Tendulkar, Dravid share world record 100-plus partnership

Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid shared a world record 17th 100-plus partnership as India reached a formidable 301 for two at tea on the second day of the second cricket Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur on Monday.

At the break, Tendulkar and Dravid were batting on 89 and 79 respectively as India took a first innings 68-run lead over the home team on a flat Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium pitch which though saw a few balls keeping low.

The Indian duo's 100-plus partnership came after the drinks break in the post-lunch session when Tendulkar also reached his 55th Test fifty in his 164th match, driving past extra cover for a four.

Tendulkar and Dravid's 100-run partnership for the third wicket came in 25.3 overs and included 10 boundaries. The Indian pair now has 17 100-plus partnerships. They went past Australians Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting and the West Indian pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes who have 16 such stands.

With the two senior-most Indian batsmen holding forth, the Bangladesh bowlers had to toil hard without any success in the 31 overs they bowled in the post-lunch session which saw the visitors adding 124 runs.

India had added 108 runs from the 25 overs they faced in the morning.

Tendulkar and Dravid cut off any risk and rotated strike by taking mostly singles though they opened up towards the tea break with Tendulkar hitting two consecutive fours off Mahmdaullah Riyad and Mohammad Ashraful.

Sachin hits his 44th Test hundred

A day after his 13 000-run landmark, Tendulkar gets another Test century

Sachin Tendulkar, who became the first Test cricketer to pass 13000 runs on Sunday, followed this up a day later with his 44th Test century.

Sachin Tendulkar, India's genius batsman, who is also called the 'Little Master', is a modest hero who is loved by at least a billion people

Tendulkar ended unbeaten on 105 as India struggled to a first innings of 243 all out, just before lunch on the second day of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong.

Tendulkar batted under huge pressure when his team desperately needed runs following a below-par batting performance against a disciplined Bangladeshi attack on Sunday.

India's previous lowest total in a completed innings against Bangladesh was 429, in Dhaka in 2000.

India, reeling at 213/8 in their first innings on Sunday, lost their remaining two wickets in fewer than eight overs yesterday morning, with left-arm spinner Shakib al-Hasan and fast bowler Shahadat Hossain finishing with five wickets apiece.

Shakib grabbed 5/62 for his sixth haul of five or more wickets in Tests and Shahadat took 5/71 for his third.

Tendulkar, who had only the tail-enders Ishant Sharma and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth to keep him company, went for shots early in the morning in pursuit of his century.

He pulled Shahadat for a four in the first over after play started 90 minutes late because of fog and then hoisted Shakib over long-on for a six.

Tendulkar, 76 overnight, was on 93 when last-man Sreesanth joined him and completed his century with two successive fours off Shahadat. His 166-ball knock included two sixes and 11 fours.

Tendulkar crosses 13,000 Test runs

Sachin Tendulkar quietly reached yet another milestone when he became the first batsman to score 13,000 Test runs here today.

The highest run accumulator in both the Test and ODI versions of the game went into the first Test needing 30 runs to reach the milestone. Batting on 28, Tendulkar pulled Mahmudullah in the 36th over and the ball raced to the rope to bring up his 13000 runs in Tests in the 36th over.

The batsman acknowledged the applause from the sporting crowd of the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. In the dressing room, coach Gary Kirsten was also seen clapping.

As if to celebrate the feat, Tendulkar drove the next ball through covers for another four.

Tendulkar’s wait for the feat could have been longer had Imrul Kayes been able to hold on to the catch he nearly took in the slip off Shafiul Islam when the batsman was on 16.

The clanger allowed Tendulkar to amble towards his 55th Test fifty as he stood tall amid ruins, remaining unbeaten after a 140-ball 76.

Tendulkar went into the match having amassed 12,970 runs from 162 Tests at an average of 54.72 with the help of 43 centuries and 54 half centuries.

His record is equally impressive in ODIs with the batting great piling up a record 17,394 runs from 440 one-dayers, averaging 44.71 and including 45 centuries and 93 half centuries.

Tendulkar takes India to thumping win

Sachin Tendulkar played a match-winning knock in the third ODI at Cuttack on 21 Dec 2009.

