For over a century, visiting and succeeding in Australia has been seen as the ultimate mark for a Test cricketer, to make the arduous journey down under, into the den of the wolf, and give a good accounting of themselves. It is one of the toughest tasks in cricket to play a long series in Australia’s heat and bounce-friendly pitches, amongst some of the fiercest competitors in sport who would never pull their punches. 18-year-old Sachin Tendulkar was already making waves in international cricket as a batter of prodigious talent: would he be able to survive the onslaught down under? In the New Year’s Test in Sydney, Tendulkar provided the answer.
India were already 2-0 down with losses at the Gabba and the MCG, in near-identical fashion having batted first in both, and needed to show some steel. Australia were in to bat first and, and an unbeaten David Boon 129* helped them put on 313, their third consecutive total of 300+ in their first innings in the series, indicating a batting order in top gear. In response, India faced an attack that consisted of debutant leg-spinner Shane Warne , and the first chapters of a battle that would go on to define the next two decades of international cricket.
Tendulkar came in at 201/4, joining Ravi Shastri at the crease, and the teenager went on to look comfortably at home in a way no player that young should in such unfavourable conditions. With some of his trademark straight drives down the ground and backfoot punches with an almost mec.
