Despite Sachin Tendulkar’s early dismissal, fans reserve their loudest cheer for the maestro. Fans waved the tricolour to greet the champion batsman
The heat was on the spectators literally as they patiently waited for almost five sessions anticipating a batting special from maestro Sachin Tendulkar braving the sweltering conditions.
The fans roared in unison when he finally walked to the middle after a 370-run stand between Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara was eventually broken, on the third day of the second Test match against Australia at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Monday.
Excited crowd
The loud cheer when Sachin went into bat 24 minutes before lunch was deafening. Fans waved the tricolour to greet the champion batsman. His walk to the middle was as always confident and it was accompanied by a little limbering up on the way.
There was a vast majority which strongly believed it could be Sachin’s last Test appearance in Hyderabad – where he had scored three one-day centuries, the most memorable being the magnificent 175 against the Australians under lights, albeit for a lost cause, in 2009.
High expectations
Soon Sachin walked across to hug Pujara when the latter completed his second double century in Tests.
When Sachin went with Kohli into the lunch break with India 400 for three, the stage was perfect for the Mumbai genius and expectations ran high.
And, when he caressed a ball from James Pattinson to the third-man fence for his first four, the crowd went wild.
But, within a few minutes, there was drama as Sachin was declared caught behind when the appeal was referred to the third umpire. There was stunned silence all round.
Yet, the cheers he got as he walked back to the pavilion resembled that of a century scorer.
“The God of cricket has disappointed us. But we just pray, he will come out in the second innings once again,” exclaimed Basetti Shiva Prasad who had come again today only to see Sachin bat.
He was only echoing the majority opinion of the 22,473 crowd.
Keywords: Sachin Tendulkar, cricket match, Rajiv Gandhi Stadium
"To me, the enduring legacy of Scahin Tendulkar will be that slow 100th 100 against Bangladesh, that made us lose that match to them! Thank you Sachin, but pl retire now." - Rajeev Iyer
In that match, India batted 1st & made 290 (50 overs). Sachin made 114 (138 balls, strike rate - 79), Kohli made 66 (82 balls, strike rate - 79) & Gambhir made 10 (17 Balls). 290 against a minnow like Bangladesh was a huge total. If Sachin scored at slower rate, Virat Kohli scored with the same strike rate. So blame both, do not blame only Sachin.
When BD was batting, they needed 124 runs to win in last 14 overs (required rate - 8.86 per over). In 48th over, Irfan Pathan bowled many full toss & short pitch balls & gave away 17 runs. Now, only 16 needed in 12 balls. In 49th over, Praveen Kumar bowled 1st ball above waist height & gave away 5 runs (boundary + no-ball). Next ball was same & was hit for a 6. Now, only 5 needed in 11 & finally India lost.
Was Sachin responsible for this defeat?
How come you remember only the 100th 100 where Indian bowlers bowled juicy full tosses and other lollipops for Bangladesh Batsmen to score 294. And the blame is on Sachin's 100. How come you dont remember the Match winnning record making 200 against SA or his 6 centuries in cup finals. Just like selective amnesia, can we call this selective remembrance, bordering on prejudice.
I do not get the idea of blaming SRT for the 100th 100 and loss to
Bangldesh .. ??
Were you sleeping when the B'deshi batsmen were slaughtering our
bowlers one after another .. if you cannot bowl out a weak batting line
up .. blame Sachin .. if your fielders drop catches .. blame Sachin ..
guess next time you fail doing something .. you'll go ahead and blame
Sachin ... pathetic !!
- Sachinist for Life ..
Atleast Sachin has earned his position. In most cases we all shamelessly
reserve our loudest applause for the most undeserving...for past
glory...and media always will wax eloquent, no matter what. After all
our media is also made of our own kind...Life goes on...Until the time
we realize what to celebrate and what not to. Maybe then life will have
some sense.....
It just shows the stupidity of our folk. The person quoted in the second-last paragraph actually wants to see Sachin bat in the second innings! Whereas we should actually be looking forward to inflicting an innings defeat on the Aussies - ergo, no second innings!!
Moreover, does he understand that by prolonging a declining career, we are possibly curtailing a budding one somewhere in someone, a career that will help India win more matches in the future? Would a Cheteshwar Pujara have bloomed if a Rahul Dravid had not made way for him? Sachin may be the better batter on record, but between the two, Rahul Dravid is the true cricketer, and the one that has done more for Indian cricket.
Oh what fools we be, missing the wood for the trees. Missing the team for the individual. Missing the future for our own selfish presents. To me, the enduring legacy of Scahin Tendulkar will be that slow 100th 100 against Bangladesh, that made us lose that match to them! Thank you Sachin, but pl retire now.
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