The Hindu : Sport : Tendulkar’s genius helps India take the lead

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 05, 2008
ePaper

Sport

Sport

Tendulkar’s genius helps India take the lead

S. Ram Mahesh

Harbhajan Singh scores crucial half-century as Indian tail frustrates Australians

— Photo: Reuters

GIVE ME FIVE: Brett Lee bowled superbly to take five wickets to keep Australia in contention in the second Test against India.

Sydney: They revere him here in Australia as the best since Bradman, as a man of understated genius, the prodigy that has aged gracefully, and although Ricky Ponting has offered a scowling, bristling counterpoint over the last four years, Sachin Tendulkar has retained his aura.

He isn’t the batsman he once was — nearly two decades of international cricket have extracted a heavy price from body and mind.

To India, obsessed with seeing Tendulkar eternally young, this diminishing of ability has provoked much comment. But, as he showed here at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday, he still is some player.

Tendulkar was the constant through the third day of the second Test — a day which saw India start like a dream, suffer a darkening of mood either side of lunch, and finish as brightly as the light fantastic.

Tendulkar’s 38th Test century, an innings of intelligence, poise, inspiration, and will, drove India past Australia’s 463, the possibility of which had appeared remote at one stage.

Hard bargain

Not only did India surpass Australia’s first innings score, it procured a lead of 69, crucial to force a hard bargain over the next two days. The tourist could yet level the four-Test series. Australia was certainly rattled late on Friday when Ishant Sharma, a previous First Class best of seven not out to his name, took a fancy to Brett Lee’s bowling.

But, the champion side has won 15 successive Tests by always looking to advance. The Australian openers, Phil Jaques and Matthew Hayden, didn’t confine themselves to blocking the five tense overs to close. Tom Parker’s excellent cricket wicket has allowed these fine cricketers of both countries to set up a weekend of considerable promise; the showers forecast had better stay away.

It is remiss to have put off mention of Harbhajan Singh till this late in the piece. He arrived in the centre with India on 345 for seven and Tendulkar on 69, and left only after seeing his side to 474 and his partner to 133. He started as a dervish might, slicing Mitchell Johnson over the slips, lofting Lee down the ground and generally looking frenetic.

Brilliant partnership

But, Tendulkar was at his side after an outrageous swipe nearly ended the off-spinner’s stay, and whatever the master batsman said must be recorded, if only to play back to Harbhajan in his reckless moments. For, thereafter Harbhajan settled, without compromising entirely on his desire to attack. Doubtless the 27-year-old has talent with the bat. He possesses two of the most important qualities needed: a good eye and terrific bat-speed. He rarely looked hurried against Lee and Johnson, a short-arm pull off the former not dissimilar to Laxman’s in stroke production. In both cases, the bat is accelerated almost entirely by the wrists, eliminating the need for swivelling on the back foot.

Harbhajan’s partnership with Tendulkar was one of equals, in terms of scoring. Tendulkar had looked to increase the pace in Anil Kumble’s presence, their brief alliance yielding 15 in 1.5 overs with Kumble contributing two, but Harbhajan’s truculence allowed the 34-year-old to ease his foot off the pedal. Yet, it says a lot about Tendulkar’s skill in finding runs that in the partnership of 129 from 29.2 overs, Harbhajan made 63 (92 balls, eight fours) and Tendulkar 64.

Tendulkar decided to shield neither R.P. Singh nor Ishant, and the move paid off. Steve Waugh, here for the unveiling of Richie Benaud’s statue, might have recognised the tactic, having drafted the blueprint. Ishant hit Lee for four fours, included were a cover drive and an aerial off-drive. Twenty-three of the 31 runs for the tenth wicket came from Ishant’s gauche but eager bat.

Sound cricket brain

Tendulkar’s cricket brain was in evidence right through Friday. He called Yuvraj Singh through for singles when the left-hander was faced with spin first up. It’s another matter that Lee, who finished with five for 119, undid all the good thinking. He set Yuvraj up with the second new ball like he had Wasim Jaffer with the first. Lee first welted Yuvraj on the elbow. Then, with a fuller ball, the fast bowler had him off balance like a waiter with loaded trays through a swing door. Lee removed M.S. Dhoni and Anil Kumble after lunch (both caught behind for Adam Gilchrist’s 400th and 401st dismissals) to bring Tendulkar and Harbhajan together a lot earlier than either would have expected. For, when Ganguly was batting with Tendulkar, it had appeared that they might play all day. Ricky Ponting had a man sweeping on the off-side, either a deep point or a deep cover, but both batsmen passed the man on occasion. Crucially, neither lost patience.

It wasn’t until Ponting brought on Brad Hogg that the strip, ideal for batting on day three, showed it might have something. Hogg’s side-spinning chinaman gripped and turned, but Ganguly seemed impervious. Even the threatening flipper, which bounced higher than it did at Melbourne because of the strip’s inherent bounce, was dispatched.

Ganguly loses contest

But, Ganguly, having persuaded Michael Clarke straight for six, was bested by a beautiful piece of bowling. Hogg constrained the freedom of Ganguly’s arms with a dipping, drifting delivery from around the wicket and obtained the catch to mid-off, brought up from long-off that over. Ganguly’s exit for 67 and the rash of wickets that followed might have troubled a lesser man, but Tendulkar was equal to the task.

He had moments of discomfort against Clarke’s left-arm finger spin, surviving a close shout for leg-before on 36. There were, however, several moments to savour: the brutal and subversive upper-cut off Lee, the glittering square-drive off Clark, even the soundness of his defence. This wasn’t an innings of denial like his unbeaten 241 here in 2003-04 when he amputated the cover drive. And it had a poignant moment when he reached 100: as he raised his arms and looked to the heavens, he had as his backdrop the Bradman Stand.

Australia — 1st innings: 463

SCOREBOARD

India — 1st innings: W. Jaffer b Lee 3, R. Dravid c Hayden b Johnson 53, V.V.S. Laxman c Hussey b Hogg 109, S. Tendulkar (not out) 154, S. Ganguly c Hussey b Hogg 67, Yuvraj lbw b Lee 12, M.S. Dhoni c Gilchrist b Lee 2, A. Kumble c Gilchrist b Lee 2, Harbhajan c Hussey b Johnson 63, R.P. Singh c Gilchrist b Clark 13, Ishant c & b Lee 23, Extras (b-4, lb-13, nb-8, w-6): 31; Total (in 139.2 overs): 532.

Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Jaffer), 2-183 (Dravid), 3-185 (Laxman), 4-293 (Ganguly), 5-321 (Yuvraj), 6-330 (Dhoni), 7-345 (Kumble), 8-474 (Harbhajan), 9-501 (R.P. Singh).

Australia bowling: Lee 32.2-5-119-5, Johnson 37-2-148-2, Clark 25-3-80-1, Symonds 7-1-19-0, Hogg 30-2-121-2, Clarke 7-1-28-0.

Australia — 2nd innings: P. Jaques (batting) 8, M. Hayden (batting) 5, Total (for no loss in five overs): 13.

India bowling: R.P. Singh 2-0-7-0, Ishant 1-0-4-0, Harbhajan 1-1-0-0, Kumble 1-0-2-0.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport