March 2009, Christchurch – 3rd ODI, India v/s New Zealand
Sachin 163* (133b, 16*4s, 5*6s)
At times
Sachin Tendulkar has been blamed for not playing really big innings in Tests. The
all-time batting greats like Donald Bradman and Brian Lara were known for their
capabilities to hang in there for long durations and score big double centuries &
triple centuries. But Sachin, who has been considered as the most complete
batsman of the era has failed on that front. However the story changes in the
shorter format of the game. No one ever got a chance to place this blame on him
in ODIs; the format in which he breached the 150 mark five times, a world
record. The fact that Sachin was an opener and had mastered the art of
constructing an innings, helped him to pile up big runs in ODIs. He never had
to sacrifice the class and elegance to accelerate the scoring rate; a career
strike rate of 86 in ODIs is a testimony to that. But at times he donned the
mask of this mischievous kid and took to making some ugly heaves to score those
runs.
India squared
up against New Zealand at Christchurch in 2009 for the 3rd ODI of
the series. The AMI stadium of Christchurch has always been the heaven for the
batsmen because of its small boundaries. New Zealand won the toss and decided
to field as they fancied chasing anything that India could have thrown at them on
this small ground. But Sachin had dismantled better plans in trickier condition
and against stronger opponents. Kyle Mills bowled a no-ball to Sachin in the
very first over. As per the new rules the following ball was to be a free-hit.
Sachin didn’t need an invitation to pounce on the opportunity; an over-pitched
ball on the off-stump was threaded between point and third-man for the first
boundary of the game. Sachin was on his way; he played some glorious shots of
Tim Southee and Mills. In the 9th over, Mills bowled a slower one on
the off-stump. Sachin went down on the knee and slog swept it through
mid-wicket for four. It was a good hit but something was different. The stroke lacked
elegance; the elegance and class that Sachin’s game personified. At that point
in time, I didn’t knew that this would be the theme of the day. After that shot,
Sachin kept playing a composed game with singles and doubles. In between, a
cover-drive of off Ian Buttler went to the fence with some familiar charisma and
a leg glance into the fine-leg fence off the same bowler took Sachin through
his fifty. Sachin completed his half -century off 59 balls.
Nothing
suggested that this was anything extraordinary for the great man. No one had
any idea about the carnage that followed. A Yorker length ball by Jessy Ryder
was cheekily played between the short third-man and point for a four; a full
delivery by Southee on leg-stump was paddled over the fine-leg for a six; both the
shots looked artistic and ugly at the same time. Ryder was punished some more
when Sachin’s unorthodox shots on the on-side breached the boundaries off consecutive
balls. The part-time seam-ups of Grant Elliott were not spared either and
Sachin hammered one over long-on for a six; it went higher than long and just
cleared the fence. This took Sachin into 90s. After some cautious singles,
Sachin completed his century with a single off Elliott. This was his first ODI
hundred on the kiwi land. In a customary fashion, he thanked god and went back
to bat. After that all hell broke loose. In the very next over, Jeetan Patel
was left in tatters as Sachin hammered a huge six over his head and followed it
with a four through point. By then I had stopped looking for class and was
enjoying the hitting that was unfolding in-front of me.
Mills’ bad day
at office continued when the ball slipped out of his hand and ended up being a
full toss on the leg-stump. Sachin piled on his misery when he paddled it for a
four through the ropes of fine-leg. In the very next over, Sachin scooped one
to the short third-man but the fielder made a hash of it. The relentless kid
added insult to injury when he smashed Southee in the same over for
another boundary. Often dropping Sachin in such mood is dubbed as a sin and
culprit Elliott found out soon enough. Sachin craved a six and a four off him
in back to back deliveries in 44th over; both the shots through
extra-covers. With the six Sachin crossed the 150 mark and looked set to
scale the ‘then virgin peak’ of 200 in ODI.
Playing ugly
hoicks than relying on his repository of soothing shots took its toll. After smashing
Elliot for the four, he tried to execute a pull and in the process strained his
abdominal muscles. Wincing in pain, he decided to continue. But things got
worse when he had to duck out off a beamer for Ryder. The grimace on the face
of Sachin suggested the pain was excruciating. He tried again and with all his perseverance
he faced the next ball. The apologetic Ryder went a step ahead and bowled a half
volley. Sachin obliged with another six over covers; Apology accepted, I thought
in my mind. But that was it. The effort it took to send the ball into the crowd
drained all the reserves of Sachin and he walked off the ground. He scored 163
of just 133 balls with 16 shots to the fence for four and 5 hits into the crowd
for six. A chance to take the ‘virgin peak’ went into the mud.
That day
Sachin demonstrated that he could take on Tilakratne Dilshan and AB De Villiers in
the game of ugly swipes any given day. Sachin was declared the Man of the Match.
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