What is your favorite Beatles song? The funniest Seinfeld episode? The tastiest paneer dish? The answer to all these questions is the same:*
Uh, can’t choose, they’re all so good.
But how about which was the best innings of Sachin Tendulkar’s career? Same response? No, I propose that there is actually a correct answer. That there is an objectively the best ever. That the 664 total international innings played by the living legend can be narrowed down to one singular career defining innings.
Now, by “best” I don't mean highest score necessarily. His career best 248* in a Test against Bangladesh and the intrepid 200* against South Africa as he smashed the first double century in ODI history were remarkable, but not the best. Hist first international century at Old Trafford or his fearless 114 on a lightning quick outfield in Perth as a teenager foreshadowed greatness, but they were not his best. And the back to back 100s against Australia in Sharjah were thrilling and breathtaking, but still not the best. In my opinion, the best Tendulkar innings wasn’t even one of his centuries. It was the 98 runs from 75 deliveries against Pakistan on that fateful day in the 2003 World Cup.
Whenever India plays Pakistan it doesn’t matter if it’s the opening Test match or a dead rubber ODI, the contest invariably retains an excitement and an edge that would rival the latest Mission Impossible movie. The mother of all rivalries as it is known, India vs. Pakistan is always more than a cricket match. To add to the drama, they were meeting in the group stage of the 2003 World Cup. Set a daunting target of 274, Sachin and Sehwag strode out to the crease. Apparently, Tendulkar had spent the better part of a year waiting for and being reminded incessantly by everyone everywhere of this precise moment. March 1st. World Cup. The match against Pakistan. As usual, one billion hopes and dreams pinned on one man.
One man to carry them all.
The assault would begin right away. A punch through the covers in the first over. Then that upper cut six to a short and wide Shoaib Akthar ball. I don’t even need to say any more and you know which shot I’m talking about. It is the second over. The fastest bowler in the world. Balling at 150 kph. He has already bowled two wides. Then hurls another wide one at top pace which any other batsman would have gladly, and correctly, left alone to earn an extra run. But that day the outcome of that delivery was not to be decided by the bowler. That day the ball had no say in its destiny. That day Sachin was writing the story. Making his own destiny. That was a statement, a declaration, and quite frankly that was the game right there. Tendulkar reached out to meet the ball in its wayward trajectory and punished it with such conviction and ferocity that it flew over third man and into the delirious crowd in an instant. This was the ‘Don’t mess with me’ shot, the ‘I’m the captain now’ shot.
One shot to beat them all.
There were still two more deliveries left in the over. First, a trademark wristy glance to square leg. Then, a sublime shot which wasn’t even a shot, but merely an acknowledgement of the ball coming in at 154 kph. There was zero follow-through, but he held the bat up for just a second longer than necessary, as if to pose for a photograph. If ever a cricketing shot could be described as a handshake. A handshake which ended up as a four down the ground to long on. Akhtar went for 18 in his first over. The tone was set. The setting was Centurion, South Africa. The author was Sachin Tendulkar.
Sachin and Sehwag accelerated the total to 50 in 5 overs. However, Sehwag and Ganguly were both dismissed in back to back deliveries by a pumped up Waqar Younis. But Tendulkar was a man possessed that day. He was batting, as was often the case, on another level. And so he marched on as Mohammed Kaif joined him in the middle.
That innings had everything. A drive through midwicket which was fielded well by Akhtar but Tendulkar was so used to dealing in boundaries that he ran four runs anyways. A nudge to get to a 50 from 37 balls but also claiming four more runs as overthrows. A no ball sent screaming straight back over the bowler. Even a dropped catch off of an exasperated Wasim Akram by an outstretched Abdul Razzaq. Drives, punches, edges. Through the covers, cut square, forced over midwicket. That innings was everything.
Tendulkar batted like a dream at a strike rate of 130 for over 27 overs and was two runs short of a ton when he started struggling with a thigh strain. All good things come to an end; immediately after Sehwag re-entered as a runner, Sachin succumbed to a brutish short pitch delivery from Akhtar and was caught at point. But his job was done. The remaining 97 runs were scored as a formality and India won the match and advanced to the next round and ended up losing in the final.
But that day, against the arch rivals, under ineffable amounts of pressure, facing an immensely skilled Pakistani bowling line up, and chasing a mountain of a score, Sachin Tendulkar produced a classic. Possibly one of the best innings played by anyone of all time, let alone his own.
One innings to rule them all.
*Mine: ”A Day in the Life”; “The Switch”; and Shahi Paneer with Butter Naan (or better yet, Paneer Naan)