Editing Sachin Tendulkar (section)

==== 2003–04: Tour of Australia ====
The drawn series as [[Indian cricket team in Australia in 2003–04|India toured Australia in 2003–04]] saw Tendulkar making his mark in the last Test of the series, scoring 241 not out from 436 balls with 33 fours at a strike rate of 55.27 in [[Sydney Cricket Ground|Sydney]], putting India in a virtually unbeatable position. He spent 613 minutes at the crease during the innings. He followed this up with an unbeaten 60 in the second innings of the Test.<ref>{{cite web|title=4th Test: Australia v India at Sydney, Jan 2–6, 2004 {{pipe}} Cricket Scorecard {{pipe}} ESPNcricinfo |work=Cricinfo |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/64062.html |publisher=ESPN |access-date=18 December 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205094319/http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/64062.html |archive-date=5 December 2013 }}</ref> Prior to this Test match, he had had an unusually horrible run of form, failing in all six innings in the preceding three Tests.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}} It was no aberration that 2003 was his worst year in Test cricket, with an average of 17.00 and just one fifty.<ref>{{cite web|title=Batting records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} ESPNcricinfo Statsguru |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/35320.html?class=1;spanmax1=31+dec+2003;spanmin1=1+jan+2003;spanval1=span;template=results;type=batting|access-date=16 September 2020|work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref>

Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 194 against Pakistan at [[Multan]] in the following series. Indian captain Rahul Dravid declared before Tendulkar reached 200; had he done so it would have been the fourth time he had passed the landmark in Tests.<ref>{{cite news |date=29 March 2004 |title=India high on Sehwag's 309 |work=ESPNcricinfo |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/india-high-on-sehwag-s-309-140466 |url-status=live |access-date=30 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110214002448/http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/140466.html |archive-date=14 February 2011}}</ref> Tendulkar said that he was disappointed and that the declaration had taken him by surprise.<ref>{{cite news |date=29 March 2004 |title='I was taken by surprise': Tendulkar |work=ESPNcricinfo |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/i-was-taken-by-surprise-tendulkar-140482 |url-status=live |access-date=1 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111115023036/http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/140482.html |archive-date=15 November 2011}}</ref> Many former cricketers commented that Dravid's declaration was in bad taste.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2004/mar/30miandad.htm |title='Don't worry, Sachin': Miandad |publisher=Rediff |access-date=1 June 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618012945/http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2004/mar/30miandad.htm |archive-date=18 June 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2004/mar/30alam.htm |title='Declaration in bad taste': Intikhab Alam |publisher=Rediff |access-date=1 June 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229085501/http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2004/mar/30alam.htm |archive-date=29 February 2008 }}</ref> After the match, which India won, Dravid said that the matter had been discussed internally and put to rest.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 2004 |title='The boys can be justifiably proud': Dravid |work=ESPNcricinfo |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/the-boys-can-be-justifiably-proud-dravid-134068 |url-status=live |access-date=1 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206005839/http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/134068.html |archive-date=6 December 2010}}</ref>

A [[tennis elbow]] injury then took its toll on Tendulkar, leaving him out of the side for most of the year, coming back only for the last two Tests when [[Australian cricket team|Australia]] toured India in 2004.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sachin's Tennis Elbow Injury |url=http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/sachin/news/217090-sachin-tendulkar-reveals-his-tired-body-told-him-it-was-time-to-quit |publisher=NDTV |access-date=18 December 2013 |quote=In 2004, Tendulkar was diagnosed with tennis elbow, an injury that prevented him from lifting a cricket bat for almost 4 and half months. |author=NDTVCricket |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131123004842/http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/sachin/news/217090-sachin-tendulkar-reveals-his-tired-body-told-him-it-was-time-to-quit |archive-date=23 November 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Weaver |first=Paul |date=20 February 2006 |title=Wisden – India v Australia |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/238049.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140621133212/http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/238049.html |archive-date=21 June 2014 |access-date=29 March 2014 |work=ESPNcricinfo |quote=As Australia prepared ..., even the return of Tendulkar, who had been out of cricket for two months with tennis elbow, was overshadowed ...}}</ref> He played a part in India's victory in Mumbai in that series with a fast 55, though Australia took the series 2–1.<ref>{{cite web |author=ESPNcricinfo staff |date=5 November 2004 |title=Damp start to the Mumbai Test |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/australia-tour-of-india-2004-05-61430/india-vs-australia-4th-test-64102/match-report |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531090624/http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/141435.html |archive-date=31 May 2014 |access-date=29 March 2014 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref>