Once upon a time, a father observed his three sons arguing. So just like any dad, he decided to teach them a lesson.
He gave each of his kids a bundle of sticks and asked them to break it.
The first son went in with confidence, but fell short of breaking it. The second kid tried really hard as well, but couldn’t break through. The third son also ended up with the same result.
Then, the father separated the bundle, and asked his sons to repeat the task. To their surprise, each of them was able to break all the sticks this time around, one by one.
What did they learn? Unity is Strength. By keeping the sticks together, the whole became stronger.
Much like this tale, India’s 2024 T20 World Cup campaign was marked by unity. There was no one performer or one star this time around.
Virat Kohli, the golden boy of Indian cricket for over a decade, could not make a run for his life. India found a new match winner in every game—Bumrah, Arshdeep, Suryakumar Yadav, Pandya, Rohit, and Axar all produced player of the match performances while Rishabh Pant and Shivam Dube played handy cameos throughout the World Cup.
In the final, Kohli steadied the ship with a 76, Axar’s 47 marked India’s recovery, and Dube’s 27 (16) provided the finishing spark that was much needed. In the second innings, Bumrah started with one of the balls of the tournament to dismiss Reeza Hendricks and Arshdeep took out Markram.
What followed was a brilliant counterattack from South Africa through Quinton de Kock, Tristan Stubbs, and Heinrich Klaasen, who unleashed one of the most memorable innings in a World Cup final.
But then, South African ran into the bundle of sticks.
Rishabh Pant helped India get an injury break and disrupted South Africa’s momentum. Pandya then dismissed Klaasen with a clever wide delivery, Bumrah gave nothing away and went through Jansen’s gates. Following up, Arshdeep bowled a cracker of a 19th over and stifled Maharaj, Hardik kept it tight in the 20th, and SKY, who had a middling tournament by his standards, came through with one of those acrobatic catches when it mattered the most.
Even if one of those pieces in the last 28 balls had not come together, India would have lost. But together, they proved to be too strong to break.
Ludwig van Beethoven, perhaps the most recognized composer of them all, left his best for last.
Beethoven’s wrote his Ninth Symphony when he was almost completely deaf. The fourth moment, Ode to Joy, is often regarded as one of the greatest pieces of classical music of all-time. Composer Tan Dun states that
“Everybody loved Beethoven. The enemy loved Beethoven. The friends loved Beethoven. The dictatorship loved Beethoven. But also, the gentle, the people, the kids, the mothers, the women loved Beethoven.”
Rahul Dravid, one of the greatest cricketers of all-time, left his best for last as well. Although Dravid is not going deaf, his hairs have definitely grayed. The WTC Final and 2023 ODI World Cup Final losses would have been hurting deep into his heart.
Everybody loves Rahul Dravid, friends and foes alike. Dravid is one of the most loved and respected cricketers out there (and was also named India’s most sexiest man in 2005, fun fact). He has accomplished everything..well almost everything except for a World Cup. He had won a World Cup with the U-19 team earlier team, but this was different. This was personal.
In 2007, India crashed out of the group stage under Dravid’s captaincy in the Caribbean. History must have been weighing on him. The weight of the nation must have been weighing on him.
17 years later, Dravid came back to the Caribbean yet again with the quest of a World Cup. At last, Dravid orchestrated his most famous symphony.
“Something needs to change. Otherwise all that will be left is broken dreams.”
After the semi-finals loss against England, Rohit Sharma insisted on a change of approach, which was apparent in the dream 2023 ODI World Cup run at home (until the final). By the time we got to June 2024, the change was complete.
Both Rohit and Virat had transformed their playing styles. Rohit Sharma’s 92 against Australia will be talked about for years to come.
What about Virat Kohli? If South Africa had won the final, Kohli’s final knock may have been criticized. In hindsight, it was exactly the knock India needed from its talisman. The 2014 semi-final knock vs South Africa, the 82* at Mohali, the 82* in Adelaide and those sixes against Haris Rauf. People will always remember those, but they will now also remember how Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma helped India win a World Cup.
Their leadership and legacy is now etched in history with this World Cup dream. Broken Dreams no more.
Jasprit Bumrah was the section leader for India’s bowlers.
He delivered with several solo performances, but also guided the rest of the bowlers along with him.
When there is a Bumrah, there is always a way. How does he keep doing it? Regardless of the format, pitch conditions, opposition, he delivers day in and day out. Player of the tournament for a reason. We are seeing the development of one of the greats in front our eyes.
India should appreciate, cherish, and keep Bumrah in cotton wool for as long as possible.
“It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop.”
– Deiter F. Uchtdorf, German aviator and religious leader
This quote embodies Hardik Pandya. He is always in the news for one reason or the other, but this season has been really tough for him.
Hardik Pandya was booed all throughout IPL 2024 after he became Mumbai Indians’ captain. MI did not qualify for the playoffs and to make matters worse, he was in abysmal form himself. There were calls to not select him in the World Cup squad.
And the way he reacted to this adversity and came back is a story to behold. He kept his cool in the press conferences in the IPL and let his performances do the talking in the World Cup. He struck first against Pakistan, had a couple of great all-round shows, and capped it off with Klaasen-Miller’s wickets in the final.
Pastor T.D. Jakes once said, “A setback is a setup for a comeback.”
Rishabh Pant has endured the unimaginable over the last couple of years. The fact that he survived is a big deal on its own. To have the motivation and drive to play cricket again and that also at the highest level, is spectacular.
And then to make a comeback in the IPL and later in international cricket is out of the world. His scores of 36*, 42, 18, 20, 36, 15 might not blow the opposition out, but it is exactly what was needed by the #3. Kept the momentum going.
And boy, he was quite active behind the stumps! Not to forget the Gulbadin moment in the final.
Axar Patel was the missing ingredient India did not realize they had.
Over the last few ICC events, India have carried both Jadeja & Pandya in the XI, but somehow were always missing a bowling option or batting depth that ended up haunting them. Recall batting collapses in 2017 Champions Trophy Final & 2019 ODI SF or lack of bowling options in the 2016 T20 WC SF or 2023 ODI WC Final.
With Axar, Rohit could rotate the bowling around, add Kuldeep or Siraj based on conditions, and switch up the batting line up. The Grade Cricketer podcast sums Axar’s impact really well.
“The versatility is unrivaled….What..What a cricketer. He can bat 5 and make 47 in a World Cup final and also spin teams out in Test matches. I don’t know who else can do that!”
