Little Master sets up ‘Sachin Friday’
15 Nov 2013 11:33 PM GMT
The master walked in at 3.30 pm, four overs after tea break, amidst ear-splitting chants and a guard of honour by WI players. The guard of honour remained intact up-close too with a slip, silly-point, forward short-leg and backward short-leg hovering around Tendulkar who calmly played the last ball of the 14th over into the ground towards leg-side. After seeing off the initial period without much fuss, Tendulkar cut loose in the 17th over, tucking away Shane Shillingford neatly behind point for his first boundary which helped the tensed crowd settle down a bit. Tendulkar then sent Wankhede Stadium into a frenzy in the next over, leaning forward on his right knee to hit Sanon Gabriel through the covers for four.
The little master, along with a compact Cheteshwar Pujara (34*), stitched an unbeaten 80-run third-wicket stand to help India finish just 25 runs behind the WI first innings total. With the second-day track traditionally favouring the batsmen here, India look in complete control of the series, having won the first Test in Kolkata inside three days. Earlier, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha scalped 5/40 to skittle out the visitors for a paltry total while Ravichandran Ashwin completed 100 wickets in Tests, returning with figures of 3/45. The Windies, who went for lunch at 93/2, lost the eight wickets for a mere 89 runs in a dramatic collapse in the post-lunch session.
India began well with Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay adding a run-a-ball 77 for the first wicket before a double strike by Shillingford set the stage for resurrection. Never before the fall of Indian wickets been cheered so wildly by the fans as the master walked in for the record 200th time. And the passionate icon showed there is still no better site on a cricket field than a Tendulkar straight drive, which he unleashed just before close of play, opening up the face of the bat, caressing Darren Sammy wide of mid on. Friday promises fun.
The little master, along with a compact Cheteshwar Pujara (34*), stitched an unbeaten 80-run third-wicket stand to help India finish just 25 runs behind the WI first innings total. With the second-day track traditionally favouring the batsmen here, India look in complete control of the series, having won the first Test in Kolkata inside three days. Earlier, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha scalped 5/40 to skittle out the visitors for a paltry total while Ravichandran Ashwin completed 100 wickets in Tests, returning with figures of 3/45. The Windies, who went for lunch at 93/2, lost the eight wickets for a mere 89 runs in a dramatic collapse in the post-lunch session.
India began well with Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay adding a run-a-ball 77 for the first wicket before a double strike by Shillingford set the stage for resurrection. Never before the fall of Indian wickets been cheered so wildly by the fans as the master walked in for the record 200th time. And the passionate icon showed there is still no better site on a cricket field than a Tendulkar straight drive, which he unleashed just before close of play, opening up the face of the bat, caressing Darren Sammy wide of mid on. Friday promises fun.
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