The curtains are set to be raised for the start of the ODI series between India and New Zealand as we pay a visit down the memory lanes as India return to a stadium where they have mixed success. India’s great Sachin Tendulkar has been the epicenter whenever they have made a trip down to Hyderabad. Whether it is the old Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium or the new Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, he has blossomed for India and played some memorable knocks. Ahead of India’s first ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday (January 18) here is a look at his Hyderabad connection.
Sachin’s Memorable 186 vs New Zealand in 1999
Considered one of the greatest innings in ODI cricket at that time, Sachin Tendulkar on 8 November 1999 ran riot at the old Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Hyderabad. Losing Sourav Ganguly in just the second over of the innings, Sachin Tendulkar was joined by Rahul Dravid in the middle and what happened next went into memory lane.
A young and hungry Tendulkar went on to score an unbeaten 186 runs in his innings and narrowly missed out on the coveted 200-run mark in the ODI format, a record he would set himself 10 years later. Sachin’s mammoth innings consisted of 3 sixes and 20 fours while he scored at a strike rate of 124 to bring his 24th ODI hundred.
Sachin along with Rahul Dravid stitched a second wicket partnership of 331 runs. The partnership was the highest for any wicket in the ODI format for more than 15 years until it was broken on 24 Feb 2015.
Sachinll but does the a job with 175 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium
10 years after the epic innings, on 5th Nov 2009 with the ODI series all square at 2-2 heading into Hyderabad, Team India bowlers were dismantled all over the place as Australia scored 350/4. India needed 351 runs to win and almost achieved the target with Tendulkar in sublime form. While there was no support from the middle order, the great fought the fort alone and scored a brilliant 175 before falling at the final hurdle.
India were in the contest until Sachin’s dismissal, but lost way and would eventually fall short of the target by three runs and were bowled out for 347 with two balls to spare. India would lose the match and later the series by 4-2 with the final match in Navi Mumbai abandoned by rain.
Tendulkar’s brilliant innings included 19 fours and 4 sixes while scoring at a strike rate of 124. Back then 2009 it was the second-highest score in the second innings of an ODI match after MS Dhoni’s 183 against Sri Lanka in October 2005.
