The Hindu : Sport : Indians make hay on a sunny day

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Saturday, Aug 25, 2007
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Sport

Indians make hay on a sunny day

S. Dinakar

Tendulkar and Ganguly lay the platform with a 113-run stand; Dravid on fire

— Photo: AFP

DETERMINED KNOCK: Sachin Tendulkar played some great shots but his innings ended in contentious circumstances with the maestro being one short of yet another ODI hundred.

Bristol: Andrew Flintoff hustled in before delivering at full clip and Sachin Tendulkar made room before slamming the paceman through extra-cover. This was high-octane cricket.

Before anyone moved, the ball had crashed into the boards. The crowd, cutting across barriers, roared.

Moments later, Sourav Ganguly sledge-hammered Chris Tremlett to the sight-screen. From the other end, Tendulkar applauded.

Later in the afternoon, skipper Rahul Dravid square-drove majestically on one knee, on a sun-lit arena of great charm. This was pristine stuff.

India received a start, and then there was consolidation.

Old hands provided a new thrust to the innings and the collapse at the Rose Bowl appeared a mirage.

The jinx continues

The hundred jinx continued for Tendulkar but the maestro’s masterful 99 (112b, 15x4, 1x6) — he missed his third successive ODI hundred at the venue — and Dravid’s smooth-stroking ways were chiefly instrumental in powering India an imposing score of 329 for seven in 50 overs. The last ten overs yielded India a whopping 93 runs.

India built a monument on the foundation. Yuvraj Singh — sending the left-hander in at No. 3 on a flat pitch was not a bad ploy — stroked a 53-ball 49 (6x4) without attempting too many risks and skipper Rahul Dravid was elegant.

Marked improvement

After paceman Stuart Broad prised out Yuvraj, pouched at point, a busy Mahendra Singh Dhoni (21 off 18) and Dravid strung together another stand. This was an afternoon when the innings was not lacking in partnerships; there was a marked improvement in the running between the wickets as well.

Flintoff scalped five-for under six an over, bowling in the end over when India had wickets in hand

All the ingredients for a run feast were present...a pitch where the ball came on to the bat, bright weather, a fast outfield, and two accomplished men determined to make amends.

Tendulkar and Ganguly put on 113 runs in 122 deliveries before Ganguly (39, 54b, 5x4, 1x6) perished attempting to slash Flintoff and being picked up in the deep. The left-handed missed out on a bigger contribution but warm applause followed him as he walked back.

Their last outing in the park had ended in a disaster, with Ganguly running himself out at the Rose Bowl. That dismissal had a significant bearing on the events that followed in that game.

Here, Tendulkar was majestic, stroking the ball on either side of the wicket with the kind of balance that comes so naturally to the maestros. Ganguly, wisely, played second fiddle.

As Indian captain Rahul Dravid pointed out the other day, a right-left combination can test the bowlers, the captain, and the fielders, who need to switch positions quickly.

The Indian innings began in a circumspect manner, the first 10 overs yielding 39 runs, Tendulkar making 21 of those. This was also a phase when James Anderson and Broad operated with a fair measure of discipline, even if the former was not able to achieve the kind of movement that made him such a threat at the Rose Bowl.

The innings changed gears once Flintoff and Chris Tremlett, surprisingly preferred to left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, made an appearance. Ganguly freed his shoulders, Tendulkar waded into the bowling.

It was sheer timing and poise when Tendulkar, picking the length in a jiffy, off-drove Flintoff to the fence.

The score was 69 after the second block of the Power Play overs (all three were taken straightway by Collingwood) and 133 after 20. The innings was gaining momentum.

Tendulkar, who was wrongly adjudged caught behind, had a slice of luck at 57 though, when Tremlett could not quite cling to a high speeding ball, Flintoff being the bowler to suffer.

One run later, Ganguly departed. India made two changes in the XI. Gautam Gambhir was replaced by Ramesh Powar. Munaf Patel came in for indisposed pace bowling compatriot Zaheer Khan.

SCOREBOARD

India: S. Ganguly c Collingwood b Flintoff 39, S. Tendulkar c Prior b Flintoff 99, Yuvraj Singh c Collingwood b Broad 49, R. Dravid (not out) 92, M.S. Dhoni c Tremlett b Anderson 21, D. Karthik lbw b Flintoff 1, A. Agarkar c Prior b Flintoff 1, R. Powar c Prior b Flintoff 1, P. Chawla (not out) 1, Extras (lb-8, w-9, nb-8) 25; Total (for seven wkts. in 50 overs) 329.

Fall of wickets: 1-113 (Ganguly), 2-180 (Tendulkar), 3-243 (Yuvraj Singh), 4-302 (MS Dhoni), 5-310 (Karthik), 6-324 (Agarkar), 7-326 (Powar)

England bowling: Broad 9-0-54-1, Anderson 10-1-56-1, Flintoff 10-0- 56-5, Tremlett 9-0-73-0, Mascarenhas 4-0-31-0, Collingwood 4-0-24-0, Bopara 4-0-27-0.

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