You can’t help but feel happy for Kuldeep Yadav. After all that he went through from 2020-22, Kuldeep is back with a bang!
He did not play the first few matches in fast bowling friendly USA, but the difference in the Caribbean with figures of 2/32, 3/19, 2/24, 3/19 before the 0/45 in the final. With Bumrah and Kuldeep in your XI, opposition just has 12 overs to hit.
His selection in the squad was courageous. His selection in the XI was courageous. Even though he started with scores of 14 (16), 0*(2), and 3 (9), he was persisted with. That was courageous.
And just like the lion in Oz, he lifted himself up when it mattered the most. Staying till the end of the chase with 31*(35) when India were struggling against USA, 34 (24) vs Bangladesh, 28 (22) vs Australia, and saving his best for last—27 (16).
For a known spin basher, he started off with a six against Marco Jansen in the final. Courage.
From 108/4 in 14 overs, India scored 68 in the final 6, and the rest, as we say, is history.
In this WC, Jadeja did not bat much, bowl much, and did not even inflict a direct hit. But the fact that he was there made all the difference.
Rohit Sharma was able to rotate the bowlers, keep flexibility in the batting order, and kept the opposition at bay with the thought that India still has a #8 with three first class triple centuries, a luxury South Africa did not have. Also announced his retirement along with Rohit & Kohli.
Ended with figures of 3-0-13-1, 4-0-19-0, and 4-0-25-0. Pretty solid returns.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Although Chahal is India’s highest wicket taker in T20Is, he is yet to play a T20 World Cup match. But does that really matter anymore?
Sanju Samson
The victory you know. The luck factor, you don’t. In all seriousness, if you have someone with the skill of Sanju Samson on the bench, you must have an absolutely amazing team.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Jaiswal’s time will come. He will carry the torch of Indian cricket for the next generation along with Shubman Gill and a few others.
Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan
Although the reserve players did not get a chance in the final 15, they traveled with the squad throughout the tournament and attended several matches. Not once, did they show their disappointment. When India were happy, they were happy.
God’s Plan.
Support Staff, Physios, Selectors
Ajit Agarkar and co have been criticized for picking the seniors and dropping Rinku Singh. At the end, it all worked out, didn’t it?
Also we cannot forget the contributions of the physios, data analysts, support staff, and several hundred others who played a role in the background. India’s victory could not have been possible without them.
Final Thought, Thank You Team India
In an orchestra, everyone from the first chair to the last stand must be focused and switched on at all times. The bows need to go in the same direction, the entrances need to be spot on, the solos need to be spectacular, the tempo should be consistent, and the instruments need to be in tune. Finally, the director needs to ensure all the sections—the strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion are all on the same page.
And when everything comes together, it is just so beautiful.
Thank you to India’s bowlers, batters, fielders, coaches, support staff, and the fans. They joined together and delivered when it mattered the most.
And the celebration was felt around the world. Robin Uthappa, R Ashwin, Rayudu, Ishant Sharma were visibly emotional on camera. So many cricketers before them have helped India grow and many such cricketers will continue to move Indian cricket forward.
India and Pakistan have gone head-to-head 7 times in the ODI Cricket World Cup (Men’s). India has won all 7 out of 7 (1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2015, 2019).
Sachin Tendulkar (313), Virat Kohli (193), Saeed Anwar (185), Rohit Sharma (155), and Misbah-ul-Haq (132) are the highest scores in Ind-Pak ODI WC matches. On the other hand, Venkatesh Prasad (8), Javagal Srinath (7), Wahab Riaz (7), Anil Kumble (5), and Mushtaq Ahmed (5) have taken the most wickets in these contests.
The highest score in Indo-Pak matches is Rohit Sharma’s 140, followed by Virat Kohli’s 107, Saeed Anwar’s 101, and Sachin Tendulkar’s 98. On the bowling side, Venkatesh Prasad’s 5/27, Wahab Riaz’a 5/46, Sohail Khan’s 5/55, and Mohammad Shami’s 4/35 are the best figures.
In each of the seven occasions, the team that won the toss chose to bowl first and six times, it was won by the team batting first. Only in 2003, did a team win chasing.
Sachin Tendulkar has won the player of the match award in India-Pakistan World Cup matches thrice, while Navjot Sidhu, Venkatesh Prasad, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma and have each won the award once.
Ground: Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sydney, Australia
Toss:, India won the toss and chose to bowl first
The Story & Memorable Moments
This match will forever be remembered for Javed Miandad’s jumping imitation of Kiran More. Other than that, it was a slow-moving affair. Young Tendulkar’s match-winning fifty and Kapil Dev’s finishing prowess did the job for India despite Mushtaq Ahmed’s double wicket over. Pakistan responded with a slow but steady 88-run partnership between Miandad & Sohail but would collapse from 105/2 to 173 all out.
This game provided us with one of the most iconic India-Pakistan memories: Venkatesh Prasad vs Aamer Sohail.Chasing 289 in the World Cup quarterfinals on the back of Sidhu’s brilliance and steady contribution from the rest of India’s Top 6, the match hung in balance after Pakistan had 84 runs on the board after just 10 overs. After Saeed Anwar departed, Sohail was still looking aggressive.
Sohail vs Prasad ball 1 – hit through the covers and Sohail pointed to Prasad where the ball went. The next ball, CLEAN BOWLED! This is what India-Pakistan games are for. Memories we will cherish forever.
Yet another Venkatesh Prasad special. Dravid, Azharuddin, and Tendulkar each played decent knocks, and Srinath-Prasad’s eight wickets together sealed the victory in a low-scoring contest.
Toss: Pakistan won the toss and chose to field first
The Story & Memorable Moments
If I had to pick one shot from an India-Pakistan World Cup match, it is Sachin Tendulkar’s epic upper cut against Shoaib Akhtar for a six! This time, Pakistan put int one heck of a battle. Saeed Anwar led the charge with a century, but India chased 275 with 4 overs to spare thanks to Tendulkar’s tremendous knock. Yuvraj Singh & Rahul Dravid did the rest and took India home with a steady 99-run partnership.
Virat Kohli’s love affair with Adelaide & Australia continued. Kohli’s century as well as India’s crunch ICC players – Dhawan & Raina came to the party with quick 70s. Sohail Khan starred with the ball for Pakistan with 5 wickets, but no one apart from Misbah stood up with the bat as India won by a mammoth 76 runs. It was also the beginning of the brief but brilliant bowling partnership between Umesh-Mohit Sharma, and Mohammad Shami.
Toss: Pakistan won the toss and chose to field first
The Story & Memorable Moments
We can safely say that this was one of the more one-sided India-Pakistan matches. When Kuldeep Yadav bowled one of the balls of the tournament to dismiss Babar Azam for 48, it was all but over in the 24th over.Earlier, India had bludgeoned 336 runs with the help of Rohit Sharma’s magnificent 140, Kohli’s 77, and KL Rahul’s 57. Although Amir took 3 wickets, it just wasn’t the same as the 2016 T20 Asia Cup and 2017 Champions Trophy battle. Oh yeah, and all the rain delays took away from the drama as well.
Who has Scored the Most Runs in India Pakistan ODI World Cup Matches? Top 10 Run Scorers in Ind-Pak CWC Matches
Player
Country
Matches
Runs
Best
100s/50s
Average/Strike Rate
Sachin Tendulkar
India
5
313
98
0/3
78.25/83.24
Virat Kohli
India
3
193
107
1/1
64.33/91.03
Saeed Anwar
Pakistan
3
185
101
1/0
61.66/91.58
Rohit Sharma
India
2
155
140
1/0
77.50/116.54
Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakistan
2
132
76
0/2
66.00/82.50
Mohammad Azharuddin
India
2
118
59
0/1
39.33/80.27
Aamer Sohail
Pakistan
2
117
62
0/2
58.50/82.97
Suresh Raina
India
2
110
74
0/1
110.00/115.78
Rahul Dravid
India
2
105
61
0/1
105.00/63.63
Ajay Jadeja
India
3
97
46
0/0
32.33/83.62
Who has Taken the Most Wickets in India Pakistan ODI World Cup Matches? Top 10 Wicket-Takers in Ind-Pak CWC Matches
Player
Country
Matches
Wickets
Best
4-fer/5-fer
Average/Economy
Venkatesh Prasad
India
2
8
5/27
0/1
9.00/3.69
Javagal Srinath
India
4
7
3/37
0/0
25.14/5.00
Wahab Riaz
Pakistan
3
7
5/46
0/1
23.71/5.53
Anil Kumble
India
3
5
3/48
0/0
28.40/4.73
Mushtaq Ahmed
Pakistan
2
5
3/59
0/0
23.00/5.75
Sohail Khan
Pakistan
1
5
5/55
0/1
11.00/5.50
Zaheer Khan
India
2
4
2/46
0/0
26.00/5.24
Mohammad Shami
India
1
4
4/35
1/0
8.75/3.88
Ashish Nehra
India
2
4
2/33
0/0
26.75/5.35
Waqar Younis
Pakistan
2
4
2/67
0/0
34.50/7.39
Ind vs Pak 2023 World Cup Match
When is Ind vs Pak 2023 World Cup Match?
India vs Pakistan will be held on Saturday, 14 October, 2023 at 2 PM local time. Mark your calendars.
Where will be the 2023 World Cup Ind vs Pak match be held?
The Ind-Pak 2023 WC match will be held in Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India.
Final Thoughts
Let’s be honest. India-Pakistan WC matches have rarely been competitive. There have been moments of enertainment – think Venkatesh Prasad-Sohail, Tendulkar vs Shoaib, Kohli & Rohit’s hundreds, and Wahab Riaz’s 5-fer.
The new generation of Pakistan cricket promises to make this a more even contest – Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Rizwan, Shadab, Rauf, and more. For India, this may be the final chance for the likes of Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli.
Whatever happens, whatever the result, I hope the game is played in great spirit, the crowd has a good & safe time, and we get to see a competitive, edge-of-the-seat contest.
That’s all from me. What do you think? Type your prediction below – who do you think will win this upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup match, Pakistan or India?
Pakistan vs India World Cup – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When is India vs Pakistan in the 2023 Cricket World Cup?
India vs Pakistan will be held on Saturday, 14 October, 2023 at 2 PM local time
Who has scored the most runs in India-Pakistan World Cup matches?
Sachin Tendulkar (313), Virat Kohli (193), Rohit Sharma (185), Rohit Sharma (155), and Misbah-ul-Haq (132) are the highest scores in Ind-Pak ODI WC matches. On the other hand, Venkatesh Prasad (8), Javagal Srinath (7), Wahab Riaz (7), Anil Kumble (5), and Mushtaq Ahmed (5) have taken the most wickets in these contests.
Who has taken the most wickets in India-Pakistan World Cup matches?
How many Test centuries has Virat Kohli scored? Who is Kohli’s favorite opponent?
How many Tests did India win while Kohli hits three figures?
All of these answers and much more. Here is your complete guide on Virat Kohli Test centuries.
Key Takeaways
Virat Kohli currently has 29 Test centuries. He is tied with Sir Donald Bradman and is #16 in the all-time Test centuries list.
His most successful year was 2018: 5 hundreds (5 fifties), 2017 – 5 (1), 2016 – 4 (2), and 2014 – 4 (2). On the other hand, Kohli had his worst Test century drought between 2020-2022 & 2011.
Kohli has scored 14 centuries in India, 6 in Australia, two each in South Africa, Sri Lanka, and West Indies, and one in New Zealand.
Kohli’s favorite Test opponent is Australia (8), England & Sri Lanka (5), and New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies (3), and Bangladesh (2).
He had a golden run during his captaincy. Virat Kohli scored 20 hundreds as a captain and only nine centuries as a non-captain.
Kohli has scored 15 hundreds in the second innings, 9 100s in the 1st innings, 3 100s in the 3rd innings, and only two hundreds in the 4th innings.
India won 13 Tests when Kohli scored a century, 9 in a drawn match, and 7 in a losing cause.
Vrat Kohli has won 8 player of the match awards in the 29 Tests he scored a century.
How many ODI centuries has Virat Kohli scored? Where did he score them? How many player of the match awards did Kohli win while scoring centuries?
Here is everything you need to know about Virat Kohli ODI centuries right here.
Key Takeaways
Virat Kohli currently has 47 ODI centuries, only second to Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries.
Kohli’s most successful year with ODI centuries was 2017: 6 hundreds (7 fifties), 2018 – 6 (3), 2018 – 5 (7), and 2012 – 5 (3). 2008, 2021, and 2020 were his least favorite years with zero centuries.
Kohli has scored 21 centuries in India, 6 in Bangladesh, 5 each in Australia & Sri Lanka, 4 in West Indies, 3 in South Africa, and one each in England, New Zealand, and Zimbabwe.
His favorite opponent is Sri Lanka (10), West Indies (9), and Australia (8).
Kohli won the player of the match awards in 29 out of the 47 ODIs he scored centuries in.
Virat Kohli has scored 21 hundreds at home, 21 away, and 5 neutral. Most importantly, Virat Kohli has scored 21 centuries while batting first and 26 centuries while chasing.
Kohli scored 21 centuries as captain and 26 centuries not as captain. In addition, India won 38 times Kohli scored a century, lost 7 times, and tied in one match.
Frequently Asked Questions – Virat Kohli ODI Centuries
How many centuries has Virat Kohli scored in ODI cricket?
Virat Kohli has scored 47 centuries in ODI cricket.
How many ODI hundreds has Virat Kohli scored against Pakistan?
Kohli has scored three hundreds against Pakistan – 183 vs Pakistan in 2012, 107 vs Pakistan in the 2015 ODI World Cup, and 122* vs Pakistan in the 2023 Asia Cup.
How many centuries has Virat Kohli scored in World Cups?
Kohli has scored two centuries (and six fities) in ODI cricket World Cups.
What is Virat Kohli’s highest score in ODI cricket?
Virat Kohli’s highest score in ODI cricket is 183* vs Pakistan in Mirpur (2012).
How many 150 scores does Kohli have in ODI cricket?
Kohli has scored 5 scores of 150+ in ODI cricket (183, 166*, 160*, 157*, and 154*)
On Sachin Tendulkar’s 50th birthday, here are all of Sachin Tendulkar centuries in one place. Everything you ever wanted to known about Tendulkar’s 100 hundreds.
Let’s begin—Sachin Tendulkar’s Centuries (The Definitive Guide).
Sachin Tendulkar scored 51 Test centuries & 49 ODI centuries in his career.
Tendulkar scored 10 centuries in Sri Lanka, 9 in South Africa, and 7 each in Australia, England, and Bangladesh. In all, he scored 29 Test centuries overseas and 22 at home in India. Interestingly, Tendulkar also scored 29 ODI centuries overseas (12 away, 17 neutral) and 20 at home.
Sachin’s favorite opponent, by far, was Australia. He scored 20 centuries (and 31 fifties) against Australia, 17 vs Sri Lanka, 12 vs South Africa, 9 vs England & New Zealand, 8 vs Zimbabwe, and 7 each against West Indies and Bangladesh.
1998 was Tendulkar’s best year in terms of centuries (12 hundreds, 8 fifties), followed by 8 hundreds (11 fifties) in 1996, and 8 tons (7 fifties) in 1999. Although Tendulkar only scored 3 hundreds in 2007, he was in good form and scored 19 fifties (several 90s that year as well).
Tendulkar never scored a century in Ireland (best of 99), Canada (best of 89*), and Kenya (best of 69).
Sachin Tendulkar had nervous nineties scores 28 times! (10 – Tests, 28 – ODIs). In 27 of those occasions, he was dismissed and was only unbeaten once when he scored 96*.
Tendulkar Hundreds – Major Career Timeline
#1 vs England (1990) – 1st Test Century
#5 vs England (1993) – 1st Century on Home Soil
#8 vs Australia (1994) – 1st ODI Century
#25 vs Sri Lanka (1997)
#30, #31 vs Australia (1998) – The Sharjah Centuries
#44 vs New Zealand (1999) – First Test double century
#50 vs Zimbabwe (2001)
#71 vs Bangladesh (2004) – Highest Test score of 248*
#73 – 35th Test Century – Broke Sunil Gavaskar’s longstanding recordof 34 Test hundreds
#75 vs West Indies (2006)
#93 – 200* vs South Africa – Tendulkar breaks the ODI Double Century Barrier
#97 vs South Africa (2011) – Last Test Century
#100 vs Bangladesh (2012) – Last ODI Century
Sachin Tendulkar Centuries – Fun Facts
53% of Tendulkar’s centuries resulted in victories (33 ODI wins, 20 Test wins), 25% of his hundreds resulted in losses (14 ODI losses, 11 Test losses), and the rest 22% resulted in some form of a draw (20 Test draws, 1 Tied ODI, 1 No Result ODI).
When he scored a century, Sachin won 45 Player of the Match awards – 12 in Test cricket (5 Won, 5 Drawn, 2 Lost) and 33 in ODI cricket (30 Won, 3 Lost).
Sachin Tendulkar scored 22 hundreds in tri-series tournaments, 7 centuries in multi-nation ICC tournaments (6 World Cup hundreds & 1 in 1998 ICC Knockout Trophy/ Wills International Cup), and 4 centuries in quadrangular tournaments. Hence, he scored 33/49 centuries in tournament play and 16 in bilateral series.
By batting positions, Tendulkar’s hundreds are categorized as follows: In Tests (2 tons at #6, 5 at #5, and 44 at #4) and in ODIs (2 tons at #1, 4 at #4, and 46 at #2).
In ODIs, he scored 32 hundreds in the first innings and 17 tons while chasing. In Tests, the distribution was 20 (1st innings), 18 (2nd), 10 (3rd), and 3 (4th).
Sachin Tendulkar – Batting Stats
Here is Sachin Tendulkar’s record in a nutshell.
Note: T20I stats are omitted since he only played one T20I and scored 10 runs.
Matches/Innings
Runs
100s
50s
Average/Strike Rate
Best Score
Tests
200/329
15921
51
68
53.78
248*
ODIs
463/452
18426
49
96
44.83/86.23
200*
List of International Centuries by Sachin Tendulkar
Here is the detailed list of each of Sachin Tendulkar’s centuries in chronological order. Scorecards, photographs, and most highlight reels are attached beneath each innings. Be sure to check them out!
Special thanks to the photographers for the iconic pictures, Rob Moody (robelinda2), and other content creators on YouTube that help us relive Sachin Tendulkar’s hundreds for years and years to come.
1. 119* vs England, 1990, Old Trafford (Test)
Format: Test (1st Test Century)
Opposition: England
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
Result: Match Drawn, Player of the Match (POTM) – 68 & 119*
Batting Position: #6 (4th Innings)
Context:On Day 5, India had to chase down 408 runs and were struggling at 109/4 when Sachin, Kapil Dev, and Manoj Prabhakar batted through the day and drew the game. Tendulkar won the player of the match award for 68 & 119*.
