100th test match of Sachin : what bowlers have to say .....

Entertainment Cricket and Other Sports
1

Tomorrow Sachin will be playing his 100th test match.Lets see how great bolwers of his Era think about him.
Here are articles from Wasim Akram,Alan Donald and Macgrath.

================================================================
** AKRAM **

At the start of India’s tour of Pakistan in 1989-90, a short, shy sixteen-year-old was the cynosure of all eyes. The seniors in the Indian team – Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri and Krishnamachari Srikkanth – were full of praise for India’s youngest debutant, and naturally we were curious to know if Sachin Tendulkar was worthy of all that hype.
It was during the second Test in Faisalabad that the world first realised that there was something special about the cherubic youngster. It was a lush green wicket, possibly the greenest wicket I’ve seen in Pakistan, and Tendulkar was batting on 20-odd when a ball from me hit him. I immediately asked him if he was alright and he looked me in the eye and nodded. I was a 21-year-old then, so I did not give the matter much thought, but in retrospect that score of 50-odd was the first hint the world got about Tendulkar’s special talent.

A similar incident took place in the fourth Test in Sialkot when Waqar Younis hit Sachin and gave him a bloody face. Sachin, of course, took some treatment and then continued batting.

More of that spark was visible during an exhibition game during which he hit Abdul Qadir for four-five sixes. Even though it was not an official one-dayer, it was being played in all seriousness like all India-Pakistan encounters. Moreover, Qadir was bowling at his peak in those days, and was treated with respect by the top batsmen the world over. Everyone who saw that match realised that Tendulkar would dominate the best bowlers in the world in time to come, and that he loved the challenge of playing and destroying quality bowling.

India and Pakistan have rarely played against each other after that, and it is one of my lasting regrets that I did not get to bowl against Tendulkar in Tests when I was at my peak in the early 90s. Of course, we have seen a lot of each other in one-dayers and bowling to him has always been a challenge I look forward to. Even when we are not playing India, I always follow the scorecards to see how Tendulkar is faring. **He is one batsman I really like watching on television. Even if they are showing a repeat of an old match, I always watch the game as long as Tendulkar is around. Of late, I like watching Virender Sehwag too, which is saying a lot for these two guys, since I don’t normally watch cricket. **

As I mentioned earlier, it’s really unfortunate that neither Waqar nor I could bowl to Tendulkar when we were at our fastest. In fact, when I watch him on television, I’m always plotting ways to get him out, after all he is a prized wicket.

I cherish all the occasions on which I have dismissed the little maestro. My favourite memory against Tendulkar was in Sharjah two years ago. He had just hit me over my head for a boundary and I followed it up with a slower one. He had expected a bouncer, normally a fast bowler’s reply at being hit over the head, and the slower one fooled him completely and bowled him. When you get a batsman with Tendulkar’s class bowled you tend to savour the memory.

Other Indian batsmen are often accused of relying too much on Tendulkar, but I can understand that happening. When you have a player of his class and calibre you are bound to expect a 100 from him every time. **There has been the odd benefit game in which Tendulkar and I have been in the same team. Each time I would rely on him to win the match. If I felt that way during a benefit game, imagine what the expectations are when it’s the real thing. **

It is the way Tendulkar carries these expectations so lightly that makes him more special. I’m not too much into statistics, but one thing that has really impressed me about Tendulkar is the fact that his average has never been constant in either form of the game - it’s only getting better and better. It’s 55-plus in Tests and getting improving all the time. Can you blame any team for having that extra bit of expectation from a player who boasts of such credentials?

A whole nine years elapsed after his debut before I saw Tendulkar in Tests. That century in Chennai was an exhibition of batting of the highest order and many team mates of mine feel that it is the best Test innings they have ever seen.

During that series, I watched him as he handled the adulation and the extra pressure that comes with being the biggest hero of his country. I think the fact that he is a shy guy helps him keep his balance. I also hear that his wife is a wonderful person who understands the pressure on him and helps Tendulkar cope with it.

It’s not easy being a superstar in this part of the world, and there are always those who try to pull you off the pedestal. I find articles and debates over Tendulkar’s abilities really silly, coming as they generally do from people who have not played cricket at the highest level. They obviously don’t know much about the game or are out to settle personal scores. One bad game or even an indifferent series does not mean that a player suddenly transforms from great to good-for-nothing.

**
If Tendulkar follows the pattern of other great batsmen, his best is yet to come. Most batsmen peak between 28 and 33, and Tendulkar is just at the beginning of this phase, so bowlers all over the world cannot breathe easy just yet. **

One of the saddest aspects about the breakdown in cricketing ties between India and Pakistan is the fact that Pakistan fans have been deprived of one of the best sights in cricket - Tendulkar’s batting. I’m sure Tendulkar too would like to have had another chance of playing and scoring a century in the country where he made his debut.

