Tendulkar: The ball boy who became the god of cricket

Tendulkar: The ball boy who became the god of cricket

Tendulkar walks with Man of the Match trophy after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi-final match between India and Pakistan. (AFP)

 

 

MUMBAI: "Who writes your scripts," former England opener and captain Graham Gooch asked his legendary teammate and all-rounder, Ian Botham after the latter dismissed Kiwi opener Bruce Edgar off the first ball he bowled at The Oval in 1986.

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Botham was playing his first Test following a year's ban for using marijuana. Edgar's scalp earned Botham his 355th Test wicket and put him on par with Aussie great Dennis Lillee's record tally of 355 wickets. Hence the inquiry from Gooch.

Some of the current Indian team members can ask Sachin Tendulkar the same question. Like Botham, who always loved a stage, the Indian legend too enjoys putting on a show when the entire world trains its eyes on him. And they will be on Tendulkar when India take on Sri Lanka in the World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium, in the Master's hometown, Mumbai, on Saturday.

Many feel it's a travesty that Tendulkar's massive talent and impeccable conduct off the field haven't yet culminated in him being in a world champion side. What better way and stage or venue for him to win cricket's ultimate prize than in front of his numerous and passionate fans, and in the process, bring up a century of international centuries.

If it happens, Tendulkar will complete a full circle as he was a ball boy when India played against England at this very venue in the semifinal of the 1987 World Cup . He must have picked up numerous balls from the boundary line as England opener Graham Gooch simply swept the hosts and tournament favourites out of the contest. Watching India crash out of the semis, albeit from the sidelines, must have been heartbreaking for the then 14-year-old, like it was for the rest of the country.

Eight years later, he suffered the heartbreak of seeing India crash out of the semis again as they lost to Sri Lanka by default in Kolkata. This time though Tendulkar didn't watch from the sidelines. He scored a fine 65 off 88 balls on a turning pitch at the Eden Gardens and, in fact, it was his wicket that started the Indian slide.

India have busted the semis hoodoo while playing on home soil in the 2011 edition. If a Tendulkar ton can help MS Dhoni hold aloft the World Cup, the journey from a ball boy to a World Champion will have been a fruitful and emotional one. Now to the million dollar question: Who writes Tendulkar's scripts? Want a clue? Here it is: He opens in ODIs and bats at No. 4 in Tests.

Tendulkar walks with Man of the Match trophy after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi-final match between India and Pakistan. (AFP)

Yesterday I saw God Playing Cricket, Sachin 200 in ODI

Nothing is impossible: Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten 200- ET Cetera ...

Sachin Tendulkar’s unbeaten 200 is a testimony to his fitness and commitment even as he heads for his 37th birthday. He is looking as fit as focused and as formidable as he ever has, and his timing remains untouched by the passing years. Having played till the age of 39, I know that discipline, good, healthy living and focus can add years to one’s career. What I lost in pace and stamina, I gained in control and guile. In Tendulkar’s case, too, he has smartly sorted out his game. He might not have the eye he had in his late 20s, or the speed — those are the peak years of every batsman. However, Tendulkar has compensated for those areas with excellent shot selection and placement. I always maintain that Test cricket and one-day cricket are two different areas, one cannot be connected to the other. However, Tendulkar’s rich vein of form in the longer version seems to have relaxed him and given him the freedom to play in an unburdened manner. Though I did not see the knock, the statistics I have got are staggering. The fact that he got the score in 147 balls itself is a huge achievement and by reaching 200 he bettered one of the best one-day knocks I have seen, by Saeed Anwar. The latter was one of the sweetest timers of the ball, and that knock in Chennai was when he was at the peak of his form. To have bettered that Tendulkar must have really turned on the magic with some scintillating shots. There may be many who will say that the wicket helped strokeplay and that there was nothing in it for the bowlers. But no matter what the wicket is like, to stand through 50 overs and score 200 is a very, very special effort — an achievement that his contemporaries, Ricky Ponting and Brian Lara, would have been proud of. If I had had to pick up a guy as the one to score the first one-day double ton, it would have been Virender Sehwag. He is young, belligerent and in unbelievable touch. However, it was his illustrious senior who pipped him at the post. Tendulkar seems to have rediscovered an exuberance and enjoyment which seems to have taken his game to a different level, and India would be hoping that he maintains this rhythm for some time. This achievement would mean a lot to Tendulkar, even though he has many records to his name because every opener must have had an eye on this record. A double century has only been a theoretical possibility in limited overs so far, so in many ways Tendulkar has achieved something unusual. True, he has many feathers on his cap, but this one is a really special one. An absolutely phenomenal record by a truly phenomenal player.

