Ravi Shastri helps Sachin Tendulkar smash Shane Warne for epic 155* on Mar 9, 1998; WATCH

On this day in 1998, a young Sachin Tendulkar took on Australian spin legend Shane Warne to lead India to a coveted Test victory at home. One of the great enduring on-field rivalries of the time, Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne butted heads in Chennai as the Aussies went up against India in the second edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. The visitors' last Test series win on Indian soil had come all the way back during their 1969–70 tour and in the Master Blasters' presence, it was only in 2004–05 that the side managed to win a series in the country again.

Sachin Tendulkar urged to take on Shane Warne by Ravi Shastri

Playing the 1st Test of the 1998 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, 25-year-old Sachin Tendulkar began his journey to becoming the highest scorer in the history of the tournament with a lacklustre 4 off 5. India's first innings in the match had ended in a paltry 257 runs courtesy of openers Nayan Mongia and Navjot Sidhu and No.3 Rahul Dravid. A good bowling effort from India saw the Aussies go off with a lead of just 71 runs. It was in this context that Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar made his glorious 15th Test century to help India take a 1-0 lead in the series. 

Unwilling to let Warne get the better of him this innings, Tendulkar turned to none other than the swashbuckling Ravi Shastri - India's current head coach. Advised by Shastri to formulate an attack plan against the spin king, Tendulkar reportedly spent his hours in the nets with Indian team spinner L Sivaramakrishnan. Coming in at 2-115 in the 2nd innings, Tendulkar put his plan to work, hitting Warne out of the park as he made 4 sixes and 14 fours to notch up a match-winning score of 155* off 191 balls.

After declaring at 418/4d, the Indian bowlers went on to complete the job for the team as they packed up the visitors for a mere 168. Anil Kumble took 4-46 while Venkatapathy Raju took 3-31 as India won by a massive 179 runs. As the sole centurion of the match, Tendulkar was adjudged the 'Man of the Match'. India went on to win the 1998 Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1 after winnings the 2nd Test by 219 runs in Kolkata.

Sachin Tendulkar centuries in Test cricket

At the end of an expansive career, that saw him play a total of 200 Tests for the Indian cricket team, the Sachin Tendulkar centuries count ended at a record 51. The next person on this list, with 45 centuries, is Jacques Kallis, while the closest active player is Australia's Steven Smith, who has 27 Test centuries to his name. Tendulkar's highest score in the format is a modest 248*. His century in the India vs Australia 1st Test, 1998 was just the 15th Test century of what would go on to become a record-breaking career.

Image Credits: AP

Video Credits: CrickeTendulkar Twitter