Superstar Tendulkar writes the perfect script

He's 35-years-old and owns practically every batting record in the game, but you couldn't escape the feeling that this was probably Sachin Tendulkar's finest hour

December 15, 2008

	Given all that's gone on over the past three weeks, this was so much more than just a match-winning century © Getty Images

As Graeme Swann prepared to bowl the second ball of his 29th over, more than 20,000 people in the stands abandoned their plastic chairs. They were on their feet, creating the sort of bedlam and noise I last witnessed at this very venue seven years ago, when Harbhajan Singh's squirt past point clinched the most famous of India's series victories. Swann bowled. The batsman came forward and patted the ball back with almost exaggerated flourish. The crowd was momentarily quieted but the primal scream started again as Swann went back to his mark.

Again, there was sharp turn, but the paddle-sweep that greeted the ball was emphatic. As it streaked to fine leg, the batsman ran down the pitch and punched the air in celebration, before being held aloft by his equally delighted partner. He's 35-years-old and owns practically every batting record in the game, but you couldn't escape the feeling that this was probably Sachin Tendulkar's finest hour.

To score the winning runs in a record-shattering chase was special enough, but when that last stroke also brought up your 41st century, it became ineffably so. Boyhood dreams are made of this, and it says a lot about Tendulkar that he has never lost that child-like passion for the game.

Even in a world where cricket was played in isolation, this would have been a breathtaking effort. Given all that's gone on over the past three weeks though, this was so much more than just a match-winning century. Kevin Pietersen said it best after the game. "Who can write Sachin Tendulkar's scripts any better?," he asked. "The man from Mumbai came in and scored a sensational hundred. He batted like a superstar."

Those that reckon this will heal the wounds of the past don't know Tendulkar well enough though. The scabs of Barbados 1997 and Chepauk 1999 will always be there, especially given he had done so much in both games to take India towards victory. As the years passed, theories and opinions came and went, with people pointing to the absence of a defining fourth-innings knock from the Tendulkar repertoire. Brian Lara had the peerless unbeaten 153 at the Kensington Oval. What did Tendulkar have to offer as response?

An awful lot really, but those intent on nitpicking will inevitably find a way. As the afternoon progressed though, the feeling intensified that we were witnessing something extraordinary. With Pietersen not inclined to crowd the batsmen with close-in fielders, Tendulkar was more than happy to pick off the runs with a nudge here, a deflection there and the odd paddle-sweep for variety.

The contrast with Virender Sehwag couldn't have been more acute. Sehwag's 83 contained 11 singles and two twos, whereas 61 of Tendulkar's runs came in singles (45) or twos. It was a consummate innings. He defended purposefully, especially against the always menacing Andrew Flintoff, but there was no getting bogged down either. Every time there was a lull, either he or Yuvraj Singh would pierce the field.

	Those that aren't Indian struggle to fathom exactly what Tendulkar means to so many millions, and it's doubtful whether even those that live here really comprehend just how much a part of the national consciousness he has become. He is such a unifying force, a personality capable of stirring the emotions in every nook and corner of a vast land

Though dehydration became a factor as the afternoon sun beat down, he continued to scamper between the wickets with the same urgency he showed as a teenager. It's that enthusiasm that's so infectious. Sitting in the stands for an hour this afternoon, there was no doubt what the only people that really matter - the fans - think of him. His every stroke was cheered as though it was a century, and the chants of "Sachin, Sachin" reverberating around were an illustration of an adulation-obsession that sport has never seen, not even when Diego Maradona was playing at La Bombanera.

Vijay is a doctor who was in Chennai on a short trip. On Sunday night, he found himself with a pass for the final day's play. With a late-afternoon train to catch, he wasn't sure whether to go or not. There was another reason for his hesitancy too. Like millions of other sports fans who have been scarred by defeat, Vijay was afraid that he might jinx his team and his favourite player. But after watching the first session on television, he decided to take his chances.

Over the next three-and-a-half hours, he didn't leave his seat, not even for food and water at tea time. He made his train with 10 minutes to spare. "I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if I had given it a miss," he messaged me later.

Those that aren't Indian struggle to fathom exactly what Tendulkar means to so many millions, and it's doubtful whether even those that live here really comprehend just how much a part of the national consciousness he has become. He is such a unifying force, a personality capable of stirring the emotions in every nook and corner of a vast land. And in these times of distress and anger, it was so very appropriate that it would be Tendulkar who put the smiles back on at least a few faces.

