Sachin Tendulkar and Chennai, the affair continues

By S. Dinakar

CHENNAI, MARCH 20. It is a symbiotic relationship, Sachin Tendulkar and the Chennai crowd. Like rhythm and flamenco, booming strokes and the Mexican Waves.

Tendulkar launched into his big on-drive, the ball soared over the fence, bowler Colin Miller watched with a sense of helplessness, and the near full house exploded with joy.

The Master Batsman had reached his 25th Test hundred - a significant landmark in a career of glittering conquests - in the third and final Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Tuesday. He had a willing partner too.

Yes, Rahul Dravid, revelling yet again at the No. 6 slot, conjured a delightful 81, and it was champagne batting with the duo adding 169 vital runs for the fifth wicket, even as the Aussie bowling and fielding wilted under the pressure.

Yet, Steve Waugh's men clawed their way back in the final hour, displaying character, as India slumped from 444 for four at the last drink interval to 480 for nine at close.

The home team, ahead by 89 runs with one wicket left, appeared set for a massive first innings at one stage and Australia, having a mountain to climb, at least has a straw to clutch at.

Remember India may have to bat last on a wicket which could afford assistance to the spinners as the match enters the climactic phase.

Returning to Tendulkar's 126, it was a beautifully paced effort, the Master Batsman, eschewing risks in the early stages after India lost quick wickets in the morning, taking the bowling apart.

Just 55 runs were made in the first session, but Tendulkar and Dravid cut loose in the two hours either side of the tea break. McGrath came steaming in from the pavilion end, Tendulkar rocked back and hammered him to the cover fence. Sparks flew and it was an engrossing duel.

Indeed, it was a battle within a battle with McGrath playing the `mind game' too. The rangy New South Welshman implored Tendulkar to pull the short pitched deliveries, but Tendulkar is much too canny a campaigner to fall for the bait.

And when leggie Shane Warne had the ball in his hands after lunch, the crowd roared in anticipation as memories of another day came back - interestingly Steve Waugh had kept the spin away from Tendulkar, in the entire morning session, holding back Warne, and asking Miller to operate seam-up to the maestro.

Test cricket is all about strategy and the canny Steve was in no mood to concede easy runs. However, with Tendulkar too playing the waiting game, Warne had to be introduced and the Indian won the face-off hands down, pulling sweeping, driving and cutting Warne to all corners of the ground.

On his part, Tendulkar distracted by some movement over the sightscreen, kept his concentration going and progressed towards the hundred with some scintillating stroke-play.

However, he had a stroke of luck on 82 when Michael Slater's flamboyant leap at the point of latching on the ball only resulted in the catch being spilled as Tendulkar miscued a pull- sweep off Miller.

And Tendulkar continued onslaught after reaching the three-figure mark, when he took apart Warne clinically, sweeping him twice fine for boundaries and then cheekily guiding him over the slip; his victory over Warne was complete.

Coming to Dravid's effort, the change of slots has clearly worked for him and without the pressures of being the No. 3, he is stroking the ball with that much more freedom these days and none illustrated this better than his imperious pull off Miller going down on his knees, the ball travelling straighter than squarer and it landed outside the boundary. This was a different Dravid.

The Karnataka batsman's elegant flicks off Glenn McGrath taking him past the half century mark and his stunning straight six off a full length delivery from Gillespie were a sight for the sore eyes.

Mcgrath, Gillespie take honours

Yet despite the odd punishing stroke essayed off them, McGrath and Gillespie were the heroes of the day for Australia. A look at their spells would be revealing.

Two efforts in particular made a difference. McGrath's probing first spell of 6-4-5-2 and Gillespie's red hot burst - 7- 4-15-2 - towards the end of a hot sultry day.

The start couldn't have been better for Australia, pace spearhead Glenn McGrath, charging in from the Pavilion end, trapping Shiv Sundar Das, who shuffled across to a delivery that held its line, in front. The compact Orissa opener had not added to his overnight score of 84.

Not much later, Laxman, lucky to get away with an edged boundary off McGrath, succumbed to the paceman, driving at a delivery which had a hint of away movement, for Mark Waugh at second slip to snaffle a low edge. Laxman, in a dominant mood, on day two, had perished for 65.

Steve used McGrath in a post lunch spell of 4-0-13-0, when moved one off the seam to snare Ganguly outside the off- stump. Few pacemen in contemporary cricket operate to a more persistent off- stump line, relentlessly chipping away at a batsman.

And on the final hour, when Steve tossed the ball to him, Gillespie, with the Aussie supporters in the stands egging him on, bowled with hostility, and tasted success too when Dravid, let off on 80 by a diving Gilchrist down the leg-side, nicked one to the 'keeper, driving at a quick delivery outside the off- stump. Gillespie had an unrewarding time with the second new ball, and was keen to make emends.

And his next scalp was the prized one off Tendulkar, departing in a similar fashion, Gilchrist again getting to the act. It is a hard job, bowling fast, on wickets offering little assistance, and with the batsmen in a dominant mood and the spirited Gillespie certainly could walk back with his chin up. Steve Waugh's fling of the dice had worked.

And towards the end, Warne and Miller got into the act as well, Warne's final spell (10-5-22-1) when he trapped debutant Sameer Dighe leg-before - the batsman's attempt to sweep a flighted delivery from the leggie came to nought - being a much better one.

Miller, who endured long periods of punishment and frustration, struck in his two final overs of the day as Zaheer Khan knocked one back to the bowler and Harbhajan's strange steer only ended in Mark Waugh's hands in the slip.

Tendulkar, who dedicated his 25th Test hundred to brother Ajit, admitted in the post match media conference that either he or Dravid should have carried on.

The Aussies are back in the hunt and much would depend on how the batsmen tackle the Indians, particularly Harbhajan Singh, who has developed this dangerous habit of running through line-ups.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA - 1st innings: 391

INDIA - 1st innings:

S. S. Das lbw b McGrath               84
(261m, 186b, 10x4, 1x6)
S. Ramesh c Ponting b Warne           61
(164m, 133b, 6x4)
V.V.S. Laxman c M. Waugh b McGrath    65
(125m, 87b, 11x4)
S. Tendulkar c Gilchrist b Gillespie 126
(346m, 230b, 15x4, 2x6) 

S. Ganguly c Gilchrist b McGrath      22
(114m, 76b, 3x4)
R. Dravid c Gilchrist b Gillespie     81
(178m, 140b, 12x4, 1x6)
S. Dighe lbw b Warne                   4
(32m, 24b)
S. Bahutule (batting)                  4
(44m, 26b)
Zaheer Khan c&b Miller                 4
(25m, 20b)
Harbhajan Singh c M. Waugh b Miller    2
(2m, 3b)
N. Kulkarni (batting)                  0
(6m, 4b)
Extras (b-19, lb-2, w-1, nb-5)        27
                                     ---  
Total (for nine wkts. in 154 overs)  480
                                     ---  

Fall of wickets: 1-123 (Ramesh), 2-211 (Das), 3-237 (Laxman),  4-
284 (Ganguly), 5-453 (Dravid), 6-468 (Tendulkar), 7-470  (Dighe), 
8-475 (Zaheer), 9-477 (Harbhajan).

Australia  bowling:  McGrath 31-12-69-3,  Gillespie  31-9-  82-2, 
Miller 44-5-151-2, Warne 42-7-140-2, Ponting 2-1-2-0, M. Waugh 3-
0-8- 0, Hayden 1-0-7-0.

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