“Marked the beginning of era which would redefine sport”: Jay Shah reminisces on Tendulkar’s first international ton

New Delhi [India], August 14 (ANI): Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah reminisced on legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s first-ever international cricket century in 1990. 

On this day in 1990 during the second Test between India and England at Old Trafford, Sachin scored his first-ever international ton, scoring 119 in 189 balls with 17 fours. Though the match ended in a draw, Sachin, who had made his international debut in 1989 as a 16-year-old, took baby steps towards becoming the ‘God of Cricket’ of the future with this century. 

“#OnThisDay in 1990, a 17-year-old @sachin_rt announced himself on the world stage by scoring his first international hundred in a match-saving effort against England in the 4th innings of a Test match! It marked the beginning of an era that would redefine the sport,” tweeted Shah. 

Since then till his retirement in 2013, Sachin represented India in 200 Tests, the most by any player. He scored 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78, with 51 centuries and 68 half-centuries to his name, with the best score of 248*. 

He also played 463 ODIs, scoring 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83 and a strike rate of 86.23. He scored 49 centuries and 96 fifties in the format, with the best score of 200*. He is the first-ever player to score an ODI double hundred. 

He is the highest run-scorer ever across both formats. 

Tendulkar also scored 10 runs in one T20I he played. 

In 664 matches, he scored 34,357 runs at an average of 48.52 and a strike rate of over 67, with 100 centuries and 164 fifties. He is the leading run-scorer in international cricket history. He is also the only player to have scored 100 centuries in international cricket.