The Hindu : It's Tendulkar all the way

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 24, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

It's Tendulkar all the way
By G. Viswanath

Sachin Tendulkar is in full flow as he square drives Grant Flower during his unbeaten century knock on the third day of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Nagpur on Saturday. - Photo: Vivek Bendre

NAGPUR, FEB. 23. Appearing very much like an old fashioned Test match batsman Sachin Tendulkar was a purist's delight. On a hot and steaming day he brought fore his complete understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of both teams and also the worsening condition of the pitch.

His third century at this venue, his 28th in 90 Tests, gave India a sizeable first innings lead of 150 as the host finished day three of the first Test against Zimbabwe on 437 for five at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium. Tendulkar has long been the country's top-flight batsman and on Saturday his knock left behind a long list of legends and placed him behind Sunil Gavaskar and Sir Donald Bradman. With India scheduled to play 12 Tests against the West Indies and England in the near future Tendulkar is all set to scale greater heights.

In evidence during his splendid effort when India was expected to dominate proceedings was that he was already beginning to prepare for the sterner tests ahead in the Caribbean.

After Shiv Sundar Das's century there was a sense of anticipation that Dravid would follow suit first and then Tendulkar would dispatch the bowlers. But Zimbabwe, in spite of its impoverished bowling, could not be expected to go down with out a fight. Zimbabwe had its own plans to check the Dravid and Tendulkar. The second new ball, due after six overs, was straightaway taken. The first few overs from left arm spinners Raymond Price and Grant Flower did not indicate that Stuart Carlisle would be encouraged to take the second new ball. At the outset Price was able to get lift and turn which once even nonplused Tendulkar.

A back foot forcing shot off Price marked the beginning of Tendulkar's effort on a pitch that was pockmarked with bowlers footmarks on both sides. Price showed the inclination to exploit the rough, but Carlisle in a surprise move availed the second new ball. It only helped Tendulkar to launch an assault on Travis Friend, who sent down gift-wrapped balls to be whipped on the rise and full. When Carlisle brought back Price Tendulkar welcomed him with a great cover drive.

Zimbabwe got a breakthrough exactly on the stroke of the first hour. Dravid was guilty of gifting his wicket, though Heath Streak will claim that he had frustrated Dravid by bowling to a line that was well outside the off stump. Dravid, going for a cut, dragged the ball back on to his stumps. Dravid, it must be said, lost a wonderful opportunity to announce his return to the national team with a bang.

The Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly, showed restraint having come in to bat with his team 40 runs away from Zimbabwe's total. He was cautious against Price, who bowled to Ganguly from over the wicket and aimed at the footmarks left by Streak, Friend and Brighton Watambwa. Pressure was on him and that probably forced him to come down and lift Price over mid on for the first of the seven fours he hit. The third time he tried to lift and clear the fence he fell to Price, who was rewarded for his perseverance with four wickets in 58 overs, perhaps the highest bowled by a foreign spinner on Indian soil in many years.

The near 100-run stand for the fourth wicket firmed up India's position. Laxman realised the value of staying put. It was not an easy pitch for him to play his famous flicks and whips on the leg side. He made his first run off the 20th ball he faced from Price, flicked and pulled two fours of the same bowler before a left arm orthodox delivery from Price made Laxman push forward and lob a straight catch to Gavin Rennie at silly point. Price bowled round the wicket, made the ball drift and turn off the pitch and Laxman had no answer.

Zimbabwe tried hard to invite Tendulkar to make an indiscreet stroke. But the master batsman was not tempted to challenge Streak's negative line after an initial rush of blood when he actually chased a wide delivery from the speedster. The first eight attacking strokes took Tendulkar to his half century, but he was not to disappoint the crowd that had swelled to close to 15,000.

Tendulkar batting was just an invitation for cricket buffs to spend a few hundred rupees to have a glimpse of the star batsman. He quenched their thirst by batting for the whole day and scoring a century in four hours and two minutes. At stumps he was unconquered on 137. But his innings could have ended at 76 when he underedged Streak past the off stump and afterwards at 102 when he kicked the ball away from travelling towards the stumps. Tendulkar would have been happy had he finished the day close to 200, but the Zimbabweans, who threw themselves to stop the shots, must have saved at least half a dozen fours. ``The pitch played slow and low and there was a little bit of turn. I did not feel there was the need to lift shots,'' said Tendulkar.

Penalty on Friend

Zimbabwe seamer Friend will not be allowed to bowl in the India first innings. The second beamer he bowled to Tendulkar invited immediate punishment with umpire S. Venkataraghavan stopping play and applying Law 42.6 (e) related to the bowling of high full pitched balls.

Friend had bowled a beamer to Shiv Sundar Das on Friday and umpire Venkataraghavan had issued a first and final warning to him. The rules requires the umpire to caution the bowler, inform his fellow umpire, the captain of the fielding side and the batsman about what had occurred.

Law 42. 6 (e) says that, ``at the first repetition of (a beamer) call and signal no ball and when the ball is dead direct the captain of the fielding side to take the bowler off forthwith and to complete the over with another bowler provided that the bowler does not bowl two overs or part thereof consecutively.'' In this case Grant Flower completed the over.

SCOREBOARD

ZIMBABWE - 1st innings: 287

INDIA - 1st innings:

S. S. Das c Campbell b Price         105
(292m, 203b, 19x4s)
D. Dasgupta b Price                   33
(121m, 98b, 2x4s, 1x6)
R. Dravid b Streak                    65
(234m, 179b, 8x4s)
S. R. Tendulkar (batting)            137
(366m, 275b, 18x4s)
S. Ganguly c G. Flower b Price        38
(146m, 99b, 7x4s)
V.V.S. Laxman c Rennie b Price        13
(63m, 47b, 2x4s)
S. Bangar (batting)                   22
(86m, 87b, 2x4s) 
Extras (b-14, lb-2, nb-5, w-3)        24
                                     ---
Total (for 5 wkts.)                  437

Fall of wickets: 1-79 (Dasgupta), 2-209 (Das), 3-247 (Dravid), 4-344 (Ganguly), 5-376 (Laxman).

Zimbabwe bowling: Streak 29-9-74-1 (nb-1, w-1), Watambwa 22-6-61-0 (nb-1, w-2), Price 58-17-130-4, Friend 22-3-61-0 (nb-3), G. Flower 28-8-77-0, Gripper 5-0-18-0.

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