Date: March 16th, 2012.
Location: Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka.
Event: Match 4, Asia Cup 2012 (India vs Bangladesh).
It had been 369 days. A year and four days since Sachin Tendulkar had scored his 99th international century against South Africa in the World Cup. For over a year, the "100th Hundred" had hung over Indian cricket like a heavy, golden cloud. Every time he walked out to bat, the nation held its breath. Every time he got out, a billion hearts broke.
The pressure was suffocating. But today, in the humid heat of Mirpur, against a spirited Bangladesh side, the stage was set once again.
The Toss:
Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh captain, flipped the coin. MS Dhoni called Heads.
It was Tails.
Mushfiqur: "We will field first. The pitch looks good, but we want to know what we are chasing. We chased well against Sri Lanka."
Dhoni: "We would have bowled first too, due to the dew factor later on. But runs on the board in a pressure game is always good. We have a solid batting lineup."
Pre-Match Commentary (Sunil Gavaskar):
"The monkey is on the back. It's grown into a gorilla now. Sachin needs this hundred, not for the record, but to let the team breathe again. Every match is about the milestone. Today, against Bangladesh, he has a great chance. The pitch is slow but true."
Ravi Shastri: "Rohit and Sachin to open. We saw what Rohit did in the last game. If he fires, Sachin can take his time."
The openers walked out. Sachin Tendulkar marked his guard. Rohit Sharma stood at the non-striker's end.
Mashrafe Mortaza opened the bowling.
The start was cautious. The pitch was slower than expected. The ball wasn't coming onto the bat.
Ball 3.4: Mortaza to Rohit
Rohit leaned into a drive. He didn't try to hit it hard. He timed it through the covers.
[Commentary - Athar Ali Khan]:"Beautifully played. Rohit Sharma just leaning on it. That's the first boundary of the morning."(FOUR)
Ball 6.2: Shafiul Islam to Sachin
Sachin flicked a length ball off his pads. It raced to deep square leg.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"Vintage Sachin! The balance, the wrist work. He moves to 12. He looks focused today."(FOUR)
They built a partnership of patience. 30 runs in 10 overs. It was slow going.
Over 14: Shahadat Hossain to Rohit
13.5: Rohit tried to break the shackles. He stepped out to hit over mid-off.
He was deceived by the lack of pace. He mistimed it.
The ball ballooned to mid-off. Shakib Al Hasan took a simple catch.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"And the breakthrough comes! Rohit Sharma never quite got going today. He tried to force the pace on a sluggish wicket and pays the price. Gone for 32 off 46. India 45/1."
WICKET (Rohit 32).
Virat Kohli walked out at No. 3.
He joined Sachin.
"It's gripping a bit," Sachin said. "We need to run hard."
What followed was a grind. Sachin and Kohli didn't blast the bowling. They dissected it. They ran ones and twos relentlessly.
Over 22: Shakib Al Hasan to Sachin
21.3: Sachin paddle-swept Shakib fine.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"Delicate! He waited for it and just guided it past the keeper. Four runs."(FOUR)
Sachin reached his 50 off 63 balls. The crowd cheered, but it was a nervous cheer. They wanted the next 50.
Kohli was the aggressor.
Over 30: Mahmudullah to Kohli
29.4: Kohli stepped out and whipped it over mid-wicket.
[Commentary - Athar Ali Khan]:"That is a shot of authority! Kohli breaks the shackles! One bounce into the fence!"(FOUR)
They added 100 runs together. Then 140.
Sachin moved into the 80s. The stadium was filling up. The tension was palpable.
Over 41: Abdur Razzak to Kohli
40.2: He tried to pull a short ball. It kept low.
It hit the toe end of the bat and crashed into the stumps.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"Bowled him! The low bounce does the trick! Kohli plays on! A fantastic partnership of 148 runs comes to an end. Kohli goes for a well-made 66. But look who is walking out now."
WICKET (Kohli 66).
Score: 193/2.
Overs: 40.2.
Deva walked out at No. 4. The situation was delicate. Sachin was on 89. The crowd was silent, praying.
Deva walked up to Sachin. He saw the fatigue in the Master's eyes.