Tendulkar shines on see-saw first day

India v Australia, 4th Test, Nagpur, 1st day

Tendulkar shines on see-saw first day

November 6, 2008

India 311 for 5 (Tendulkar 109, Sehwag 66, Laxman 64, Krejza 3-138) v Australia
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball-details
How they were out

	Sachin Tendulkar brought up his 40th Test hundred to lead India's rally to 311 for 5 on the opening day © Getty Images

Almost everything Sachin Tendulkar did today - from opening his account with a brush off the pads for four, to punching gloves with VVS Laxman at lunch to strutting back after tea - pointed to a batsman full of intent. His efforts paid off, despite a run-out chance on 74 and drops on 85 and 98 off the persevering debutant Jason Krejza, as he scored his 40th Test hundred to lead India's recovery, after a pre-lunch flurry of wickets, to 311 for 5 on the opening day in Nagpur.

India lost debutant M Vijay, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag in 29 deliveries towards the end of the first session before the two in-form veterans shored up the innings. For nearly three and a half hours, Tendulkar and Laxman batted gracefully for 146 runs, their stand the highlight of India's day.

Tendulkar looked at ease since replacing Dravid - out for a duck - driving straight and impregnable in defence. He was the early aggressor in the partnership with Laxman, unfurling a slog-sweep over midwicket and a lofted on-drive in one Krejza over to raise India's 150. While the faster men were driven through cover, flicked to midwicket quite fluently or on-driven with laser-like precision, the spinners were tackled with excellent footwork.

Laxman, not at his most silky and sublime, collected his runs slowly and mechanically. As in Delhi, where he stroked 259 unbeaten runs, he stood firm, as has become his trademark. Even when the ball stopped on him, Laxman relied on those supple wrists and worked Krejza over the infield. The only phase when he was troubled was during Brett Lee's second spell, when the bowler obtained a bit of reverse-swing.

The scoring rate dipped with each session, from five - after Sehwag had blazed away - to four and under, but the objective rarely wavered. The pair scurried hard singles and dispatched anything loose - of which there was plenty - and almost always picking their mark whenever they went aerial.

Smart Stats Sachin Tendulkar's 109 was his 91st score of fifty or above, the highest for any batsman. He overtook Allan Border, who made 27 centuries and 63 fifties. Tendulkar became the first batsman to reach 5000 runs in the first innings of Tests, and averages 72.65 for the same. His average in the fourth innings, however, is 33.60 in 55 matches. Tendulkar's 40th Test century was also his tenth against Australia. Only Jack Hobbs, with 12 centuries in 41 Tests against Australia, has more. VVS Laxman, during his innings of 64, went past 1000 runs in 2008. It's the most he's scored in a calendar year, the previous highest being 984 runs in 15 Tests in 2002. Brett Lee averages 64.28 with the ball this series, which is his highest in the four Test series he has played against India. He averaged 59.50 in the series against India in 2003-04 in Australia. Billy Bowden became the tenth umpire to stand in fifty Tests. Steve Bucknor heads the list with 124. Jason Krezja, who took 3 for 138, is just 12 runs shy of becoming the spinner to concede the most runs in an innings on debut for Australia. Shane Warne's 1 for 150 against India in Sydney in 1992 is at the top of the list.

Tendulkar slowed down as tea approached, perhaps mindful of his mistakes in Mohali and Delhi. His teatime 62 comprised eight fours, seven of which were muscularly hit on the leg side. He still outpaced Laxman on resumption, adding another 47 in the final session. A fierce sweep from outside the off stump and over wide mid-on took Tendulkar into the eighties and he should have stayed there. Tendulkar waltzed down to Krejza, didn't get to the pitch of the ball, and Mitchell Johnson dropped a comfortable chance running back from mid-off. The next delivery, Laxman coolly went past fifty with a drive wide of sweeper-cover, but a loose shot against Krejza, making room to cut, was snapped up on the second attempt by Brad Haddin.

Proximity to his century seemed to have fired up Tendulkar, who dashed out, very untypically, against Krejza on 98 and looked on as Lee spilled a running catch at mid-off. Having spent 11 deliveries on 99, Tendulkar raised his bat in the warm Nagpur air after raising his hundred - and tenth against Australia - with a spanking cut. He hardly played a shot thereafter and fell lbw to Johnson for 109 with 15 minutes to go.

A 98-run partnership between India's new opening pair occupied much of the morning session before Australia fought back, led by Krejza's double-strike. Sehwag took care of the new-ball threat from Johnson, driving and scooping him through backward of point, slashing him over third man, and whipping him delectably across the line. A genuine outside edge off Johnson, which bounced low in front of Matthew Hayden at first slip, when Vijay was on 11, was the nearest Australia came to a chance early on.

