Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar turns 47 this 24th April and even years after quitting the game of cricket, he remains the ultimate maestro. Words fall short when describing the cricketer’s impact on the game for the best part of three decades. The little man won numerous games for India single-handedly and be it ODI or Tests, he always remained the go-to man for his country. With 15921 Test runs and 18426 ODI runs, he is the all-time leading run-scorer in international cricket. Sachin Tendulkar had a penchant for scoring centuries and is the only cricketer to have 100 centuries to his name. Sachin Tendulkar Birthday: Master Blaster Will Not Celebrate 47th Birthday As Mark of Respect to COVID-19 Warriors.

It is difficult to pick Sachin Tendulkar’s greatest innings since he was on top of his game every time he was present on the pitch. We have come up with a compilation of his top 6 innings as we celebrate the great man’s birthday. This Day That Year: When Sachin Tendulkar's 143 Against Australia Caused 'Desert Storm' in Sharjah (Watch Video).

200* vs South Africa – Gwalior - 2010

Double centuries in ODI cricket were considered an impossible feat to achieve until a cricketer known by the name Sachin Tendulkar took on the entire Proteas bowling unit in a game at Gwalior. The Indian opener hit a staggering 25 fours and 3 towering sixes as India raced to a comfortable 153 run win. In this process, Sachin became the first cricketer to hit a 200 in fifty over format.

241* vs Australia – Sydney – 2004

In the 2004 Border Gavaskar series down under, Sachin Tendulkar was going through a poor run of form and had failed miserably in the first three games. With so much criticism about his game, the Master Blaster came out to bat in the fourth Test with India at 128-2. He had been getting out while playing the cover drive on several instances in the series so he showed great patience in letting go of his favourite shot. He finished with 241 not out as India declared on 705-4 helping India keep the trophy.

134 vs Australia – Sharjah - 1998

If you are a 90s kid, then Sachin Tendulkar’s 134 against Australia in the Coca Cola Cup final is a moment that you just cannot forget. It is considered as one of his greatest innings where he tormented a bowling line-up consisting of some of Shane Warne, Damien Fleming, Tom Moody and Michael Kasprowicz. Chasing 273 for victory, Indian won the game and the series by 6 wickets but it was completely a one-man show.

98 vs Pakistan – Centurion – 2003

The stage is the 2003 World Cup in South Africa and India have been set a target of 274 by arch-rivals Pakistan in pool A. The Pakistanis were favourites for the game as they since they had Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar in the ranks. But when Sachin is on song, there are not many who can contain him. He absolutely ripped the opposition attack scoring 98 off 75 balls and the only reason he got out was because he was suffering from cramps. In the end, he had done enough for India to claim a victory.

136 vs Pakistan – Chennai – 1999

Although India lost this game to Pakistan, the game is more remembered for the commitment shown by a player suffering from severe back pain fighting against all odds on a spin-friendly track. India were 82-5 and needed 271 for a victory which appeared a tall order considering Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was virtually unplayable. Sachin hit 136 but with India needing another 17 runs he was picked up by Mushtaq. India then lost its way of losing the game by 12 runs.

163* vs New Zealand – Christchurch – 2009

A 133 ball 163 by Sachin Tendulkar left the Blackcaps running for cover in a batting extravaganza by the little maestro. It was a shame he could not get his double century on that day with cramps curtailing his innings. He hit 16 fours and 5 monstrous sixes for the Men in Blue to help the visitors put a massive 392 on board.

These were some of the great Sachin Tendulkar innings which his fans still remember to this day. These innings represent a man excelling in his art virtually leaving his opponents hopeless.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 23, 2020 03:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).