- Sachin Tendulkar 175 vs Australia – 2009:
A billion souls had their eyes moist on this day, as Sachin Tendulkar’s one man show against Australia wasn’t enough to get India past the target of 351 at Hyderabad. Needing 351 to win, Tendulkar was off and running straight away with his magical strokes timed to perfection. The Little Master was particularly harsh towards the spinners as he used his feet to deposit Nathan Hauritz and Adam Voges over the boundary. Barring Suresh Raina, none of the Indian batsmen supported Tendulkar as the Master Blaster single handedly almost got India home.
When Tendulkar was dismissed, India needed just 19 to win off 17 deliveries and that should have been a straight forward task. However, the lower order made an absolute mess as the hosts fell short by an agonizing margin of 3 runs. The most heartwarming aspect about this knock, though, was witnessed in the post-match presentation, when Tendulkar still had an illuminating smile on his face despite not ending up in the winning side.