Which brings us to the question of how many centuries will Tendulkar end up with. If I have to make a prediction then I will say that he will end up with 50 tons in each form of the game. Anything less would disappoint Tendulkar’s fans and more importantly, the great little man himself.

2

** DONALD**

Sachin Tendulkar has often reminded me of a veteran army colonel who has many medals on his chest to show how he has conquered bowlers all over the world. Which is why I find it amusing when critics suggest that he plays well only at home. Do they realise that they are talking about a guy who has scored centuries in almost all the Test-playing countries?

He only played at the start of his career in Pakistan and has not played too much in either Zimbabwe or Bangladesh - the two new entrants in Test cricket, otherwise I have no doubt he would have reached three figures in these countries as well. As far as I am concerned, he is by far the best I have seen or played against.

I must admit that I was not entirely convinced that Tendulkar had something special about him when I first heard about him. It was prior to South Africa’s return to world cricket that the “Tendulkar buzz” was heard around the county circuit. He played a season for Yorkshire, but did not really get going. However, he did score one century in a Sunday League, the rerun of which I saw on television. There was a lot of Sunil Gavaskar in his style, and he also had the balance that nobody else possessed. But these were glimpses of potential and I did not think he would be consistently good for a long period of time.

How wrong I was. Tendulkar got better and better with each passing year and today he is the most frightening batsman as far as bowlers across the world are concerned. Everybody is king at home, and scoring heavily in your backyard has never really impressed me. However, Tendulkar has 16 centuries outside India, which is more than half of all his centuries. Many quality batsmen end up with that many centuries in their entire career, so that number is a clear indication that we are talking about a freak player - someone who is as good and as consistent abroad as he is at home.

As a bowler you have to have your gameplan ready before bowling to Tendulkar. Sachin looks to leave a lot of balls in the beginning, and as a bowler your best chance against him is in the first 20 minutes. During our team meetings, we often speak about the importance of the first 12 balls to Tendulkar. If you get him then you can thank your stars, otherwise it could mean that tough times lie ahead.
**
Consistency is the factor that makes Tendulkar special. He is often spoken about in the same breath as Brian Lara, but as far as I am concerned, the comparison does not even begin. Lara is not half as consistent as Tendulkar and lacks the discipline of the latter. The left-hander plays in a more loose manner and is not that controlled or patient during the first 20 minutes of his innings. Lara was unbelievable in 1994, but he has never been able to recreate that magic consistently after that.
**

Which is why I rate my dismissal of Tendulkar at Durban in 1996 as the best ball I’ve ever bowled in Test cricket. I remember that over very clearly. Tendulkar had just hit me for two boundaries, but I decided to stick to my outside-the-off-stump line. The ball just nipped back sharply and claimed his off-stump. It was a perfect ball and, more importantly, exposed a tiny chink in the army colonel’s armour. Since then we have worked on bowling that ball against Tendulkar and have had some degree of success with it.

I don’t know Tendulkar too well, but one of the main reasons for his success is that he is able to motivate himself all the time. He seems to be constantly assessing his game and setting new goals for himself. There’s a certain passion about the game that is unique to him and nothing excites him more than representing his country.

**
At 29, Tendulkar is at the middle of his career and from hereon he can score another 15 to 20 centuries, taking him close to the 50-century mark. He will continue to terrorise bowlers for another six to eight years, and, hopefully, he will be able to keep the motivation going.
**
Great players often decide to retire out of the blue. This is particularly common among those who are family men because they find it increasingly difficult to spend time away from their near and dear ones. I’ve heard that Tendulkar is deeply attached to his children and might face such a crisis. However, like many admirers all over the world, I certainly hope that he succeeds in keeping his focus on the game for many more years. I think he owes it to the game and to his admirers.

3

Macgrath

The year 1989 was crucial for me because I had just moved from the country into Sydney to play first-class cricket. That was the time I heard of a teenager called Sachin Tendulkar, who had burst on to the scene and was being annointed as successor to the great Sunil Gavaskar. Three years elapsed, and after a century at Perth, he was being earmarked as the next best thing to Sir Don Bradman.
Australia is a country where they love sportsmen of high quality, and I have no doubt that outside of India, you will find Tendulkar's greatest admirers among my countrymen. His centuries in Sydney and Perth in India's 1991-1992 series, at age 19, ensured that his career would be one that all cricket lovers in Australia would follow closely.

Interestingly, I did not witness either innings, but many of my team mates did swear that it was batsmanship of the highest quality -- high praise for a bloke who had not celebrated his 20th birthday.

By the time I made my international debut Tendulkar was already being counted among the best batsmen in the world. Most bowlers knew that his was the crucial wicket in an Indian batting line-up that boasted of many talented batsmen.