There were predictions of runs aplenty, but the wicket at the Barabati Stadium followed its more traditional role of offering turn.

The Indian spinners exploited the conditions perfectly to trigger a collapse and restrict Sri Lanka to 239 in the third ODI at the Barabati Stadium here on Monday.

Sachin Tendulkar’s classy unbeaten 96 then helped India ease past the target in 42.4 overs.

Tendulkar began by dispatching Chanaka Welegedera with a superb cover drive. Virender Sehwag waited a brief while before belting the ball around to give India a sizzling start.

The Indians looked like overhauling the target in a blink before Sehwag’s dismissal — caught at backward point — slowed things slightly.

Stunning drives


Tendulkar produced more stunning drives apart from the streaky upper-cut and paddle scoop that also went for boundaries. He put on 72 with Gautam Gambhir, and after the latter’s dismissal, batted patiently with Yuvraj Singh.

The Indians finished the job with a flurry of boundaries from Tendulkar and Karthik.

Earlier, despite Tillakaratne Dilshan’s fearsome batting and Upul Tharanga’s steady half-century, India fought back splendidly.

Quality spin bowling stifled Sri Lanka in the middle overs. Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm spin saw him finish with career-best figures of four for 32.

Terrific start


Sri Lanka had a rousing start after skipper Kumar Sangakkara chose to bat. The fielders watched motionless as Dilshan cracked the innings open with a full-blooded drive off Zaheer Khan. Ishant Sharma was immediately initiated into life’s cruelties when Dilshan used a good deal of his wrists to direct the ball straight down for a boundary.

The battering of Ishant reached its peak when Dilshan drove, pulled and then scooped, all in a frenzied pursuit of boundaries. Tharanga’s six over long-off went quietly unnoticed in the same over. Sri Lanka’s fifty came in just the fourth over.

Zaheer went for 26 in his first two overs, which quickly saw Ashish Nehra replacing him. The reward showed up just when it looked like it wasn’t going to be — after Dinesh Karthik missed a simple run out chance.

Dilshan made 41, a mere 40 of them coming from boundaries! But the adventure ended in a rather awkward top-edge off a delivery too short from Nehra. Karthik was fortunate redemption came very quickly. The wicketkeeper was under the ball and took the catch comfortably.The two left-handers — Tharanga and Sangakkara — maintained a more plausible run-rate thereafter with the odd cut and the harmless straight drive, but Sri Lanka still reached its hundred in the 12th over.

Both batsmen became quiet once Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh came on. Sehwag tossed it up, threw in a few flat ones and made it difficult for the batsmen to generate pace.

Offering turn


There was a doubt whether the turn on offer was an illusion created by Karthik’s baseball grill while keeping to the spinners. But, it turned out that the wicket did offer some turn. Harbhajan worked himself into a very good rhythm and got the ball to drift and turn.

Sangakkara looked promising during his 46, which included a six off Sehwag. However, the Indian skipper had his man soon. Sangakkara went for a similar shot but was beaten in the air. The Sri Lankan skipper had charged so much down the wicket that even a fumble by Karthik could not save him, the latter having enough time to make amends and knock the bails off. Before his departure, Sangakkara had added 100 with Tharanga off 97 balls.

After losing his captain, Tharanga went about quietly collecting singles and twos and looked set for a hundred. Jadeja brought about his fall with a well-flighted delivery that forced the opener into driving against the turn. However, the ball turned a great deal and went on to disturb the stumps.

Chamara Kapugedera departed to another turning delivery from Jadeja, who also got some drift.

India’s bowling momentum was such that even Ishant, who could’ve been scarred by his early figures of 46 in three overs, returned to bowl with a new-found confidence.

He got a full one to straighten and castle Thilina Kandamby. Off the next ball, Suraj Randiv edged behind.

India made two changes with Yuvraj and Ishant replacing Virat Kohli and Praveen Kumar. For Lanka, Nuwan Kulasekara replaced the injured Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga came in for Suranga Lakmal.


