sachin creates history

The pressure of the milestone was beginning to show in Sachin’s batting. Having reached 80 off 102 deliveries, he found scoring runs increasingly difficult after that, and as a result, it took him as many as 36 further deliveries to reach his hundred.

The moment finally came off the 4^th delivery of the 44^th over, when Sachin gently tapped a Shakib delivery towards square leg and took off for perhaps the most cherished single of his cricketing career.

It took him a painstaking 138 deliveries to get to his ton in an innings that was punctuated with 10 fours and a six, but the monkey was finally off his back. His celebration was subdued – maybe the great man knew that he had had to fight incredibly hard to get to this one, maybe he felt that it had taken him far too long since No. 99 had arrived a year ago – however, the big moment had finally come.

He was dismissed for 114 in the 47^th over but cameos from Raina and Dhoni towards the end ensured India posted a more than competitive 289 on the board at the end of 50 overs.