India will land in Australia on November 22 to begin the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour. For the last three editions of the trophy, India has been at the helm of affairs, by winning two series at home and one away in Australia, when they toured there in 2023. Among many iconic moments of this India-Australia rivalry, there would have been one very special memory for Indian fans-the unbeaten 89 from Rishabh Pant at the Gabba which helped India win the series.
Australia’s captain Pat Cummins, however, has received a different kind of knock in choosing his most memorable moment from the Border-Gavaskar rivalry. Surprisingly, he did not choose Pant’s iconic innings but pointed to Sachin Tendulkar’s masterly unbeaten 241 during the Sydney Test in 2004 as his most treasured memory from the series.
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Regarding one performance that stands out from the rivalry between India and Australia, Cummins told Star Sports, “The one I can remember is Sachin Tendulkar in Sydney.”
When the effort looks so superhuman, it must be @sachin_rt! 🙌
📹 @patcummins30 talks about Sachin’s 241* without cover drives, which defined patience and discipline at their best! 💯
Watch 👉 #AUSvINDOnStar starting FRI, 22 NOV onwards! #AUSvIND | #ToughestRivalry pic.twitter.com/Yz6ijLKTur
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 21, 2024
Sachin Tendulkar’s 241 is not only his highest score in Australia but also one of his most disciplined and determined knocks. In that innings, Tendulkar had gone very miserly before this. He could score just 82 runs in five innings as the Australian bowlers had exploited his tendency to play the cover drive so miserably.
In a brilliant display of self-restraint, Tendulkar did not play a single cover drive in his 436-ball stay at the crease. His ability to alter his game and avoid his favourite shot marked him out as great.
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Tendulkar’s innings had 33 boundaries while his 353-run stand with VVS Laxman for the fourth wicket stood as India’s highest for that position in Australia. The match was drawn, so also was the series, as the teams locked it at 1-1. Rahul Dravid took Player of the Series, while Tendulkar was awarded Player of the Match for his brilliant show at the Sydney Test.
