India, Aug. 14 -- 35 years and ninety-nine international centuries ago, the greatest modern batter of our age scored the first of many centuries throughout his storied career. A 17-year-old Sachin Tendulkar, who had already put the world on notice through his precocious batting talent, registered the milestone to go with it, as he had Old Trafford on its feet with a display of grit and quality that could have fooled you into thinking this was a man twice his age.

In just his ninth Test match, against an England team that had already won the opening Test at Lord's and had set the Indian team a massive target of 408 now at Old Trafford, the wiry Tendulkar had his task cut out for him. He had scored an impressive-looking 68 in the first inn...