What will Indian Cricket be without Sachin; India wins T20 at Rajkot

Have you ever been to a Cricket ground in India… sure, you would have been happily partaking in shouting ‘Sachin……………Sachin………’….

The 2nd  Test against West Indies is going to be momentous, for Sachin Tendulkar, is going to hang his boot ……………………. Tendulkar announced his decision on Wednesday afternoon, via a BCCI statement, like he had done when he retired from ODIs in December 2012. "All my life, I have had a dream of playing cricket for India. I have been living this dream every day for the last 24 years," Tendulkar said in a statement. "It's hard for me to imagine a life without playing cricket because it's all I have ever done since I was 11 years old. It's been a huge honour to have represented my country and played all over the world. I look forward to playing my 200th Test match on home soil, as I call it a day.

It is not for Sachin alone, also for millions who grew watching Sachin play, score runs and relish playing for the Nation.  The most illustrious career with 15837 runs in Test career has spanned 23 years and more than 130 days…………. 4 players have had longer career spans but the closest in terms of years played his cricket till 1976 and represents the era of the earlier Cricketers… 3 of them are of England, Headley of WI ~ but in between they played 166 tests together – Sachin has played 198 – that shows his commitment, tenacity, fitness levels and his appetite in playing and scoring runs.  

The Master has planted most indelible impression scoring in every possible fashion – more than 50000 runs – of which 18426 came in One dayers and 15837 in Tests; 100 centuries in International Cricket

At the time when he scored his first century at Old Trafford, he was the second youngest.  He made his Ranji debut against Gujarat in Dec 1988 and promptly scored an unbeaten 100. He was to make his debut for the Nation soon in Nov 1989 in Test no. 1127 played at National stadium, Karachi… he scored only 15, but before the end of the Series, had given enough notice of his class and of the things that were to follow. 

Of late, people have been braying for his retirement but………………. Sure it would be too difficult for his fans to think of Cricket without Sachin Tendulkar, easily the best batsman of his era and perhaps the best seen in times when television and other media was in vogue.  Tendulkar's retirement had been the matter of much speculation. He had wound down his career in phases, announcing his retirement from ODIs in late December 2012, and with the BCCI shoehorning a home series against West Indies before the controversy-hit tour to South Africa, it had seemed an apt moment for a home farewell. The venues for Tendulkar's last two Tests have not yet been announced. The 200th Test will be the last of numerous milestones in Tendulkar's career. No cricketer has played so many and so well….. .

photo and news courtesy : cricinfo.com

Sachin, sure we will miss you…………

On this day at Rajkot, in T20 no. 331, India won with ease…………… chasing an improbable 202 – with 2 balls to spare…  Aaron Finch made runs and threatened to carry Australia way over 200 but his exit in the 17th over helped India keep the visitors to 201 in the solitary T20.

In the break, I felt a bit comical to hear Vinaykumar stating that ‘our bowlers bowled extremely well’ to restrict Aussies to only 201……………  that Australia were going to breach the 200-mark seemed a foregone conclusion the way they started.  India opened with Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, yes – Rohit, the star as they keep calling and the man who keeps failing……….. almost played out the first over of Watson scoring a single off the 5th and eventually getting out for 8.  The win was largely due to the binder played by comeback man Yuvraj.  Off the 14th he hoisted McKay for 2 sixers and a four; hit two more sixers of Faulkner in the 17th over- took 10 of Coulter Nile and by the time of the final over only 7 were needed, which came even nearer with that cover boundary off Dhoni in the 3rd ball.

Even 200 is not enough in T20

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

10th Oct 2013 @ 10.50 pm.