Sehwag's panache was complemented by Vijay's solidity on perhaps the easiest track to make your debut as a batsman. Allowed to drive on the up mid-way through the first session, he also tucked the straighter deliveries for singles that kept the score ticking. Vijay was shaping well, and India had the ideal platform, when Shane Watson struck. Sehwag looked set for a hundred, hitting nine fours and a six in his 66, but couldn't capitalise on his good start, and dragged a turning delivery from Krejza back onto his stumps shortly after Dravid fell.

One down in the series, with a highly creditable draw in Delhi following a drubbing in Mohali, Australia were aiming to salvage their bruised pride. Evenly split in pace and spin, but mellowed by another under-performing display from Lee, Australia relied on Krejza to handle the bulk of the bowling. He came in under a degree of pressure and showed enough stomach for a fight after he was mauled in his first three overs. The Tendulkar drops would have hurt, but Laxman's wicket was reward for an encouraging debut.

Lee, steady of line, lacked in speed. Watson lacked variety, and though he mixed up his pace he remained innocuous after removing Vijay. Cameron White, employed only reluctantly, turned his legbreak painfully slowly and never threatened. Johnson obtained disconcerting lift but his tendency to pitch too full made it easy for the batsmen. Over the next four days, Australia will need to be far more productive in their attempt to avoid their first series loss since 2005.

Losing five was too many - Tendulkar

India v Australia, 4th Test, Nagpur, 1st day

Losing five was too many - Tendulkar

November 6, 2008

	Sachin Tendulkar: "It was important that I got going because we had lost a couple of wickets and even Sehwag got out after that" © Getty Images

Sachin Tendulkar has said India were in a decent, but not brilliant, position after ending the first day of the final Test in Nagpur on 311 for 5. Tendulkar, who stabilised the Indian innings with his 40th Test hundred, felt losing five wickets was too many and "three would have been okay".

The situation when he began his innings was reminiscent of India's first innings in Mohali where a terrific start had been eroded by quick wickets. Today India went from 98 for 0 to 116 for 3 and were in danger of allowing Australia to bounce back after Virender Sehwag's half-century forced them on the defensive.

"It was important that I got going because we had lost a couple of wickets and even Sehwag got out after that," Tendulkar said. "I think it was just about keeping the head cool initially because when I walked in it was a critical stage. We had to make sure that we [VVS Laxman and I] had a good partnership and took the game away from Australia because the momentum was with them [Australia] initially."

Tendulkar and Laxman's efforts succeeded and they regained the advantage by adding 146 for the fourth wicket. Tendulkar went after the debutant offspinner Jason Krejza, slogging him over midwicket and lifting over mid-on. He fed off the deliveries that Mitchell Johnson bowled on his pads, flicking with impeccable timing towards the square-leg boundary. The shot of the day, however, was a trademark on-drive against Lee which bisected the gap between the bowler and mid-on.

Tendulkar, however, was fortunate to get a century. On 74 he survived a run-out chance; on 85 he mis-hit Krejza to mid-off where Johnson dropped the catch; on 96 he lofted Krejza once again to long-off where Brett Lee couldn't hang on. Tendulkar played out 11 dot balls on 99 before reaching his hundred by cutting Krejza to the point boundary.

"I can say he [Krejza] was a bit unlucky," Tendulkar said. "He had a first wonderful day. Today I can also thank God [for reaching the hundred] . I am delighted at getting the century."

The 40th century eluded Tendulkar twice in this series. He was out for 88 in Mohali and 68 in Delhi and on both occasions he was batting with fluency before falling against the run of play. Tendulkar, however, said although he missed out on hundreds, he had made vital contributions, such as the patient 49 in Bangalore which helped India save the Test.

"I know I am batting well, but I was not getting to the three-figure landmark. But I don't think that is everything. I have gone in at crucial [stages] at almost four or five times and I have been able to play. That is very satisfying, when you deliver when the team needs the most."

Tendulkar was dismissed in the last half-hour of the day, playing across the line to Johnson, who was bowling with the second new ball. That lapse, and the catches that were offered before his century, seemed to indicate a drop in concentration, but Tendulkar did not agree.

"I don't think I lost my concentration," he said. "Yes there was a patch in between but later on I felt I had sort of again changed the momentum and I just wanted to be there till the end today."

Tendulkar said that the pitch was a "perfect track" but what was noticeable, even in the first hour of play, was how quickly the bowlers' follow-throughs left their mark on the surface. Krejza got a few deliveries to spin and turn on day one and Tendulkar said it will definitely help the spinners more.

"The wicket is playing good. It is on the harder side and it is quite good. The spinners are getting bounce so I think in a day or two it will be difficult to play the spinners." When play ended on the first day, Harbhajan Singh made his way out to the middle, possibly to inspect the surface on which he hopes to fulfil the responsibility passed on to him by Anil Kumble.