Pages

Highest Run in Cricket Test Match World Record by Sachin Tendulkar

WHEN the fireworks stopped and the smoke cleared, Sachin Tendulkar was the most successful batsman in the history of Test cricket and Australia was consigned to a long, hot afternoon in Mohali.

One minute after tea, Tendulkar dispelled his own anxiety and that of an entire nation when, at long last, he sent a deft glide to third man to inherit the world record from the princely West Indies batsman Brian Lara.

As India's idol turned for a third run, fireworks went off around the stadium and the game stopped for several minutes while each Australian player, led by captain Ricky Ponting, rushed to shake Tendulkar's hand, and a nation celebrated the batsman who now stands above all others on the list of the game's greatest run-scorers.

The sense of relief was palpable as Tendulkar removed his helmet and turned his face towards the sky, as he always has done in marking each of his 39 centuries, for his progress towards the world record had been slow and painstaking.

The 35-year-old came to the crease just after lunch needing 15 runs to claim Lara's throne, and released some pressure with an exquisite cover drive creamed off the sweet spot of his bat off Mitchell Johnson.

To heighten the suspense, he went to tea with two runs still to get, and when he steered a Peter Siddle delivery away to break the record, it was as if a weight had been lifted. It was appropriate that this most majestic of milestones came against the Australians, who also witnessed Lara's record when he passed Allan Border's mark at the Adelaide Oval in 2005.

Tendulkar did not stop at 11,954, combining with another of Australia's old tormentors Sourav Ganguly to inflict further punishment on the tourists' improvised attack to raise his first half-century in 11 innings.

However, Tendulkar's memorable day turned sour just before stumps when he was caught by Matthew Hayden off Siddle for 88. The Victorian debutant followed in the footsteps of his Bushrangers captain Cameron White, who had claimed Tendulkar as his first Test scalp in Bangalore.

The partnership of Tendulkar and Ganguly halted an Australian revival led by Johnson, who was the pick of the bowlers in Bangalore and claimed the vital wickets of Gautam Gambhir and V.V.S. Laxman to slow India's momentum in the second session.

After Ponting lost an important toss, Australia conceded 104 runs in the first session, as Gambhir and Virender Sehwag attacked the boundaries, but regained some control to claim 3-70 in the second.

Click here for More Cricket World Records

Click here for More Sports World Records


LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails