 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar showed why he will be remembered as the greatest batsman of this era as he walked into the sunset after a brilliant knock that had all his magic of yore.
Playing his 200th and last Test, the batting icon kept his emotions under control to score a majestic 74, on Day 2 of the second Test against the West Indies, in what will probably be his last international innings.
The numbers mattered for the uninitiated but for those who loved the man for the last 24 years, each and every stroke that came out from that blade was a celebration.
-Sachin Tendulkar delights fans, congratulate the Master Blaster
His 74 came off 118 balls and was laced with 12 boundaries.
A deft late cut off Shane Shillingford, a straight drive past Tino Best, a shot off his hips off Shanon Gabriel, was India's most loved sportsman's way of saying 'Thank You' as he completed 24 years in international cricket on Friday.
His strokeplay dominated the proceedings as India took control of the Test.
Tendulkar and Cheteshwar Pujara added 144 runs for the third wicket to lay foundation for a big first innings total.
Starting the day on 38, the maestro looked fluent during his 68-minute stay at the wicket on Friday. He faced 118 balls in all, hitting 12 boundaries, all of which were pure class.
Just when the crowd anticipated a hundred, his stay at the crease was cut short by offie Narsingh Deonarine, who got one to bounce that bit extra as Tendulkar tried a cut shot which ended in rival captain Darren Sammy's hands in the first slip.
Deonarine's name will certainly feature in the record books for years to come as it is unlikely that West Indies will be able to get India to bat a second time on a pitch that has shown considerable wear and tear.
With Pujara playing an ideal second fiddle by rotating the strike, Tendulkar played some delightful strokes that were taken out of the top drawer.
His late cut off Shane Shillingford, a backfoot punch through the covers off Tino Best and the drive past Best that brought up his half-century were pure class.
It was Tendulkar's 68th Test half-century that came in 91 deliveries.
Best, who first tried to unsettle Tendulkar with bouncers and then with verbal volleys surrendered in the end as he had hands on his knees at the end of one of his overs.
It was Tendulkar who gave him a friendly pat on the shoulders probably to remind him "who's the boss today".
The hallmark of Tendulkar's innings was his assured footwork, leaving a lot of fuller deliveries outside the off-stump and getting the body behind the ball while executing those drives.
Probably, being pressure free helped him to go for his strokes as each and every stroke -- attack or defence -- were lustily cheered by a vociferous crowd.
Image: Sachin Tendulkar
Photograph: BCCI