Sachin Tendulkar watched one of his most domineering ODI hundreds, a 141-ball 175, go in vain as India lost a cliff-hanger to Australia by three runs in the fifth match of the seven-match series in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Chasing Australia’s imposing 350, Tendulkar’s innings took India to within 19 runs of a win, before he tried to paddle-scoop Clint McKay, only to find Nathan Hauritz stationed at short fine leg who pouched it running back.
Earlier, when he reached seven, Tendulkar became the first cricketer to make 17,000 runs in ODIs. It was his 435th match.
Tendulkar’s knock included four huge sixes, two of which came off successive Nathan Hauritz deliveries and a swivelling hook off Shane Watson in the previous over.
“It was one of my best knocks,” said Tendulkar after receiving his man-of-the-match award. “The pressure to keep scoring runs was there and we took it very close.”
Suresh Raina gave the maestro good company with a run-a-ball 59. The two put on 137 runs for the fifth wicket in 19 overs.
Tendulkar’s innings is the joint second-highest individual score in an ODI chase, the highest being Indian skipper M.S. Dhoni’s unbeaten 183 against Sri Lanka at Jaipur in 2005.
Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said, “It was one of the amazing games and certainly one of the best innings ever from Sachin. You just have to keep hanging in there, you just have to tell your bowlers to keep bowling to the plan. Just one bad shot and we could come in but Sachin didn’t play many bad shots today.”
Australia leads the series 3-2.
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