New Delhi: The Indian cricket team will tour Australia for the five-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy that starts on November 22 with the first Test scheduled in Perth. Some of the players, who are expected to take part in the series, have already started their preparations. The BGT has always been a series to look out for due to the rich history it boasts – involving the lores of some of the greatest ever players who have graced the game.
One such name is the “God of Cricket” Sachin Tendulkar who has been part of several BGT series. One of his memorable outings came during India’s 2004 tour down under when he smashed an iconic 241* without playing a single cover drive. Sachin was struggling in the series with the shot, therefore, he decided to say no to the shots on the off side. Seeing his wagon wheel of the innings would make it clear that he hardly played anything on the off but for sure, not a single cover drive!
Cummins was awestruck by the fact and was recently asked by Star Sports about one performance from the India-Australia rivalry that he remembers. Cummins replied, “The only one I can remember really is Sachin Tendulkar (in the Sydney Test, 2004). I think it might’ve been Steve Waugh’s last Test match (it was). Yeah, he (Sachin) got a big score, maybe a double hundred (241*). And all I remember was thinking geez, this guy’s hard to get out, but geez it’s boring (chuckles).”
Watch the video here –
When the effort looks so superhuman, it must be @sachin_rt! 🙌
📹 @patcummins30 talks about Sachin’s 241* without cover drives, which defined patience and discipline at their best! 💯
Watch 👉 #AUSvINDOnStar starting FRI, 22 NOV onwards! #AUSWIN | #ToughestRivalry pic.twitter.com/Yz6ijLKTur
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 21, 2024
Why ain’t a single cover drive?
It was the fourth and last Test of the series and Sachin had notably struggled while going for the cover drive, getting dismissed in the slips a few times. In the final match of the series, he didn’t want to reach the same fate and decided to refrain from playing even a single cover drive, hitting the ball mostly on the on side. The series was levelled at 1-1 because the first Test ended in a draw. It was the decider Test that reached the same fate as the first – getting drawn, despite Sachin’s heroics.
The effort by the Master Blaster was indeed superhuman and it was more of a innings that defined patience and reiterated what actual discipline is. Sachin was seemingly tired of himself getting out in the same manner, and therefore decided to break the same pattern. He hit 33 fours in the innings. He walked into bat when India were at 128/2 in the first innings, and was yet to score a half-century going into the fourth Test. This was Tendulkar’s first-ever double-century against Australia in Tests.
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