When Sachin Tendulkar Stunned Invincible Australia With MCG Masterclass

image-lqovxm9hTendulkar struck a memorable 116 at MCG (Twitter)

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar was an all-conquering force for India in his time. The legendary right-hander managed to reign supreme in all conditions and against all oppositions during his heyday to compile an unmatched record and legacy on the international stage. 

The numero uno batter dominated the game all over the world. Still, his feats at home and away against Australia, the toughest opposition of the era, stood out and perhaps etched him as the greatest cricketer to have graced the cricket field. 

In Test cricket alone, Tendulkar made 11 centuries and 16 half-centuries from 39 matches against the Australians, amassing a whopping 3,630 runs at an average of 55. 

The great man lost no steam when he toured Down Under as he smashed 1,809 runs off those on trips to Australia while still maintaining an average of 53 and making six centuries. 


When Tendulkar Scored Boxing Day Ton At MCG

Tendulkar made six centuries on the Australian turf and all of them are remembered with pride by the maestro's passionate fanbase. One of those arrived on one of the two most special occasions in the Australian cricket calendar as the Master reinforced his class in the Boxing Day Test of the 1999-2000 summer. 

In one of his grittiest hundreds, Tendulkar struck 116 runs of the highest class and led India's fight singlehandedly as a captain amidst the sternest of adversity. The knock came on December 28, exactly 24 years back, when the legend produced a lone-warrior act for the ages and helped India avert a follow-on possibility on his own. 

Tendulkar ensured India could respond to Australia's daunting 405 in the first-innings with 238 all out of their own in an excellent innings, amplified by the fact that the rest simply failed to withstand the hosts' bowling attack, featuring legends Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. 

The spectacular knock perhaps summed up Tendulkar's career in the 90s era for the Indian team since he was ever so often left to forge a lone battle against the world's finest attacks and yet managed to achieve unparalleled heights in the history of the game.