SCOREBOARD

 Sri Lanka: U. Tharanga b Jadeja 73 (81b, 6x4, 1x6), T. Dilshan c Karthik b Nehra 41 (18b, 10x4), K. Sangakkara st. Karthik b Sehwag 46 (41b, 3x4, 1x6), M. Jayawardene c Raina b Harbhajan 2 (12b), T. Kandamby b Ishant 22 (29b, 3x4), C. Kapugedera b Jadeja 15 (28b), N. Kulasekara lbw b Jadeja 10 (14b, 1x4), S. Randiv c Karthik b Ishant 0 (1b), L. Malinga b Nehra 13 (24b, 1x4, 1x6), A. Mendis b Jadeja 6 (14b), C. Welegedara (not out) 2 (4b); Extras (b-1, lb-2, w-6): 9; Total (in 44.2 overs): 239.

Fall of wickets: 1-65 (Dilshan), 2-165 (Sangakkara), 3-169 (Tharanga), 4-173 (Jayawardene), 5-204 (Kapugedera), 6-210 (Kandamby), 7-210 (Randiv), 8-218 (Kulasekara), 9-236 (Mendis).

India bowling: Zaheer 7-0-49-0, Ishant 7-0-63-2, Nehra 6.2-0-32-2, Harbhajan 9-0-29-1, Sehwag 4-0-26-1, Jadeja 10-0-32-4, Yuvraj 1-0-5-0.

Powerplays: One (Overs 1-10): 86/1; Bowling (11-15): 36/0; Batting (44-45.2): 3/1.

India: V. Sehwag c Dilshan b Welegedara 44 (28b, 9x4), S. Tendulkar (not out) 96 (104b, 13x4), G. Gambhir c & b Randiv 32 (52b, 3x4), Yuvraj c Sangakkara b Welegedara 23 (40b, 3x4), D. Karthik (not out) 36 (32b, 5x4, 1x6); Extras (lb-5, w-6): 11, Total (for three wkts. in 42.4 overs) 242.

Fall of wickets: 1-55 (Sehwag), 2-127 (Gambhir), 3-169 (Yuvraj).

Sri Lanka bowling: Welegedara 8-1-35-2, Kulasekara 8-0-47-0, Malinga 9.4-1-55-0, Mendis 9-0-67-0, Randiv 8-1-33-1.

Powerplays : One (Overs 1-10): 66/1; Bowling (Overs 11-15): 35/0.

Tendulkar hails best ever India: Teamwork key to India's success says legendary batsman

Sachin Tendulkar insists he is playing in the best India side ever after their rise to the top of the world rankings.

The legendary batsman's claim comes after Sunday's victory over Sri Lanka which saw India clinch the three-Test series and dislodge South Africa at the summit of the International Cricket Council's rankings.

The Mumbai result sees Tendulkar's side leap two places into top spot and the 36-year-old believes the current crop of players are the best India has produced of his 20 years in international cricket.

"It's been a long wait and I'm extremely delighted," Tendulkar said on ending the year as the ICC's world number one team. "I would not hesitate to say that this is the best team I have ever played with.

"If you look at the batting line-up, right from the number one batsman to the number seven batsman which is Mahendra Singh Dhoni spot, it's a solid line-up."


Teamwork

Bowling coach Prasad and fielding coach Robin Singh were relieved of their duties in October this year which left the team without their services for the Test series against Sri Lanka.

But Tendulkar was keen to praise the duo, along with the other backroom staff for their role on India's success.

He added: "I think the process of getting to the number one spot really started when Gary Kirsten and Paddy Upton took over along with Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh.

"The aim of the whole team then was to get to be the top in the world.

"All credit to Kirsten, he handled the team brilliantly and credit also to the other players who have been a part of this team over the last 18-20 months.

"They have all worked very hard and have been very focused."



Retirement?

Virender Sehwag, who set up India's victory with a blistering knock of 293, was named man of the match and man of the series and he, too, paid tribute to India's all-round team effort.

"This is a very good team and it's a team effort which has got us to the top," he said.

"I'm very lucky to be a part of this team and I hope we stay at the number one spot for a long time to come."

Meanwhile, Tendulkar insists he is not thinking about retiring from the game with the all-time leading run scorer maintaining his appetite for the sport has yet to diminish.

He added: "I've enjoyed playing the game and although a lot of people have been asking me about retirement, I haven't thought about it at all.

"I will continue to play as long as I enjoy the game."