August 14, 1990. India were chasing a target of 408 and reeling at 109/4. At that point in walked a 17-year-old Sachin Tendulkar. Barely a year old on the international stage, the man was being hailed as a rising star. Well, this was going to be a day he would shine brightly.
Reuters
Pretty soon the visitors were reeling at 183/6. Manchester seemed it would witness yet another England win and the Indian supporters had given up hope. Forget winning, even saving the match looked distant. But Sachin had other ideas.
Reuters
With Manoj Prabhakar (67) for company, he put on 160 for the 7th wicket. When the curtains came down on the Test, India were 343/6. The match was saved and while we eventually lost the series 1-0, this knock showed that Sachin was here to stay. 119 runs came from his bat and he was not dismissed. His innings lasted 189 balls and contained 17 fours. It was his maiden century and the first of the eventual 100 tons he would score.
England’s bowlers knew they were witnessing a special talent as Sachin’s timing, balance and shot selection put veterans to shame. He never looked in trouble and was calm and composed at the crease.
Over the years, he would go on to play some brilliant knocks for India, but the first hundred is always special. Even now, 33 years later, people look back fondly on that day as the dawn of a new era. It was the start of the legacy of the man who would come to be known as the Master Blaster.