The first Test of a two-match series between India and Bangladesh will take place in Chennai on September 19th. Here is the story of Sachin Tendulkar’s equaling Sunil Gavaskar’s record of test centuries, which happened historically.
Both Tendulkar and Gavaskar are Indian cricket legends who have made huge contributions during different eras.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Gavaskar laid the groundwork for the rise of Indian cricket while Tendulkar carried this forward by becoming a global icon in the 1900s and early 2000s. Many cricketers all over India as well as across the globe still draw inspiration from their batting records, consistency and ability to perform under pressure.
Gavaskar became the first ever player to score 10,000 runs in international Test cricket. His record of having scored thirty-four test centuries stood for almost twenty years before it was broken by Tendulkar.
It was at Dhaka’s Bangabandhu National Stadium against Bangladesh in the first Test match when he equaled Gavaskar’s mark for Test tons.
In that first-ever Test match between these teams held at Bangabandhu Stadium, Irfan Pathan picked up his maiden ten-wicket haul whereas Anil Kumble broke Kapil Dev’s longstanding record with dismissing his countryman Mhmd Rafique on day three in December 2004.
Bangladesh were bowled out for 184 with Pathan claiming five wickets in that innings. Thereafter, it was all about Sachin Tendulkar & Co.
Tendulkar ended one short of what would have been his thirty-fourth century; however, he did improve his personal milestone record to a maximum (248*), which had been set thus far by him till then after crossing hundred wickets twice previously coming closest with 241.
Tendulkar, who was dropped at 28 and 47, hit 35 boundaries during his innings and shared a fourth wicket partnership of 164 with Ganguly (71) as well as added another 133 runs with Zaheer Khan for the last wicket as India recorded a massive total of 526.
The match was closed early on Day four by Pathan as he claimed six Bangladesh second innings wickets for just fifty-one runs in an Indian win by an innings plus one hundred and forty runs.
Sachin Tendulkar is widely regarded as one of cricket’s all-time greats and has most test runs under his belt. He has scored one hundred centuries internationally (51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs), which no other player has been able to achieve so far.