In a career chequered with record-breaking moments, Sachin Tendulkar became the first cricketer in history to score 15000 runs in one-day internationals. Tendulkar, who was also the first to 10K ODI runs, went past the mark scoring a half-century against South Africa in the second ODI in Belfast.
The year 2007 started on a disappointing note for Tendulkar as India were eliminated in the first round of the World Cup in West Indies. The renaissance which Tendulkar experienced in the last leg of his career began with the South Africa ODIs. In the first ODI of the Future Cup, Tendulkar scored 99 although South Africa won the match by four wickets.
In a must-win match, Tendulkar turned back the clock playing some vintage shots en route to scoring a sizzling, match-winning 93. Chasing 228 to win, Tendulkar delved into his back pages to produce a sparkling innings. The thunderous pull shots that had gone missing from his repertoire came back haunting Makhaya Ntini, whom Tendulkar was the most severe on. Tendulkar scored 23 runs between square leg and midwicket and he and Sourav Ganguly gave India a blistering start, putting on 134 for the opening wicket.
Andre Nel, South Africa’s best bowler posed some initial threat to both batsmen, but when he made the mistake of bowling short to Tendulkar, the batsman let his instincts take over, crunching a six over square leg. With an overthrow, Tendulkar breached the 15K barrier, and went on to celebrate the feat with some lovely, crisp drives off Andrew Hall.
{{/usCountry}}Andre Nel, South Africa’s best bowler posed some initial threat to both batsmen, but when he made the mistake of bowling short to Tendulkar, the batsman let his instincts take over, crunching a six over square leg. With an overthrow, Tendulkar breached the 15K barrier, and went on to celebrate the feat with some lovely, crisp drives off Andrew Hall.
{{/usCountry}}Although Tendulkar’s innings was reminiscent to the imperious form he displayed in 1998, it wouldn’t be a cherry-on-top moment as the batsman played on to Thandi Shabalala, falling in the 90s for a second consecutive innings. But this knock set Tendulkar up for a brilliant year. Against England in the Natwest series, Tendulkar scored 374 runs from seven innings at an average of 53.52, including scores of 99, 94 and 71.
Later, against Pakistan at home, Tendulkar scored 259 runs from five matches against Pakistan even though a century continued to elude him. He was dismissed for 97 and 99 in the series with the century-draught finally breaking with a match-winning 117 not out against Australia in the final.
Tendulkar’s batting really peaked, as he scored 2149 runs in ODIs between 2008 and 2011 with seven centuries. In 2010, he became the first man to notch up an ODI double and was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year, as he piled more than 1500 Test runs, including seven centuries averaging 78.