Tendulkar ton in Bradman's backyard

Sachin Tendulkar (left) contributed 37 to the final-day run chase, but it's for two magic deliveries to Damien Martyn and Steve Waugh that he's remembered when talk turns to 2003 and Rahul Dravid's Test. As at Kolkata in 2001, his role in an epic triumph was restricted to the second string on his bow. The first barely had a note played on it.

Adelaide is no ordinary venue. It's the sixth oldest Test ground in the world, and was once home to a certain Donald George Bradman. And after his 39th century - 10 more than the Don managed - Tendulkar admitted that the venue made it even better. He also played tribute to the crowd, which gave him a spine-tingling ovation when he emerged from the pavilion just before lunch.

"It's truly special, overwhelming," he said. "Sometimes I have to look at the scoreboard to check whether I'm batting on a hundred, or if I'm still on zero."

The reception was very different from that which he got from his home crowd after an abysmal Indian batting display on the final day against England two years ago. Those were wretched times for Tendulkar, and he looked so shaky that an ex player-turned-columnist referred to him as a "walking wicket".

From the moment he leant into a glorious on-drive off the 19th ball he faced this afternoon, there was nothing remotely fragile about his batting. Gone was the tentativeness that characterised much of his batting over the past three seasons. Instead, he was as positive as he has been right through this tour, showing the desire to dominate that marked him out as special nearly two decades ago.

Brad Hogg joked later that Tendulkar had hit his best ball for six, and he wasn't far wrong. There wasn't too much wrong with the deliveries that he and Michael Clarke tossed up, but Tendulkar was as light on his feet as Nureyev when he sauntered down and sent them soaring over the longest boundary in the world.

And an afternoon when India threatened to take charge also saw a gripping duel between Tendulkar and Brett Lee, whose energy levels and mastery of reverse swing were a sight to behold. Ball after ball in a spell that lasted nine overs, Lee tore in at close to 150 km/hr, jarring the bat handle with late swing into and away from the batsmen. It was tribute to Tendulkar's class that he survived.

VVS Laxman didn't, and the loss of that wicket could really hurt India's ambitions in this match. MS Dhoni was dropped just before stumps, and his partnership with Tendulkar represents India's last realistic hope of pushing on beyond 400. The new ball is just an over old, and they'll certainly face some heat in the morning.

For tonight though, it's time to raise a glass to Tendulkar, the boy genius who continues to captivate all these years later. The smooth cheeks may have given way to rough stubble, but on his day, the strokeplay is still of silken quality.

Comments

[Beenu]

gr8 one tendlya!!!!!

U r the best "master blaster" yaar

chak de india

[mancindian]

I was lucky enough to be at Old Trafford in 1990 to see the first of them, and I can still remember the authority of his strokeplay. A Guardian journo (Selvey?) wrote a piece about how he was not old enough to vote or buy a drink in a pub, but was old enough to save his country on the fifth day of a test. Sheer class. I was also there to see him flay England to all parts and reach another ton at Headingley in 2002. Completely different innings, but equally authoritative.

[bunty]

very well played sachin, but india maynt have enough on the board can the bowlers restrict oz to a lead of not more than 75?

[Tan Pawar]

What an innings. For me, one of Tendulkar's finest

[Venkat]

Indeed it was a wonderful display of quality batting at The Don's backyard by the Little Master...Hope he carries on even tomorrow...