Sachin Tendulkar: On this day, 1994, ‘God of Cricket’ opens for the first time in International Cricket
-
- Published: March 27, 2021 18:41
New Delhi: Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar tested Covid-19 positive today. He will undergo treatment for the Coronavirus while stying in quarantine.
In an interesting take, 27th March marks an important date in his cricketing history. A recap of his career shows that it is the same day when Sachin opened batting for the first time, 27 years ago.
On March 27, 1994, opener Navjot Singh Sidhu suffered a stiff neck and wasn’t fit to open in the 2nd ODI against New Zealand in Auckland. It was the then team management that promoted him up the batting order and sent him to open the innings. The team management was initially unwilling as they didn’t want to lose their key batsman to the new ball.
In that ODI, Tendulkar opened and smashed 82 runs out of 49 balls and helped India chase down a 143 run target in just 23.2 overs and win the 2nd ODI by seven wickets.
The knock bonded his place at the top order. All his 49 centuries were made as an opener.
#OnThisDay in 1994, Sachin Tendulkar opened the batting for the first time in ODIs, smashing 82 off 49 balls against NZ.
He ended with 15,310 runs and 45 centuries as opener.
?️ @Zohaib1981 pic.twitter.com/fglb8BeNYF
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) March 27, 2021
Earlier, Tendulkar used to bat in positions from No. 3 to No.7, scored 1758 runs in 69 matches on an avg. of 30.84, including 13 half-centuries. Most of his half-centuries in the pre-opening period came at No.4.
The Little Master recently led the India Legends team at the Road Safety World Series. In the final tournament, India Legends edged Sri Lanka Legends. Tendulkar is the only cricketer with 200 Tests and 100 international hundreds.
Sachin tested Covid-19 positive
“I have been testing myself and taking all the recommended precautions to ensure Covid is kept at bay. However, I’ve tested positive today following mild symptoms,” Tendulkar said in a statement on Twitter.
“All others at home have tested negative. I’ve quarantined myself at home and am following all the necessary protocols as advised by my doctors. I want to thank all the healthcare professionals who are supporting me and many others across the country. Take care all of you,” he added.
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 27, 2021
