Today In 1990, Sachin Tendulkar Almost Became The Youngest To Score A Test Century

February 12, 1990. Play was about to start on Day 4 between New Zealand and India in Napier. In what was a Test marred by rain which washed out Day 1, India were 348/7 at stumps on Day 3. But the main reason why the world was waiting with baited breath was because history was in the making.

Sachin Tendulkar, only 3 months old in Test cricket, was on 80 not out overnight. The man had dazzled the crowd with this batting the day before and the crowd knew they were witnessing something special. 20 runs separated him from creating history.

What was the record? The chance to become the youngest ever Test centurion. Sachin was 16 years and 294 days old. The record at that time was held by Pakistan's Mushtaq Mohammad, who had achieved the feat at the age of 17 years and 78 days. He was the original Little Master.

Things began well enough. Sachin drove Danny Morrison through the covers and the ball found the fence. No, he was not done, a straight drive followed and while it did not make it to the boundary, Sachin was able to run 4. 88, just 12 runs away and history was beckoning.

But the sad truth of life is, when opportunity comes knocking on the door, you need to get up and open the door as well. The cruel hand of fate was waiting to strike and it did. In Morrison's next over, the teenager drove too early. The mistimed shot was pouched by John Wright at mid-off. The man who would be coaching Team India a decade later had just prevented the future legend from scoring a maiden Test ton and he also missed out on the chance to become the youngest Test centurion. Sachin looked on in disbelief, went back to the pavilion as he fought his tears. It is believed he went straight to the bathroom to wash his face as he did not want to be seen crying in public. Of all the records he would go on to make, this was one he would have really loved to have.

6 months later, the maiden century would come vs England. By then he was no longer eligible to be the youngest Test centurion. Though he was the youngest from India and still is. The record for the youngest ever was broken by Bangladesh's Mohammad Ashraful in 2001 at the age of 17 years and 61 days. At 17 years and 112 days, Sachin occupies the 3rd spot. He would finish with 51 in his Test career.

By the time Sachin's career ended he had a bunch of records to his name. Most Test runs, centuries, fifties, appearances along with most ODI runs, centuries, fifties, appearances. The man has the most international runs, centuries and appearances to his name. Not to mention he is the first to 20 ODI tons, 10,000 ODI runs, 200 Tests, 12,000 Test runs and 40 Test tons. He is also the first to score an ODI 200. But all this was to come later. On this day 30 years ago, we saw a young man on the cusp of history who faltered at the end. But it would only make hims stronger and over the next 20 years, he would be feared by bowlers all over the world. The Master Blaster as we know him, was making the first ripples of a wave that would take cricket by storm over the turn of the century.