Tendulkar first to 200 in an ODI



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	Sachin Tendulkar: "Since I was timing the ball well, I could be more aggressive and put pressure on the bowlers" © Associated Press
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Sachin Tendulkar, who broke the record for the highest individual ODI score, overtaking Saeed Anwar and Charles Coventry on his way to the format's first double-hundred, has said his ability to bat the entire 50 overs was a testament to his fitness after having played the game for more than 20 years.

"It feels good that I lasted for 50 overs, a good test of my fitness. I'd like to bat another 50 overs at some stage and see that the fitness level doesn't drop," Tendulkar said after his effort helped India take a unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. "The ball was coming onto the bat and I was striking the ball well. So when everything falls into its place, it feels nice. It was one of the innings where I felt I was moving well. Since I was timing the ball well, I could be more aggressive and put pressure on the bowlers."

Tendulkar, while dedicating his feat to the people of India, credited coach Gary Kirsten for the team's success in both forms of the game after the debacle in the World Cup in the Caribbean. "I've enjoyed various challenges; after the 2007 World Cup things have looked different and I'm enjoying the game," he said. "The credit also goes to Gary [Kirsten], he has really held the team beautifully. It's about togetherness and playing for each other. You see during the practice sessions that Gary himself trains as hard as anyone else, or probably harder than anyone else as he's the one giving us practice all the time."

Tendulkar said he sensed an opportunity to break the record and reach a double-century when he had gone past 175 in the 42nd over. The record eventually came in the 46th over, and the 200 in the 50th. "When I was near 175-180, I thought I could get a 200 as there were quite a few overs left," he said. He added that he would prefer his achievement to be upstaged by an Indian. "I don't play for records, I play for enjoyment and play with lots of passion. That's how cricket started. I didn't start playing cricket to break all the records; it's happened along the way. The dream was to play for India and do my best.

"I don't think any record is unbreakable. Records are made to be broken. I hope that if this record is broke, it's done by an Indian."

This was India's third-highest score in ODIs, and Tendulkar said the 400-mark would not have reached if not for some big hitting by Yusuf Pathan and MS Dhoni. "I thought a target of 340-350 would be a good one, but Yusuf Pathan and MS Dhoni came in and hit the big shots and cleared the ropes consistently and helped us pass 400."

Tendulkar added that India were not relaxing despite having put up a mammoth score, for they were aware South Africa were the only team to have chased down a target in excess of 400. "This was the team that chased 434 against Australia. So we didn't get complacent and told ourselves that we had just got through the half-way stage by scoring 401. And what we did in the second half was extremely important. We were aiming at getting early wickets and putting them out of the game."

Dhoni, who witnessed Tendulkar surpass the record from the other end, said: "I think one of the best innings, you can say. It's always good to be on the other side, watching him score 200 runs. When he is tired and can't play the big shots, he was very clever to use the pace of the bowler and it's very difficult for the bowlers as they don't know where exactly to bowl."

India lost Virender Sehwag early, and Tendulkar was assisted in three sizable stands where runs came at a brisk pace, with Dinesh Karthik, Yusuf and Dhoni. "Once Viru got out, it was important to get some kind of a partnership going. They [Tendulkar and Karthik] went on with their innings, and they set a platform after which we were sure we would get 350-plus which would be a difficult target," Dhoni said. "Yusuf was sent up the order and with the talent he's got, he can be a great asset to the side."

Yusuf scored a quickfire 36 and was particularly lethal during the batting Powerplay, while Dhoni proved destructive at the death, bludgeoning 68 off 35 in a century-stand with Tendulkar in just 53 balls. "I have changed my batting a bit, but the situation demanded that kind [attacking] of innings," Dhoni said. "The ground is a small one, and we were a bit worried about the dew factor. But once they lost 3-4 early wickets, it was difficult for them to get back into the game."

For South Africa and their stand-in captain Jacques Kallis, it was a case of the basics gone wrong. "The toss was quite vital. Our basics were just weren't good enough today. We were outplayed," Kallis said. "We lost wickets at crucial stages, our basics let us down. A fantastic innings by Sachin; he took advantage of some good conditions and he played superbly. We let ourselves down in some areas."

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Src: Cricket Websites and ET