Context:This match is known for Ravi Shastri’s 206 as an opener. On the other end, was the Little Master, Sachin Tendulkar. He came in at 201/4 and remained unbeaten as India scored 483.
Venue: WACA (Western Australia Cricket Association) Ground, Perth, Australia
Result: Lost
Batting Position: #4 (2nd Innings)
Context:India lost the match by 300 runs and the series 4-0. There was one bright light though – Sachin Tendulkar was promoted at #4 in the first innings and took India to a respectable 272. Due to the tough Perth pitch, this is considered one of Tendulkar’s best knocks. The next highest score was Kiran More’s 43 at #10.
Venue: New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
Result: Drawn
Batting Position: #4 (2nd innings)
Context:Against a pace attack of Allan Donald, Brian McMillan, and Craig Matthews, Sachin Tendulkar scored a six-hour long 111 (270) when the next best score was just 25.
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, India
Result: Won, (POTM) – 165
Batting Position: #4 (1st Innings)
Context:As India posted their highest total at that time (560/6 dec) against England in India, Sachin scored his first century at home. With Sidhu, also scoring a century at the other end, they amassed a 147-run partnership. Sachin Tendulkar’s first player of the match award at home.
Context:Yet another Sidhu-Tendulkar partnership resulted in India posting a massive 511 run total. Sidhu scored 124 with 8 sixes & 9 fours, while Tendulkar scored 142 with 22 fours.
Tournament: Singer World Series 1994 (SL, Ind, Aus, Pak)
Context:Opening the batting, Sachin scored his first ODI ton as an opener and won his first ODI player of the match trophy. With some support from Azharuddin & Vinod Kambli, Tendulkar’s 110 made sure India reached a competitive 246 and won the match.
Venue: Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur, India
Result: Match Drawn
Batting Position: #4 (1st Innings)
Context:The Sidhu-Sachin partnership struck once again. From 49-2, these two took India to 226. By the time Tendulkar was done, India had put up 444. India would end up making 546/9 declared.
Context:Sachin scored a mammoth 137, but his innings was cut short with a run out. India scored 271, but Sanath Jayasuriya’s new style of play took Sri Lanka home.
Tournament: Singer Cup 1995/96 (Tri Series: Pak, SL, Ind)
Context:Tendulkar was India’s only major contributor as India were bundled for 226. Aamer Sohail & Saeed Anwar completed the rain-affected target of 190 runs in just 28 overs. This was his first ton against Pakistan.
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah, UAE
Result: Won, (POTM) – 118 & 2/40
Batting Position: #2 (1st Innings)
Tournament: Pepsi Sharjah Cup (Tri Series: SA, Ind, Pak)
Context:Another 231-run partnership with Navjot Singh Sidhu to take India to a score of 305/5. Pakistan made a run for the chase but were all out for 277. Tendulkar had a role to play with the ball as well figures of 7.1-0-40-2.
Context:Trailing 99-runs already in the first innings, India were 36/4 when captain Azharuddin departed. Tendulkar replied with a masterclass of 122 when the next best was Sanjay Manjrekar’s 18.India would go on to lose the Test, but the legend and class of Sachin Tendulkar continued to grow.
Context:Tendulkar scored 177 & 74 in this Test, but this series was known for the find of Sourav Ganguly (and Rahul Dravid). The Tendulkar-Ganguly duo put together a 255-run partnership for the third wicket as India made 521. Ganguly earned the player of the match and series trophies, and India’s next generation was now in motion.
Tournament: Singer World Series (SL, Aus, Ind, Zim)
Context:Captaining India for the first time, Tendulkar’s hundred took India to 226. However, it was the arch-nemesis, Sanath Jayasuriya, whose century overshadowed Tendulkar once again.
Context:This was Tendulkar’s first century when he took first strike in the opening partnership. India posted 267 and demolished the Proteas. End of a succesful hundred-filled year for Tendulkar.
Context:India were struggling at 58/5, when Tendulkar & Azharuddin stitched together a 222-run partnership. India would go on to lose the Test with Brian McMillan’s all-round show.
Tournament: Pepsi Independence Cup 1997 (Pak, SL, Ind, NZ)
Context:The beginnings of the prolific Ganguly-Tendulkar opening partnership in ODIs. They broke the back of the 221-run chase with a 169-run partnership. When Tendulkar got out, India only need 5 runs to win.
Context:Will forever be remembered as the infamous 952/6 game after India declared their innings for 537/8. Tendulkar’s 143 was the third highest score of the game after Jayasuriya’s 340 & Roshan Mahanama’s 225.
Context:The trio of Indian cricket came to the party in another high run-fest draw against Sri Lanka – Dravid (93), Ganguly (173), and Tendulkar (148).
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, India
Result: Won, (POTM) – 155*
Batting Position: #4 (3rd Innings)
Context:Australia had gained a first innings lead, but with Tendulkar’s hundred and fifties from Sidhu, Dravid, and Azhar, India were able to come back in the match.
Context:Tendulkar’s 177 took India to a first innings total of 424, but hundreds from the Marks (Waugh & Taylor) as well Kasprowicz’s bowling show gave Australia a rare victory on Indian soil.
Tournament: Pepsi Triangular Series (Ind, Aus, Zim)
Context:A 175-run opening partnership between Ganguly and Tendulkar meant India chased 223 in style. The year of Tendulkar against the mighty Aussiese.
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah, UAE
Result: Lost, (POTM) – 143 & 1/27
Batting Position: #2 (2nd Innings)
Tournament: Coco-Cola Cup 1997/98 (Tri Series: Aus, Ind, NZ)
Context:In the chase of 276 in 46 overs, Tendulkar single-handedly dragged India close. When he got out, he had scored 143 out of India’s 242 runs. With 21 balls remaining, India could only add 8 more runs. Established Tendulkar as a living legend.
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah, UAE
Result: Won, (POTM) – 134
Batting Position: #2 (2nd Innings)
Tournament: Final, Coca-Cola Cup 1997/98 (Tri Series: Aus, Ind, NZ)
Context:Two days later, same venue, same opposition, almost similar situation. Different result. Chasing 273 in 50 overs, Tendulkar bludgeoned134 runs but departed with 30 runs still to go. This time, though, with help from Azharuddin, Jadeja, and Kanitkar, India won the Final. These two contests in Sharjah marked the beginning of the Warne-Tendulkar rivalry.
Context:Putting together a 252-run opening partnership with Ganguly, Tendulkar led India to a competitive 307 in the final of the tri-series. Sri Lanka came close, courtesy a century by Aravinda de Silva, but lost by 6 runs.
Venue: Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Result: Won, (POTM) – 141 & 4/38
Batting Position: #2 (1st Innings)
Tournament: Wills International Cup 1998/99 (WI, SA, Ind, SL, Pak, Aus, Eng, Zim, NZ)
Context:Tendulkar’s glorious year against Australia continued with a blistering century as well as a bowling performance. Opened the innings and continued the carnage till the 46th over, when the score was already 280.
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah, UAE
Result: Won, (POTM) – 118*
Batting Position: #2 (2nd Innings)
Tournament: Coca-Cola Champions Trophy 1998/99 (Tri Series: Ind, Zim, SL)
Context:Another dominating chase by Sachin. He scored 118 out of 197 runs and finished the chase in 40.4 overs. His strike rate was 105.35 when the next best for India was Ganguly at 57.14.
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah, UAE
Result: Won, (POTM) – 124* & 1/16
Batting Position: #2 (2nd Innings)
Tournament: Coca-Cola Champions Trophy 1998/99 Final (Tri Series: Ind, Zim, SL)
Context:Almost similar to his previous century. Chasing 197 against Zimbabwe, this time Tendulkar helped India score the runs in 30 overs. India won by 10 wickets – Tendulkar 124* (92) at 134.18 & Ganguly 63* (90) at 70.00 strike rate.
Context:Trailing New Zealand by 144 runs, Tendulkar’s century and contributions from almost every batter took India to a competitive 356 runs. The Craigs – McMillan and Cairns ensured that New Zealand get to the target of 214 without any hiccups.
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, India
Result: Lost, (POTM) – 1/10 & 2/35, 136
Batting Position: #4 (4th Innings)
Context:A thriller of a Test match, and Tendulkar’s masterclass in the fourth innings. Chasing a mammoth 271 in Chennai, India were reeling at 6/2 and later at 82/5. Ramesh, Laxman, Dravid, Azharuddin, and Ganguly,all back in the hut. With some support from Nayan Mongia, Tendulkar almost single-handedly drove India close to victory. However, Pakistan held their nerve and India would lose this close fourth innings encounter by just 12 runs.
Context:Another high scoring draw against Sri Lanka. Tendulkar was one of the many centurions from this Test; others being Ramesh, Dravid, and Jayawardene, who scored 242.
Context:Tendulkar’s first ODI century at #4. This innings is best remembered for Sachin’s tribute to his late father, and the unbeaten 237-run partnership between Dravid-Tendulkar.
Tournament: Aiwa Cup 1999 (Tri Series: Aus, SL, Ind)
Context:Back to opening with Sadagoppan Ramesh as his partner, Tendulkar took first strike in this match. He was involved in the 75-run opening partnership as well as a 117-run partnership with Ganguly, who was now the new #4.
Venue: Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh, India
Result: Drawn
Batting Position: #4 (3rd Inning)
Context:India recovered from 83-all out in the first innings to score a mammoth 505/3 declared in their second. Debutant Devang Gandhi scored 75, Ramesh chipped in with 73, and the Dravid-Tendulkar duo managed 144 & 126* respectively.
Venue: Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, India
Result: Drawn, (POTM) – 217
Batting Position: #4 (1st Innings)
Context:India put up 583/7 declared in the first innings courtesy centuries from Ramesh (110), Ganguly (125), and Tendulkar (217). This was Sachin Tendulkar’s first double century.
Venue: Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan, India
Result: Won, (POTM) – 186*
Batting Position: #2 (1st Innings)
Context:This day is remembered for a couple of reasons – (1) One of the final days when ODIs where played in whites, (2) a 331-run partnership between Dravid & Tendulkar, and finally (3) Sachin’s highest ODI score that stood tall until his double century.
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne, Australia
Result: Lost, (POTM) – 116 & 52
Batting Position: #4 (2nd Innings)
Context:One of Sachin Tendulkar’s finest knocks. Against an attack of Glenn McGrath, Damien Fleming, Brett Lee, and Shane Warne, Tendulkar fought the lone hand. He scored 116 out of India’s 238 in the first innings with minimal support apart from Ganguly & Kumbleand followed it up with a fifty in the second innings.
Venue: Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited Sports Complex Ground, Vadodara, India
Result: Won, (POTM) – 122
Batting Position: #2 (2nd Innings)
Context:Tendulkar & Ganguly, back to the top of the batting order, put together 153 runs for the first wicket. India won by 4 wickets with just one ball to spare in the chase of 283.
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah, UAE
Result: Lost, (POTM) – 101
Batting Position: #2 (1st Innings)
Tournament: Coco-Cola Champions Trophy 2000/01 (Tri Series: SL, Ind, Zim)
Context:From India’s side, only Tendulkar stood up with a century when the next best was 35. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, chased 225 with sizeable contributions from Russell Arnold (59), Jayasuriya (48), Sangakkara (40*), and Jayawardene (38).
Context:This match is better known for Javagal Srinath’s 4/81 & 5/60, Andy Flower’s 183* * 70, and Dravid’s 200* & 70*, but Tendulkar contributed nicely with 122 & 39 as well.
Venue: Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur, India
Result: Drawn
Batting Position: #4 (1st Innings)
Context:You would think Sachin’s unbeaten double century would yield him a player of the match trophy. Think again, this was Zimbabwe cricket at its peak and Andy Flower upped Tendulkar with a show of 55 & 232*.
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, India
Result: Won
Batting Position: #4 (2nd Innings)
Context:We all remember this month for Harbhajan’s excellence and the colossal Laxman’s 281 & Dravid’s 180 rearguard effort. But in the final match of the series, Sachin scored a century of his own.
Context:A game India truly dominated. VVS Laxman & Tendulkar combined for a 199-run second wicket partnership. India reached 299/8 and won by 118 runs.
Tournament: Standard Bank Triangular Tournament 2001/02 (SA, Ind, Ken)
Context:The golden era of Ganguly-Tendulkar mayhem continued. Ganguly 111, Tendulkar 146, partnership 258 runs, India 351/3. Ended up winning by 186 runs.
