The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Nagpur a special place for Tendulkar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 25, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Nagpur a special place for Tendulkar

By Sanjay Rajan

NAGPUR, OCT. 24. Cricket followers in the Orange City still talk of how a chubby, curly-haired 14-year-old created a sensation in the Vijay Merchant Trophy National under-15 competition in 1986-87 by scoring centuries in the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final.

Little did one realise then, that the young man, answering to the name of Sachin Tendulkar, would take the cricketing world by storm three seasons later. Now, the VCA Stadium is all set to witness Tendulkar's return to Test cricket.

"I had a very tough practice session," said the Mumbaikar after the Indian team's net session on Sunday. "The tennis elbow is going to take some time to heal completely. I've taken pain killer injections. I hope the weak muscles get stronger as time goes by," said Tendulkar of the injury, which forced him to miss the first two Tests of the TVS Cup Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The host goes into the third Test, beginning here on October 26, trailing 1-0 in the four-match series.

"It felt good to bat. The bat I use now is close to the original, but less than the normal weight. I played 450 balls today, which is as good as a day's game. I am hoping to play a long innings. It was frustrating to sit in the dressing room and not do anything in Bangalore and Chennai," said the maestro, who hadn't missed a Test in his 114-match career until now.

"I've always done well in Nagpur," said Tendulkar, referring to the three Test centuries, including a double hundred, he has scored here. "But then, that's all history."

Tendulkar, who has scored 33 Test centuries, said he doesn't feel extra pressure on his return, this being a key series. "I've always been under pressure to perform. So, this is not something new to me."

About the wicket for the match, Tendulkar said, "It certainly looks different from what we've seen in the past. We'll play on whatever the curator provides."

Sporting wicket

Kishor Pradhan, the curator, said the pitch was a sporting one with a bit for everyone. The wicket was last re-laid two seasons ago and has hosted a One-Day International between India and the West Indies. "The grass will be trimmed, but not shaved completely," he said.

Another one to show surprise at the amount of grass on the wicket was Glenn McGrath, who, naturally, is only too happy about it. "I like it hard and bouncy. A bit unusual, though, to see so much grass on the pitch, for this is not what we expect when we come to India," said the `Pigeon', who will be playing in his 100th Test.

"I'm keeping my fingers crossed so that I do well in this match. Playing 100 Tests is something really special. Just walking onto the ground the next few days is something I'll be looking forward to do," said McGrath.

About Tendulkar's return, McGrath, who has 446 Test wickets said, "It's always good to bowl to Sachin. He's obviously one of the best batsmen in the world. On his day he's a real tough challenge. Let's see how he does, for he hasn't played much cricket lately," McGrath said.

McGrath said he had always enjoyed bowling in India. "I've been to India a few times now. My game plan has been the same: try and get some early wickets, and later try and get some reverse swing. I concentrate on not giving away many runs and build up the pressure on the batsman," the 34-year-old paceman said.

"To be classified as the best team in the world, you've got to be able to play in all conditions. I think we've got a pretty good game plan here. Like I said, there is a lot of experience in this team," said the spearhead of the Australian pace pack.

McGrath, who suffered an ankle injury last season, said he had opted for lighter boots during the Champions Trophy, and is feeling a lot better and more energetic on the Indian tour.

Memorable moments

Asked about his memorable moments over the years, he said, "It's hard to pinpoint one or two. A 100 Test matches is a lot of games. I made my debut in November '93. There have been several personal highlights along the way. But I'd say, sharing the dressing room with teammates and working towards the same goal has made it so much more special."

McGrath said Tendulkar and Brian Lara were the two batsmen he had found most difficult to bowl to. "I've had success with Lara, but there have been days when he got a lot of runs against us. I've enjoyed bowling to the two the most," he said.

About Tendulkar, he said, "Over the last few years I've noticed that he is actually not prepared to play as many shots against me. He has preferred to see me off. When a guy of his calibre is doing that, I take it as a big compliment. I just keep the pressure on, not give edgy runs."

McGarth's target is 500 wickets. "I hopefully have a few years left in the bank. Let's see what I can do. I'll be pretty happy with that. One hundred Tests and 500 wickets for a fast bowler is substantial. And, 10 wickets in my 100th Test will make it all the more special."

Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting trained with the team. He had his first session at the nets in four weeks. He hoped to recover completely from the thumb injury by the fourth Test, in Mumbai from November 3.

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