I enjoyed some beginner's luck against the little man when I first bowled against him. It was at Sharjah, in 1994, when I first claimed Tendulkar, who chased a short ball and pulled it straight to mid-wicket, where Mark Taylor took the catch. *It was not a brilliant ball but the jubilation among my team mates made me realise it did not matter. When Tendulkar is out, you don't quibble about the means; you just celebrate the end result. *

That was the first of many contests we have had. It is interesting to note that every India-Australia match is heralded as a Warne versus Tendulkar duel. This has worked to my advantage because I am away from the spotlight and this has helped me get the champion's wicket on quite a few occasions. However, I have by no means got Tendulkar's number and I think the scoreline of our encounters is 50-50. I might have a slight edge in Australia, but in India Tendulkar is truly unstoppable.
**
I have never made a secret of the fact that I rate Tendulkar the best batsman in the business. As far as I am concerned he is technically the most sound player I have ever bowled to. Add to that the manner in which he plays, always trying to dominate the bowler. Among his contemporaries, Steve Waugh, Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul Haq are often compared to the little maestro. Each has his trademark, but Tendulkar combines all of their qualities to make him the best of the lot. Steve is all about determination and making the bowler earn his wicket. Inzamam possesses a good eye and his lazy elegance makes him one of the best players to watch. Lara has flamboyance, and when he gets in, he always scores big centuries.

But Tendulkar possesses determination, a good eye and has a very high rate of consistency as far as centuries go. This puts him on top of my list along with Waugh. Mind you, Steve is at the top by virtue of his performances in the last nine years, that is between age 28 and 37. Tendulkar has just entered that phase of his career.
**
As I have mentioned earlier, Tendulkar and I have had many interesting encounters. Of these, I rate his dismissal at Adelaide as the most controversial one so far. It may be recalled that Tendulkar, anticipating a bouncer, had ducked into a ball that kept low, and was hit on the shoulder. Umpire Daryll Harper had no hesitation in giving the batsman out, lbw. I did feel for Tendulkar because I had meant to bowl a bouncer, but the ball had pitched on an odd spot and kept really low.

Since Tendulkar is not the tallest guy around and because he was not offering a stroke, he was out in my opinion. Had he been standing up, the ball would have crashed into his pads and there would have been no controversy. But the world's greatest batsman had been hit on the shoulder and commentators and journalists debated on the decision for the rest of the tour. The incident became infamous as the shoulder-before-wicket dismissal, but Tendulkar never made a fuss about it and went on to score a century in the next Test.

Another interesting episode was during the India-Australia one-dayer in Kenya during the last ICC Mini World Cup. Tendulkar was really pumped up and was going after me from the start of the innings. For a change I was not doing the talking! The little champion was hitting me all over the place and giving me a verbal dose as well. I remember being hit for two sixes over my head, but what surprised me more was that Tendulkar, who is normally unflappable, gave me quite a mouthful between the two shots. I could tell he was really pumped up and determined have to have a go at me. That was the first and last time I saw him take on a bowler verbally.

Even though we have played a fair bit of each other in the last three years, I have hardly ever spent any time with Tendulkar outside of a cricket field. Like me, he has a son and a daughter though my kids are a little younger. From all accounts, he is a family man like me, who spends every minute he can at home. It's not easy to be a cricket icon in India, where cricketers are idolized more than filmstars are. I can't even start to think how I'd have coped with the kind of attention Tendulkar draws. That is what makes his humility and patience with fans even more admirable.

Tendulkar now has 30 centuries in 99 Tests, which makes it a hundred in a little over every three Tests. Assuming he plays another 70 Tests - that is the bare minimum knowing what the itineraries are like these days - he will score 20 more centuries. It's not just a mathematical deduction that makes me certain he'll get 50 hundreds.

I've bowled to the man in almost all parts of the world and I am convinced that for him the impossible number is attainable.

4

Shame on Indian govt :smash:

A great player indeed.

5

Best Part of Akram's Article is :-

"there are always those who try to pull you off the pedestal. I find articles and debates over Tendulkar's abilities really silly, coming as they generally do from people who have not played cricket at the highest level. They obviously don't know much about the game or are out to settle personal scores. "

So true !

6

** Brett Lee**

You might pitch a ball on the off stump and think you have bowled a good ball and he walks across and hits it for two behind mid wicket. His bat looks so heavy but he just waves it around like it's a toothpick.

Denis Lillee

If I'm to bowl to Sachin, I will bowl with my helmet on. He hits the ball so hard.

*kapil *

I think there are some in this world who would find fault even with the best. This guy has scored over 10,000 runs or thereabouts in both forms of cricket but he is still criticised. It just amazes me.

Shane Warne

I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six... I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player.

** Best is from Greg Chappel **

I'd like to see him go out one day and bat with a stump. I tell you he'd do OK…. I just get the feeling because of his mental strength that Sachin will be definitely the best player of his era and probably the best 2-3 of all time.

** and my favourite Azhar **

The more I see him, the more I want to see him.