"Paaji," Deva said, tapping the pitch. "You take your time. I'll handle the run rate. Don't worry about the scoreboard. Just get the hundred."
Sachin nodded, taking a deep breath.
Over 41: Abdur Razzak
40.3: Deva to face.
Deva didn't block. He leaned forward and drove the spinner through covers for 2 runs.
40.4: Deva pushed to long-on. 1 Run.
40.5: Sachin defended.
40.6: Sachin took a single to keep strike.
Over 42: Shakib Al Hasan to Sachin
Sachin was on 90.
41.1: Sachin drove to long-off. 1 Run. (91).
41.2: Deva on strike.
Deva stepped out. He didn't slog. He hit a crisp, lofted drive over extra cover.
FOUR.
[Commentary - Shastri]:"That is the release valve! Deva isn't going to get bogged down. He knows Sachin needs space, so he's taking the attack to the bowlers. Smart batting."
41.3: Deva single.
41.4: Sachin single. (92).
41.5: Deva single.
41.6: Sachin defended.
Over 43: Mashrafe Mortaza to Sachin
42.1: Sachin glanced to fine leg. 1 Run. (93).
42.2: Deva pulled a short ball. FOUR.
42.3: Deva single.
42.4: Sachin paddle sweep. FOUR. (97).
42.5: Sachin single. (98).
Over 44: Shakib Al Hasan to Sachin
The crowd was on its feet. Sachin on 98.
43.1: Sachin pushed to point. No run.
43.2: Sachin pushed to mid-wicket. 1 Run. (99).
43.3: Deva on strike.
Deva saw Sachin breathing hard. He tapped the ball to square leg and sprinted.
1 Run.
Sachin on 99.
Shakib bowled a flatter delivery on the pads.
Sachin closed the face of the bat, clipping it gently towards square leg.
Deva, at the non-striker's end, watched the ball roll. He saw Sachin take the first step. For a split second, time seemed to freeze for Deva. He saw the tension in Sachin's shoulders, the accumulated weight of 369 days of expectation, suddenly dissipate as they crossed each other mid-pitch. T
he single was easy, but the journey had been arduous. As Deva grounded his bat at the striker's end, he turned to see the God of Cricket look up at the heavens.
THE 100TH HUNDRED.
[Commentary - Ravi Shastri]:"There it is! The wait is over! The burden has been lifted! A hundred international hundreds! The God of Cricket stands alone on the summit! History in Mirpur!"
Sachin took off his helmet. He looked at the sky. He raised his bat. Deva ran to him and hugged him tight. "You did it, Paaji."
43.5: Deva hit a SIX over long-on to celebrate.
43.6: Deva single.
With the milestone done, both batsmen opened up. Deva was particularly savage, racing to his own half-century in just 25 balls.
Over 47: Mashrafe Mortaza
46.1: Deva single.
46.2: Sachin FOUR.
46.3: Sachin FOUR.
46.4: Sachin tried to edge a cut shot.
Caught behind by Mushfiqur Rahim.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"And the marathon ends! Sachin Tendulkar departs for 114 off 147 balls. A historic innings comes to a close. India are 268 for 3."
WICKET (Sachin 114).
Score: 268/3.
Overs: 46.4.
Suresh Raina walked in.
Score: 268/3.
Balls Remaining: 20.
Deva: 53* (28 balls).
He looked at Raina. "Blitzkrieg."
Raina nodded.
Over 47:
46.5: Raina single.
46.6: Deva FOUR.
Score: 273/3.
Over 48: Shahadat Hossain
47.2: Deva on strike.
Shahadat bowled full.
Deva cleared his front leg. He hit it over long-off.
SIX.
[Commentary]:"Bang! The celebration is over, the destruction begins! Deva launches it!"
47.3: Full toss.
Deva whipped it. FOUR.
47.5: Raina on strike.
Raina slog-swept. SIX.
47.6: Raina cover drive. FOUR.
22 runs off the over.
Score: 295/3.
Over 49: Shakib Al Hasan
48.1: Deva reverse sweep. FOUR.
48.2: Deva scoop. SIX.
