Top performer: Sachin Tendulkar

It was a jinx that nearly stayed with him all throughout his illustrious career. How often has Sachin Tendulkar finished a chase in a final after the heady scenes in the 1997-98 Coca Cola Cup in Sharjah? There was another hoodoo: he hadn’t scored a century in a one-day match in Australia.

In the December of his career, he has managed to get the slate clean on both the counts, hitting an undefeated 117 in 120 balls to take India home in the first final of the CB series.

His face winced after Gautam Gambhir fell to a mix-up (at 56) and Yuvraj Singh departed with the score reading 87.

With his Mumbai chum Rohit Sharma middling the ball well, Tendulkar started rebuilding the innings gradually. He knew playing out Brett Lee’s opening spell would be the key. Unlike in the previous games, the Little Master played a lot straighter sealing Australia’s fate with a 123-run stand with Sharma.

He kept the asking rate under control stepping down the wicket to Brad Hogg sporadically.

When on 95 he beat his highest score in Australia (vs Pakistan in Hobart in 2000). Indian supporters had their hearts in the mouth when the Master, on 98, was rendered groggy by a Lee-beamer.

But this was a day when nothing could deny him his 42nd one-day hundred, easily his finest in a long time.

Top performer of previous match