The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Century No. 34 for the Master Blaster

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 12, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Century No. 34 for the Master Blaster

By Sanjay Rajan

DHAKA, DEC. 11. It might not figure high on his list of Test centuries, but Sachin Tendulkar's undefeated 159 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium here on Saturday was the Mumbaikar's 34th and it saw him draw level with Sunil Gavaskar's world record of individual hundreds. It was Tendulkar's 119th Test. And he is only 31-years-old.

While the maestro's effort on the second day of the first Test of the Videocon series between India and Bangladesh helped him become only the third batsman after South African Gary Kirsten and Australian Steve Waugh to have scored a century against every Test-playing nation, Tendulkar also became the first Indian to notch up a ton against Bangladesh.

But his knock cannot be termed convincing. Three reprieves even before he got to his 50 were so unlike the man. However, his contribution saw India finish the day at 348 for seven in reply to Bangladesh's first innings score of 184, for a lead of 164.

That India would upstage the host's meagre total was never in doubt, considering the teams' comparative strengths and the home side's record. But with Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid back in the pavilion with the score at 24, one could not completely rule out the chances of a surprise.

The first reprieve

It was at this point that Tendulkar walked out to join Gautam Gambhir, and would have perished without even opening his account had Md. Ashraful at short-leg hung on to the ball. Tendulkar's hook off medium-fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza, though aimed to the ground, had been feeble. Thankfully for him though, Ashraful, preparing to take evasive action, was not in position to pouch the catch.

Bangladesh's new-ball pair of Mortaza and Tapash Baisya bowled impressively. The tall, well-built Mortaza, known as the Norail Express (he hails from Norail in Khulna), was nippy and used the bouncer to good effect. Baisya might not have Mortaza's build, but has a large heart. The 22-year-old's strength is his perseverance. And he kept at it, over after over.

Gambhir cover-drove the Sylhet-born Baisya, for a neat boundary. The left-handed opener from Delhi was in good nick as he cut Mortaza to the fence. Sehwag picked two boundaries off Baisya behind square, before the bowler hurried one through to have the blaster from Najafgarh leg-before, playing neither forward nor back.

Dravid obviously played for the out-swinger, but the delivery from Mortaza held course and uprooted the off-stump even as the vice-captain was shouldering arms. Mortaza was returning to Test cricket after a year after a career-threatening knee injury had kept him out. He had last played against England at Chittagong in November 2003.

Opening spell

The pitch aided seam bowling in the first hour and the opening bowlers looked every bit dangerous. Gambhir survived that phase.

Tendulkar, patchy till reaching his century and flowing thereafter, struck Baisya for three boundaries in an over. And when Mortaza replaced Baisya in the attack, Gambhir took three boundaries off him.

The two put on 44 runs, and just when the third wicket stand looked set for more, the left-hander was run out. Tendulkar played third seamer Mushfiqur Rahman to the covers and took off for a run, but sent Gambhir back when he saw Rajin Saleh get to the ball. Saleh's throw beat Gambhir to the non-striker's end.

Mortaza bowled a tight over to Tendulkar, getting the ball to leave the batsman sharply. When the Mumbaikar was on 28, Mortaza had Tendulkar edge to Habibul Bashar at first slip. But the Bangladesh skipper failed to hold on to it.

Tendulkar cut and cover-drove Rahman for boundaries as he moved to 47 when left-arm spinner Md. Rafique, bowling from the pavilion end, surprised the batsman with a delivery that jumped from a length. Tendulkar, who was on the front foot, took his bottom hand off. But even as he turned the face of the bat, the leading edge flew to Saleh at silly mid-off. Saleh juggled with the ball, but failed to hold on to it even the second time.

At lunch, India was 102 for three.

Best phase

The best phase of the innings was the 164-run fourth-wicket stand between Tendulkar and skipper Sourav Ganguly. The duo stepped on the gas pedal — Ganguly (71) more than Tendulkar. Mortaza, returning for his third spell immediately after lunch, had Ganguly playing dangerously over Manjarul Islam at second slip. A while later, Mortaza had Tendulkar ducking into a bouncer that did not rise.

It was Baisya who accounted for Ganguly, bowled while playing outside the line of a wicket-to-wicket delivery.

Tendulkar moved into cruise mode, putting on 59 for the fifth wicket with the wristy V.V.S. Laxman and 48 for the next with Dinesh Kaarthick. At stumps, Anil Kumble was keeping the Mumbaikar company.

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