Tendulkar tantalises Test cricket

There were two significant sporting events that took place last week, which hugged the headlines in newspapers and made news and for which newspapers devoted reams and reams of newsprint.

The most important, memorable and epoch making first event was the 50th Test century made by champion Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar and the other noteworthy event was the magnificent comeback by the Australians to beat England in the Third 'Ashes' Test in Perth.

From the moment he held a bat as a toddler, there was promise, talent and a future writ in Tendulkar's horoscope and that is how his career unfolded and now after nearly two decades, he is the world's king of the willow.

Two decades

To be in the game for near two decades is what dreams are made of. It has now been a dream come true for this master batsman. It is discipline, dedication and determination that has helped Tendulkar achieve this feat.

His record of totting up 50 Test centuries will always remain a record that will not be equaled or broken, not in this decade, and probably not in this millennium. He richly deserves this honour, because he has always been an example.

Tendulkar has been tagged the 'little master'. We would like to tag him 'Mr.Concentration'. That is because from the time he arrives for a Test match, he has the god-given gift of concentrating on the game and what he is going to do.

From the moment a game begins, he will eat, drink and sleep cricket and will not let any other happening distract his concentration. If he fails in one innings, he will not let that failure disappoint or distract him.

Record books

In the next innings he will take revenge and make the bowlers suffer as he goes along, stroking the ball to all parts of the field or over it, as he piles on the runs and rewrites the record books.

On Monday after a rare failure in the first innings of the First Test against South Africa at the Centurion, he helped India stay in the game by defying the Protea bowlers and slowly but surely reaching that three figure mark that rewrote the record books.

Not only did he rewrite the record books, but had the spectators, his teammates and the South African cricketers to stand to attention and cheer as he made that stroke that took him to three figures.

Proud cricketing son

All India went into raptures and would have stood still to cheer their proud cricketing son who has not only been a cricketer but an exemplary ambassador. India must declare him a national hero.

Tendulkar first signalled his arrival as a 16 year old in 1989 and made this record which is going to be his, for who knows when in two decades of hard work, sweat and toil. He has had his critics, with the most virulent being former Australian captain Ian Chappel.

But he hit his critics, with the exquisite and elegant manner in which he destroys bowlers. He answered his critics by making his bat do the talking which forced his critics to keep their big mouths shut.

Tendulkar in addition to his 50 Test centuries, has scored 46 one-day international hundreds. He is determined to reach 50 centuries in also the 'cowboy'game.

With no idea of hanging up his boots in the near future, he has more time and one-day games to also notch up 50 centuries in the one-day game and make both records exclusively his.

Same opponents

What was significant when he made his 50th Test century against South Africa, was that it was against the same opponents that he became the first batsman to go over the double hundred mark in the limited over game.

President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid glowing tributes to Sachin Tendulkar on his reaching that dream mark and there is sure to be more ceremonies and celebrations when he arrives in India after this tour. We wish Tendulkar bags and bags full of very many more runs and may he continue to walk the field like a colossus, score runs and continue to rewrite the record books. After all that's what the books are meant for.

B(r)its in pieces

The Australian cricketers who were written off after their poor showing in the First Test in Brisbane and the innings loss in the Second Test in Adelaide in the Ashes series, hit back with venom and vengeance to have the Brits in pieces in Perth, Western Australia in the Third Test.

The series is now level at one-all and the Fourth Test beginning in Melbourne today is going to be a blockbuster with no quarter asked or given when both teams troop into the MCG. The Aussie media which is unforgiving when their team loses, bashed the team, even calling them 'recycleables' and writing them off as having gifted the Ashes timidly to their bitter rivals England. In contrast the British media sang hosannas when their team downed the kangaroos. They even started celebrating saying that they have already retained the mythical Ashes.

Revengeful comeback

England never reckoned with a revengeful comeback by the kangaroos who were smarting after that defeat. The Aussies proved that a Test or a series is not won or lost till the final ball is bowled.

With this victory the Aussies hit back at their own critics and took a swipe at their British critics and proved to them not to arrive at conclusions or continue their insensible bashing until the series is over.

The Test beginning today has all the ingredients of turning out into being one, if not the best Test match in the history of this time-honoured game. Here's hoping that the teams will keep it clean and contest it, in the true spirit of the game.

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