I write this post with utmost respect and love for the greatest legend, Sachin Tendulkar, in the game of cricket. There are no records THE MASTER BLASTER has not bagged into his kitty and there are many more to come.
We Indians are a very superstitious lot and this has led to many stories and one such is being shared here. 90% of the Indian cricket crazy fans are excited when Sachin scores a 100 but deep down inside their heart they are bitten by this bug that whenever Sachin scored a 100 India had lost that crucial match.
The latest to prove is the encounter with South Africa in the preliminary league match on 13.3.2011.India was cruising towards a fantastic target around 400+ but the jokers, sorry chokers fell like nine pins and set a cheap target for the South Africans and they did it without much effort.
Here’s a look at Sachin’s ODI hundreds in losing causes:
| Runs | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | Innings | Against | Venue | Date |
| 137 | 8 | 5 | 100.00 | 1 | Sri Lanka | Delhi | 2nd March 1996 |
| 100 | 9 | 1 | 90.09 | 1 | Pakistan | Singapore | 5th March 1996 |
| 110 | 5 | 1 | 79.71 | 1 | Sri Lanka | Colombo | 28th August 1996 |
| 143 | 9 | 5 | 109.16 | 2 | Australia | Sharjah | 22nd April 1998 |
| 101 | 3 | 1 | 72.14 | 1 | Sri Lanka | Sharjah | 20th October 2000 |
| 146 | 15 | 2 | 95.42 | 1 | Zimbabwe | Jodhpur | 8th December 2000 |
| 101 | 9 | 0 | 78.29 | 1 | South Africa | Johannesburg | 5th October 2001 |
| 141 | 17 | 1 | 104.44 | 2 | Pakistan | Rawalpindi | 16th March 2004 |
| 123 | 12 | 2 | 94.61 | 1 | Pakistan | Ahmedabad | 12th April 2005 |
| 100 | 10 | 1 | 88.49 | 1 | Pakistan | Peshawar | 6th February 2006 |
| 141* | 13 | 5 | 95.27 | 1 | West Indies | Kuala Lumpur | 14th September 2006 |
| 175 | 19 | 4 | 124.11 | 2 | Australia | Hyderabad | 15th November 2009 |
| 111 | 8 | 3 | 109.90 | 1 | South Africa | Nagpur | 12th March 2011 |
Out of the 93 times, Sachin Tendulkar has scored a fifty, India has secured 56 wins while ending up on the losing side 35 times. Two games yielded no results. Digging deeper, India has won 28 times whenever Sachin has scored between 70 to 99.
Although I do not blame the master blaster for the losses as we say DIL HAI KI MAANTA NAHIN.Not only this the record of Yuvraj and Sehwag is much better compared to Sachin’s. Whenever they have scored more than 50 Indian went onto win. It’s also said that Whenever the legendary Gundappa Vishwanath scored a century India went onto win that Test Match.
Sachin also says that he feels happier whenever India wins and his score does not matter. This legend is 100%team man and contributes to every aspect of the game. This world cup 2011 might be the last one for the master and this is the time all the overpaid paper tigers like Dhonis, Rainas, Munafs, Nehras, Chawlas should realign their goal to give a fitting tribute this GREATEST LEGEND OF WORLD CRICKET.
I pray for India’s world cup win and again another superstition that is against is NO HOST COUNTRY HAS EVER WON THE WORLD CUP.
Can India and Sachin break this Jinx? Keeping my fingers crossed!