Tendulkar made 116 out of a total of 238 at the MCG in 1999, a Test India lost by 180 runs. "Somewhat unsurprisingly, it was yet again the brilliant Tendulkar who was answering the unenviable call to shore up India's battered defences," wrote John Polack. "After an engrossing battle with a bouncer-hungry McGrath had kept him subdued through the early part of his stay, he gradually began to increase his scoring rate with a number of beautifully crafted strokes ... Quite simply, his sense of assurance and sheer range of shots against an adroitly rotated attack were perfectly applied in these hostile circumstances."