57. 155 vs South Africa, 2001, Bloemfontein (Test)
Format: Test (#26)
Opposition: South Africa
Venue: Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Result: Lost
Batting Position: #4 (1st Innings)
Context:Against an attack of Shaun Pollock, Nantie Hayward, Jacques Kallis, and Makhaya Ntini, Tendulkar scored a fluent 155 and had support from a certain Virender Sehwag (105) at #6.
Venue: Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, India
Result: Drawn
Batting Position: #4 (2nd Innings)
Context:Responding to England’s first innings total of 407, India struggled under the guile of Giles. Ashley Giles took 5/67, but Tendulkar’s 103 took India to a safe score of 291.
Venue: Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur, India
Result: Won
Batting Position: #4 (2nd Innings)
Context:On this occasion, India were a class apart against Zimbabwe. Centuries from Shiv Sundar Das, Tendulkar, and Sanjay Bangar as well as a 9-wicket match haul for Anil Kumble meant that Zimbabwe were never really in the game.
60. 117 vs West Indies, 2002, Port of Spain (Test)
Format: Test (#29)
Opposition: West Indies
Venue: Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad
Result: Won
Batting Position: #4 (1st Innings)
Context:Although Tendulkar scored a century in the first innings (and duck in the second), it was VVS Laxman’s twin fifties (69* & 74) that earned him the player of the match trophy.
Venue: The Royal & Sun Alliance County Ground, Bristol, England
Result: Won,(POTM) – 113
Batting Position: #4 (1st Innings)
Tournament: NatWest Series (Ind, Eng, SL)
Context:Before the Yuvraj-Kaif magic and Ganguly’s celebration celebration in the final, Tendulkar scored a couple of tons of his own in THAT NatWest series.
Context:This match ended in a draw, but not before several great individual performances – Gayle’s 88, Wavell Hinds’ 100, Chanderpaul’s 140, Samuels’ 104, Harbhajan Singh’s 5-fer, 154* for VVS Laxman, and the Little Master’s 176.
Context:Good exposure for Namibia in an ODI World Cup, but Tendulkar (152) himself beat all of the Namibian team combined (130). It was that pair again on the charge – 244 between Tendulkar & Ganguly, who scored 112*.
Context:Against Australia, rises VVS Laxman. Laxman scored 102 before being run out by Andrew Symonds and added 190 runs with Tendulkar for the second wicket.
Venue: Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, Deccan, India
Result: Won
Batting Position: #2 (1st Innings)
Tournament: TVS Cup (Tri Series: Aus, Ind, NZ)
Context:Virender Sehwag cemented his place as Tendulkar’s opening partner in ODIs. The duo scored 182 for the opening wicket while Ganguly dropped to #3 in the batting line up.
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sydney, Australia
Result: Drawn, (POTM) – 241* & 60*
Batting Position: #4 (1st Innings)
Context:The Test innings that everyone still talks about to this day. In order to rectifya flaw outside off, Tendulkar decided to let go off his famous cover drive. The art of a true genius. This innings required patience, grit, and mental fortitude. At the end, he scored a famous double century and probably his best Test innings.
Context:One of the best ODI series of all-time. Pakistan scored 329 due to neat 80s from Yasir Hameed and Shahid Afridi along with important contributions from Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, and Abdul Razzaq. In reply, Tendulkar scored 141 but did not have as much support from the rest of the XI as India fell short by 12 runs.
Venue: Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, India
Result: Lost
Batting Position: #2 (1st Innings)
Context:Tendulkar’s hundred, Dhoni’s 47, and Yuvraj’s 35* got India to a score of 319, but Inzamam-ul-Haq & Shoaib Malik forged a quick partnership to take Pakistan home.
Context:Another close match against Pakistan. Another loss. Tendulkar (100), Irfan Pathan (56), and Dhoni (68) took India to 328, but a hundred from Salman Butt & 90 from Shoaib Malik meant the chase was complete with 3 overs to spare.
Venue: Bir Shrestha Shahid Ruhul Amin Stadium, Chittagong, Bangladesh
Result: Drawn
Batting Position: #4 (1st Innings)
Context:Centuries for Tendulkar and Ganguly. Known for their ODI partnership, this time they put together a 189-run partnership for the 4th wicket in this Test.
Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Bangladesh
Result: Won
Batting Position: #4 (1st Innings)
Context:A rare occasion where India’s entire Top 4 scored centuries – Dinesh Karthik 129, Wasim Jaffer 138, Rahul Dravid 129, and Sachin Tendulkar 122*. India declared after scoring 610/3 and won by an innings & 239 runs.
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sydney, Australia
Result: Lost
Batting Position: #4 (2nd Innings)
Context:One of the more controversial series in recent memories, but that shouldn’t take away from the fact that Tendulkar scored yet another majestic hundred Down Under.
Tournament: Commonwealth Bank (CB) Series (Tri Series: Aus, Ind, SL)
Context:One of India’s more celebrated victories as the era of tri-series was coming to an end. Tendulkar’s 117* took India to victory in the CB series final. This series will be remembered for the Lee vs Tendulkar battle.
Venue: Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur, India
Result: Won
Batting Position: #4 (1st Innings)
Context:Sachin’s 109 set the platform as India scored 441 in the first innings. Despite Jason Krejza’s best effort (8/215 & 4/143), Australia still fell short by 172 runs in the Test.
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, India
Result: Won
Batting Position: #4 (4th Innings)
Context:One of the greatest Test chases of all time. The original Bazballfourth innings chase. 387 chased down in 98.3 overs at 3.92 run rate, courtesy Sehwag’s quick assault of 83 (68).
Context:Ended retired hurt at 163* with five overs still to spare. One of Tendulkar’s greatest ODI innings, playing shots all around the park with 16 fours and five sixes.
Context:An all-round batting performance led by Tendulkar took India to 520 in the first innings, and the Kiwis never recovered. Gambhir’s Napier marathon of 137 & 167 in Wellington secured crucial draws, but Tendulkar’s hundred in this match helped India take the lead 1-0.
Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad, India
Result: Lost
Batting Position: #2 (2nd Innings)
Context:Apart from the Sharjah knocks in 1998 vs Australia, this is quite possibly Sachin Tendulkar’s best ODI innings of all-time. Chasing 351, Sachin got India to 332 before paddle scooping it to Nathan Hauritz. A collapse followed and India were stopped at 347. So close, yet so far.
Venue: Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, India
Result: Drawn
Batting Position: #5 (3rd Innings)
Context:One of those high scoring India-Sri Lanka matches. Welegedera’s first morning spell reduced India to 4/32 before Dravid (177), Yuvraj (68), and Dhoni (110) helped India recover. In response, Dilshan scored 112, Jayawardenes scored centuries (275 for Mahela and 154* for Prasanna). Then came 114 for Gautam Gambhir and finally, 100* for Sachin Tendulkar at the end of the third innings.
Venue: Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong, Bangladesh
Result: Won, (POTM) – 105*
Batting Position: #4 (1st Innings)
Context:Tendulkar’s unbeaten hundred was India’s only fighting force in the first innings as Shahadat Hossain & Shakib took 5 wickets each and bundled India for 243.
Venue: Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur, India
Result: Lost
Batting Position: #4 (3rd Innings)
Context:335 runs behind South Africa in the first innings after Amla’s 253* and Steyn’s masterclass of 7/51, Tendulkar tried to save India in the follow-on. Tendulkar made a century but India still lost by an innings and 6 runs against a world class South African outfit.
Context:A Valentine Century for Sachin Tendulkar. Fun Fact – Tendulkar’s 106 was actually India’s third highest score in the innings after Laxman’s 143 & Sehwag’s 165. Hashim Amla also scored twin tons in that match, 114 & 123*, but India would end up winning by an innings.
Context:Tendulkar continued his rich vein of form with yet another double century. By the time he was done, he had already posted 592 runs. India would make 707 as the match headed towards a draw.
Context:Replying back to Australia’s 478, Tendulkar & Murali Vijay put together a 308-run stand to help India recover from 38/2. Tendulkar’s final double century.
Context:India’s first innings collapse came back to haunt them in this match. India were bundled out 136 and South Africa replied with 620/4 declared featuring Jacques Kallis’ maiden double century. Tendulkar (111*), Dhoni (90), Gambhir (80), and Sehwag (63) took India to 459, but still could not avoid an innings defeat.
Context:Against Dale Steyn & Morne Morkel in their primes, Tendulkar crafted a majestic ton at Newlands. One of the best performances for an Indian batter overseas.
Venue: Vidharbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur, India
Result: Lost
Batting Position: #2 (1st Innings)
Tournament: 2011 ODI Cricket World Cup
Context:In one of the best matches of the tournament, Sehwag & Tendulkar powered India to a 142-run stand in just 17.4 overs. Dale Steyn’s 5-fer would reduce India to 296, which South Africa would chase down in a thriller of a contest.
Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Bangladesh
Result: Lost
Batting Position: #2 (1st Innings)
Tournament: Asia Cup 2012 (Pak, Ban, Ind, SL)
Context:For such an illustrious career, this innings was criticized by many due to that strike rate of 77.55. Despite a 148-run partnership with Virat Kohli, Tendulkar’s final hundred resulted in Team India’s loss unfortunately.
After the defeat, or ‘thrashing’ India received from England in the 2022 WC semi-finals, fans worldwide were frustrated at another disappointing finish. Here are my honest thoughts for Those Who Care and Run Indian Cricket. An open letter, “Enough is enough.”
Dear Indian Cricket Administrators,
Enough is enough.
2014 T20 World Cup Final. 2015 ODI World Cup Semi-Final. 2016 T20 World Cup Semi-Final. 2017 Champions Trophy Final. 2019 ODI World Cup Semi-Final. 2021 World Test Championship Final. 2022 T20 World Cup Semi-Final. 2023 World Test Championship Final.
9 Long Years. 7 ICC knockout matches. 3 captains. Different coaches. Same result. So close, yet so far.
When India suffered 0-4 losses to England & Australia in the 2011 disastrous Test tours, MS Dhoni frequently said, ‘It is the processthat matters.’ The same talks continued throughout the decade.
Process. Journey. Learnings. Yes, learning is good. Making mistakes is good…if and only if, they lead to tangible changes. Not if they result in the same mistakes again.
We have Questions. More questions. LOTS of questions. What is the exact process? Who decides these processes? Because if the same story plays over and over again, and India keeps losing in key moments, then there is an inherent problem with the process itself.
Then the blame game starts. IPL vs internationals. Not able to play in overseas leagues. Injuries. Handling the ‘pressure.’ Retrospective selection debates. Rest & rotation.
Excuses.Enough is enough.
This letter is not to single out individuals, players, coaches, team management, or even the system. I’m not questioning the commitment or the lack of trying. These are professionals, and they try to do their best on and off the field.
Rather, I’m questioning the status quo. The Hero Worship. Administrative bias. Selections and Experimentation. Media leaks. Lack of the winning mentality.
The current England team is doing something right. After the 2015 World Cup debacle, they took some tough decisions. The team of Eoin Morgan, Andrew Strauss, and Nathan Leamon invested in a system that would produce results and backed players that fit their system.
Enjoy the journey. Learn from the process. Keep improving. All this is good, but at the end of the day, results matter. The IPL wouldn’t still exist if it wasn’t a profitable venture. Brazil (5), Germany (4), and Italy (4) wouldn’t be as feared in the soccer world if they hadn’t won that many trophies consistently over time.
You know why West Indies in the 2010s were so good? Because they won World Cups AND had fun doing it. That’s the ideal situation. Process plus results. Why can’t India get there? Why can’t India win both bilaterals and World Cups?
The Power of the IPL and depth of India’s pool of talent—A blessing and a disguise. There is a key difference between gradual progress and stagnation. It is high time that Team India starts converting this golden generation of players and financial power into trophies.
Lost opportunity. Enough is enough.
The fans are just as much as stakeholders in the game as the administrators and players themselves.
One of these days, the confidence in the team might be a disappear. The team needs to start winning world tournaments. That’s it.
And this is not to say that India is a bad team. Not even close. Coming to the semi-finals in almost every competition ten years in a row is no joke. However, the final hurdle is sometimes the most important step. And not getting over that step points to deeper issues.
It’s a well-known idiom to “Hope for the best and Prepare for the worst.” But maybe, just maybe, that is not the right way to go.
Don’t play safe. For once, just go all out. Try something new. Take some risks. Make courageous selections.
Indian fans can live with defeat. What they can’t live with is manner of defeats and making the same mistakes over and over again.
Something needs to change. Otherwise, all that will be left is Broken Dreams.
Because enough is enough.
Sincerely, A Cricket Fan
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