India, March 16 -- On March 16, 2012, Sachin Tendulkar reached a number that had long ceased to feel merely statistical. By the time he nudged his way to 114 against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup at Mirpur, his 100th international century had already become part national obsession, part sporting myth. That wait had stretched, the noise had built, and the milestone had swollen into something far larger than a score. When it finally came, it did not merely complete a record. It altered the definition of batting greatness.

Fourteen years later, the number remains untouched.

That, more than the romance of the day, is what gives the anniversary its enduring force. Cricket has moved on, formats have shifted, calendars have tightened, and batting...