This day that year: Tendulkar crosses 10,000-run barrier in ODIs

New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) Batting great Sachin Tendulkar retired from One Day International (ODI) cricket in 2012 with a whopping 18,426 runs to his name. His extraordinary record over the course of 463 matches, which came at an average of 44.83, included 49 centuries.

Among the records that Tendulkar broke is the fact that he was the first player to cross 10,000 runs in ODIs. Tendulkar did so in an ODI against Australia in Indore on March 31, 2001. The match was one which India won largely thanks to Tendulkar’s belligerence.

He went after an Australian bowling attack that included the likes of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne and smashed 139 runs off 125 balls as India posted a total of 299/8.

The bowlers backed up Tendulkar’s effort with fast bowler Ajit Agarkar and spinner Harbhajan Singh taking three wickets each to dismiss the strong Australian batting line-up for just 181 runs.

The series was part of Australia’s tour of India which included the famous Eden Gardens Test in which India managed to win despite being all out for 171 in reply to Australia’s 445 in the first innings. India took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series with the win in Indore but Australia went on to win the series 3-2.

13 players have since managed to reach 10,000 runs in ODI cricket. However, he remained the fastest to get there — having reached the mark in 259 innings — until October 2018, when the current Indian captain Virat Kohli crossed 10,000 ODI runs in just 205 innings.

–IANS

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