On This Day In 1994 Cricket: There are some cricketing moments that go beyond numbers. For millions of Indian fans, Sachin Tendulkar’s first ODI century was one such moment – the beginning of a record-breaking chapter that would eventually make him one of the greatest batters the game has seen.
On September 9, 1994, Tendulkar finally broke the three-figure barrier in ODI cricket. Playing Australia in Colombo, the young Indian batter scored 110 off 130 balls in his 79th ODI.
The wait had been unusually long for a player who had already shown glimpses of his extraordinary talent. Tendulkar had made his international debut in 1989 and had already scored more than 2,000 ODI runs before his maiden hundred arrived.
#OnThisDay in 1994 – Batting great
@sachin_rt scored his first ODI hundred. Relive the magic – DD SPORTS#Legend #SRT pic.twitter.com/hgvSm42yKK
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 9, 2019
India won the toss and chose to bat in the third match of the triangular series involving India, Australia and hosts Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium.
Tendulkar opened the innings alongside Manoj Prabhakar. The pair provided India with a solid start before Prabhakar was dismissed for 20. As wickets fell at the other end, Tendulkar held the innings together and continued to build towards a landmark of his own.
He eventually reached three figures and finished with 110 from 130 deliveries. It was not just Tendulkar’s first ODI hundred; it was the innings that opened the floodgates for one of the most remarkable century records in cricket.
India posted 246/8, with Tendulkar providing the backbone of the innings. Australia were then bowled out for 215, giving India a 31-run victory.
The significance of that 110 would only become clearer in the years that followed.
Tendulkar went on to score 49 ODI centuries and finished his career with 100 international hundreds. But before the records, milestones and countless celebrations came the wait for his first ODI ton.
On September 9, 1994, that wait finally ended.
