SACHIN TENDULKAR - 148* (1992), 154 (2008), 241* (2004)
Sachin Tendulkar loved playing at the Sydney Cricket Ground, as he has played three of the most brilliant innings at the SCG.

Tendulkar’s first brilliant innings came on his first tour in 1992, when he scored 148* in a 196-run partnership with Ravi Shastri, who scored 206 runs. Apart from these innings, Vengsarkar scored 56, as other Indian batsmen faltered.

India managed to draw this Test match thanks to the efforts of Shastri and a young Tendulkar, who wowed the Australia cricket fans and experts alike with his proficiency at playing on the bouncy pitches down under.

Tendulkar, next best innings at the SCG came in 2008 when he scored 154 in the highly controversial Test match, which saw the two warring sides reach their tipping point. Bad umpiring, worse on-field behavior from both sides and the monkey gate scandal between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds hogged the limelight in an otherwise entertaining Test match.

Australia had batted first and put 463 on board on the back of 162* from Symonds, who enjoyed benefits of some dubious umpiring from Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson. India replied in kind with 532 runs.

Apart from the fifties from Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh and Sourav Ganguly and a scintillating century from VVS Laxman (109), Sachin Tendulkar stood out with a 243-ball 154* with 14 fours and one six.

His century gave India a minuscule lead over the Australians, despite luck being against the visitors.

Tendulkar’s best innings at SCG in Australia came on the 2003-04 tour when he shunned all the shots on the off side, as they had been causing his dismissals in previous matches and compiled a patient masterpiece of 241* in 436 balls with 33 fours.

Tendulkar didn’t play a single cover drive or off drive during his innings, leaving anything outside off stump and scoring his runs exclusively on the leg side. This kind of restrictive stroke play required some genius level concentration and only a master like Tendulkar could do it.