Tendulkar plays down milestone

On the eve of his 400th ODI cap, Sachin Tendulkar has been his typical, modest self dismissing the magnitude of the event as just another match.

“400 just happens to be a number and just coincidence that it happens to be against Australia. It could have been against any other country. I treat all the games in the same way and my preparations are the same. For me it’s just another match,” he told the media ahead of his side’s must-win encounter with Australia tomorrow.

“I am feeling good that it’s my 400th one-dayer but for me it’s just going to be another match; that’s how I look at it. My approach will be the same as for any other normal one-day match.”

Tendulkar made his ODI debut in 1989 for India and has since gone on to be one of the greatest batsmen in the format, amassing 15563 runs in his brilliant limited-overs career.

India take on Australia at Vadodara for the fifth ODI in the seven match series which Australia lead 2-1.