Remembering Sachin's Most Underrated Knock on his 42nd Birthday

24th April has always been a special day for Indian cricket fans, as on this day, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, one of cricket's greatest legends, was born. With more than 15,000 Test runs, and over 18,000 ODI runs, it is but obvious that some of Tendulkar's knocks are bound to go unnoticed. His 65 vs West Indies at Port of Spain in the 5th and final ODI was one such inning.

With the 5-match series tied at 1-1, the fifth and final ODI was a must-win game for both sides. The pressure was more on Team India as they had lost the Test series 1-2.

The Little Maestro had to sit out of the fourth ODI due to a shoulder injury. His shoulder was not 100% fit for the crunch game either, but the Maestro realized the importance of the match, and played with an injured shoulder.

He batted at the unusual fourth position in the line-up, and came in to bat after a solid foundation by the top order. The moment Tendulkar came in, he started nudging the ball around for singles and twos. He was taking quick singles and was looking to time the ball rather than hitting it hard.

A genius is nothing if not adaptable to different situations, and that day Sachin showed everyone -- sans any frills or fireworks -- that he was every bit the genius that the world knew him to be. Sachin used his wrists, and deft touches, and found gaps to scamper for quick runs. His running between the wickets was also very smart. He looked a completely different player altogether as he was not the strokeful batsman the world knew.

There were only three fours and a six punctuating his 65-run knock which came off just 70 balls. Despite an injured shoulder which restricted him to play his aggressive free-flowing strokes the master scored at a brisk strike rate of 92.85.

This knock speaks volumes about the ability of the great man who played for the side despite his injury and altered his game for the team's cause. This inning was not a typical swashbuckling Sachin Tendulkar knock and this could well be the reason why it went unnoticed in his list of many achievements.

Sachin's gritty and gutsy knock helped India pile up a competitive 260, and the 56 run win helped Team India clinch the match, and with it an ODI series win in the Caribbean. This was one of Sachin Tendulkar's performances with the bat which did earn him a man-of-the-match award but there are not many who can actually recall it.