The Hindu : Tendulkar leads the India A charge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 15, 2003

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Sport - Cricket

Tendulkar leads the India A charge

By K.C. Vijaya Kumar

India A's Sachin Tendulkar hits India B's Sairaj Bahutule to the fence, while wicketkeeper Thilak Naidu looks on, in the final of the TVS Salve Challenger Trophy in Bangalore on Sunday. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

BANGALORE Sept. 14. Southpaws Sridharan Sriram and Rohan Gavaskar lent the finishing touch to the strong base laid by Sachin Tendulkar at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday. The trio's runs helped India A post 314 for six in 50 overs after Anil Kumble opted to bat against India B in the TVS Salve Challenger Series final.

Tendulkar (88, 95b, 11x4) was measured in his approach while Sriram (70, 55b, 8x4) and Gavaskar (49, 45b, 3x4, 1x6) epitomised the dash and verve of the slog overs. Tendulkar's walk to the middle was greeted by the customary roar that Indian fans reserve for him. But the roar was missing in his innings as he perhaps willed himself into playing a long innings rather than inflame the senses with rollicking shots early on in his stay at the crease.

The deft touch, however, was evident as he caressed seamers Ajit Agarkar and Amit Bhandari square off the wicket. At the other end, Gautam Gambhir (35) displayed fine nick while slashing and whipping Bhandari into submission. He, however, picked the fielder in the deep off Dinesh Mongia.

The innings slowed down in the middle overs as Wasim Jaffer and Mohammed Kaif failed to cash in. Jaffer drove uppishly while Kaif played back to Sairaj Bahutule and looked unhappy as he trudged back after being adjudged out leg before.

The crowd was glued to Tendulkar's innings. As he moved past 50 the Mexican-waves were in place. Tendulkar broke through his cocoon and drove the spinners with élan. The fine sweep and the chip over covers to usher in his half-century against Bahutule had shades of a genius at work. But the masterpiece was never painted as Tendulkar picked the long-on fielder to a nicety against Sarandeep Singh and walked back to a sudden silence that soon crackled into a profuse applause.

The slog had its fair share of runs as Sriram and Gavaskar chipped and charged with the attitude of soldiers scampering under the cover of fire. Sriram was in an indulgent mood and his reverse sweeps off Sarandeep had mischief written all over it while the third man fielder watched in disbelief.

Gavaskar at the other end found enough motivation in Bhandari's terse words and hammered the Delhi seamer over long-on to register the day's first six. The duo was dismissed in the last over as Bhandari perhaps getting carried away with a sense of retribution launched in to expletives and had to be calmed down by Yuvraj Singh.

Bahutule and left-arm spinner Dinesh Mongia were the lone bowlers to gain some respect as they often bowled close to the stumps.

The scores: India A: Gautam Gambhir c Sarandeep b Mongia 35, Sachin Tendulkar c J.P. Yadav b Sarandeep 88, Wasim Jaffer c Bhandari b J.P. Yadav 11, Mohammed Kaif lbw Bahutule 38, S. Sriram b Bhandari 70, Rohan Gavaskar c Bahutule b Bhandari 49, Ramesh Powar (not out) 1; Extras (lb-8, nb-2, w-12) 22. Total: 314 (for six in 50 overs).

Fall of wickets: 1-71, 2-95, 3-178, 4-199, 5-312, 6-314.

India B bowling: Ajit Agarkar 10-0-64-0, Amit Bhandari 8-1-48-2, Dinesh Mongia 9-0-50-1, J.P. Yadav 7-1-33-1, Sairaj Bahutule 8-0-50-1, Sarandeep Singh 6-0-45-1, Vijay Bharadwaj 2-0-16-0.

India A wins

India A won the TVS Salve Challenger Trophy defeating India B by 99 runs in the final played at the Chinaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.

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