Emotional farewell awaits Sachin
15 Nov 2013 5:05 AM IST
For once, an individual would be the focus even though it is a clash of two teams and why not, given that the individual in question is a man who successfully transformed from a prodigal talent to a living legend in 24 glorious years.
Tendulkar has been synonymous with the game in India for more than two decades and held in awe and admiration all over the cricket-playing world.
Having won the first Test by an innings and 51 runs, Team India and their senior-most statesman will be focussed on inflicting another humiliating defeat on a mediocre Caribbean outfit at the Wankhede Stadium. But the scores and statistics will certainly take backseat for the next few days as a nation gets ready to bid farewell to arguably its greatest and most revered sporting icon. While the onus will be on Mahendra Singh Dhoni to control on-field proceedings, it will also be difficult for the players not to feel overwhelmed by the occasion and emotions associated with the great man’s farewell. A bowling attack which has one quality spinner and some really average medium pacers (injured Kemar Roach is already on his flight back home) is something that Tendulkar can still negotiate playing from memory.
However, after nearly two and half decades of top-flight cricket, even if the mind wants, the body at times does not respond to the rigours of international cricket. Therefore, expect an intriguing battle between Tendulkar and Shillingford as he would definitely have a strategy in mind to counter the Caribbean offie’s doosra which posed problems.
Tendulkar has been synonymous with the game in India for more than two decades and held in awe and admiration all over the cricket-playing world.
Having won the first Test by an innings and 51 runs, Team India and their senior-most statesman will be focussed on inflicting another humiliating defeat on a mediocre Caribbean outfit at the Wankhede Stadium. But the scores and statistics will certainly take backseat for the next few days as a nation gets ready to bid farewell to arguably its greatest and most revered sporting icon. While the onus will be on Mahendra Singh Dhoni to control on-field proceedings, it will also be difficult for the players not to feel overwhelmed by the occasion and emotions associated with the great man’s farewell. A bowling attack which has one quality spinner and some really average medium pacers (injured Kemar Roach is already on his flight back home) is something that Tendulkar can still negotiate playing from memory.
However, after nearly two and half decades of top-flight cricket, even if the mind wants, the body at times does not respond to the rigours of international cricket. Therefore, expect an intriguing battle between Tendulkar and Shillingford as he would definitely have a strategy in mind to counter the Caribbean offie’s doosra which posed problems.
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