48.3: Deva single.
48.4: Raina slog. Mistimed. Caught at deep mid-wicket.
WICKET (Raina 15 off 6).
MS Dhoni walked in.
Score: 303/4.
48.6: Dhoni single.
Runs in Over: 13.
Score: 304/4.
Over 50: Mashrafe Mortaza to Dhoni
49.1: Dhoni single.
49.2: Deva smashed a flat six over the bowler's head. SIX.
49.3: Deva hit a four through point. FOUR.
49.4: Deva single. (Dhoni strike).
49.5: Dhoni Helicopter shot. SIX.
49.6: Dhoni drove to long-on for 2 Runs.
Final Score: India 324/4.
Deva's Score: 79* off 37 balls.
Dhoni's Score: 10* off 4 balls.
Commentary (Shastri): "They have finished with a flourish! 20 runs off the final over takes India to a massive 324! Sachin got the milestone, but Deva provided the muscle at the end!"
---
Target: 325.
Required Rate: 6.50.
Bangladesh came out fighting. Tamim Iqbal and Nazimuddin attacked the Indian pacers. The pitch had eased out, and the dew was setting in.
Over 5: Tamim hit Praveen Kumar for three boundaries.
Over 10: Bangladesh was 70/0. The crowd was going wild. They believed.
Dhoni threw the ball to Siddanth Deva.
Over 12: Deva to Nazimuddin
Deva bowled a cutter.
Nazimuddin tried to cut. Edge.
Dhoni took it.
WICKET (Nazimuddin 30).
But Tamim Iqbal was on fire. He scored a blistering 70. Jahurul Islam supported him.
Bangladesh reached 150/1 in 25 overs. They were ahead of the rate.
Over 28: Deva to Tamim
Tamim was on 70. He looked set for a century.
Deva went round the wicket. He bowled a bouncer.
Tamim hooked. He didn't control it.
The ball flew to deep square leg.
Suresh Raina ran in and took a diver.
[Commentary - Gavaskar]:"The big fish! Deva gets Tamim! The bouncer trap works! Bangladesh 160/2. Is this the opening India needed?"
WICKET (Tamim 70).
Shakib Al Hasan walked in. The best all-rounder.
He played brilliantly. He scored 49 off 31 balls.
Bangladesh reached 250/3 in 40 overs.
Equation: 75 runs in 10 overs. It was getting close.
Over 42: Deva to Shakib
Shakib tried to hit Deva over long-on.
Deva bowled the knuckleball.
Shakib mistimed it.
Caught by Kohli at long-on.
WICKET (Shakib 49).
With Shakib gone, the panic set in.
Mushfiqur Rahim tried to fight, but R. Ashwin and Vinay Kumar cleaned up the tail.
Nasir Hossain was run out by Deva.
Mashrafe was bowled by Praveen Kumar.
Final Over: Bangladesh needed 20 runs.
Vinay Kumar bowled tight.
Bangladesh All Out: 295.
(Overs: 49.2).
Result: India won by 29 runs.
Ravi Shastri: "A high-scoring thriller! But India holds their nerve. The Man of the Match... for his historic 100th Hundred... Sachin Tendulkar."
Sachin walked up. The crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Shastri: "The wait is over, Sachin."
Sachin: "Yes. It's been a tough phase. I lost 50 kilos today. I'm just happy the team won. Deva and the lower order finished it beautifully, and the bowlers held their nerve."
Dhoni Interview:
"We gave away too many runs in the first 10 overs, but Deva's wickets of Tamim and Shakib were the turning points. We are happy with the win."
In the Dressing Room:
The relief was palpable. The milestone was achieved. The match was won.
Deva sat next to Sachin.
"79 runs and 3 wickets," Sachin noted. "Not a bad day for you either."
"Just doing my job, Paaji," Deva smiled. "Today is your day."
Deva checked his phone.
Headache:Sachin 100! Finally! I can breathe again. And you took 3 wickets? Okay, fine. You played well too. But Sachin is the King.
Me:Agreed. King of Kings.
The Asia Cup campaign was on track. But the biggest challenge lay ahead: Pakistan.