December 15 has been a historic day for Indian Cricket in many ways. 75 hence to this day India hosted England at Bombay Gymkhana Ground in 1933 in what was the first test match to be played in India. 5 years back Rahul Dravid played a marvelous knock of 233, arguable the most valuable knock played by an Indian batsman in a match overseas, to setup an incredible Indian win in Adelaide. But it's today Sachin Tendulkar added an innings to his mazing CV which was missing all the while. Sachin today registered his first hundred chasing a target successfully in a Test Match. And what a moment he choose when India chased the highest target chased by any team on Indian soil and fourth highest overall. The value of his knock ws visible from the exuberance on his face and the joyous celebration. For once people did celebrate an Indian win rather than Sachin's century number XX. That itself is a testimony to the importance of the knock.
Its widely believed that a true test of batsman is in his ability to amass runs in the fourth innings of a Test match and that too on a 5th day wicket. Sachin has a poor record by his high standards. Among modern day greats Sachin till yesterday had no reply to a Brian Lara's majestic 153* or Ricky Ponting's 100*, 143* or 118*. Though Sachin played one of his best innings in Chennai 9 years back against Pakistan only to see his team loose in a tensed contest. Today's knock will be remembered in the same breath as that knock of 136 at the same venue, but Sachin would definitely value his knock today very high. Today Sachin seemed to remember every moment of that match and like a true genius made sure he didn't repeat the mistake he committed in that innings. Infact he was quick to advice Yuvi to stay put till the end when Yuvi played a loose shot of Monty Panesar. It was a controlled innings. It was fitting he brought up his hundred with a shot he invented after the back spasms he suffered at the same venue. His innings couldn't have been scripted better.
With today's innings Sachin stamped his greatness to silence few of his critics, including me :) But I wish there were few more of such innings. It may amaze people that it took him this long to score a hundred in a successful chase. Sachin had a perpetual habit of throwing it away when India needed a defining knowck. But if you get everything in life then you don't have the desire to achieve more. Even Sir Don failed to make those vital 4 runs in his last innings to achieve an average of 100. Its better late than never. I feel happy that Sachin finally added that missing link of a truly great champion. What else do we expect from the master batsman now. Probably a triple hundred if not a quadruple and a century in each innings of a match. Way to go...
Its widely believed that a true test of batsman is in his ability to amass runs in the fourth innings of a Test match and that too on a 5th day wicket. Sachin has a poor record by his high standards. Among modern day greats Sachin till yesterday had no reply to a Brian Lara's majestic 153* or Ricky Ponting's 100*, 143* or 118*. Though Sachin played one of his best innings in Chennai 9 years back against Pakistan only to see his team loose in a tensed contest. Today's knock will be remembered in the same breath as that knock of 136 at the same venue, but Sachin would definitely value his knock today very high. Today Sachin seemed to remember every moment of that match and like a true genius made sure he didn't repeat the mistake he committed in that innings. Infact he was quick to advice Yuvi to stay put till the end when Yuvi played a loose shot of Monty Panesar. It was a controlled innings. It was fitting he brought up his hundred with a shot he invented after the back spasms he suffered at the same venue. His innings couldn't have been scripted better.
With today's innings Sachin stamped his greatness to silence few of his critics, including me :) But I wish there were few more of such innings. It may amaze people that it took him this long to score a hundred in a successful chase. Sachin had a perpetual habit of throwing it away when India needed a defining knowck. But if you get everything in life then you don't have the desire to achieve more. Even Sir Don failed to make those vital 4 runs in his last innings to achieve an average of 100. Its better late than never. I feel happy that Sachin finally added that missing link of a truly great champion. What else do we expect from the master batsman now. Probably a triple hundred if not a quadruple and a century in each innings of a match. Way to go...
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