On Wednesday, Tendulkar batted like Sachin again. With a sumptuous 76-ball century against West Indies that was aesthetic, intelligent and sexy, the maestro was rocking once again and in the mood for World Cup. Vadodara couldn't have been luckier. Since his unbeaten 141 against the same side in Kuala Lumpur last September, Tendulkar wasn't quite the same, he was painfully workmanlike, seemingly shackled by a crushing load of huge self-expectations.
Jigsaw falling in place
India save best for the last
Sachin's ton fashions India's big win
In Pics: India's emphatic 160-run win against WI
Scorecard
It wasn't just the less number of runs, a mere 339 scored in 13 innings at an average of 26.76, it was also the manner in which he was getting them. There was something un-Sachin-like about these knocks: an absence of fluidity and fun.He seemed like a millionaire fallen on middle-class days. Everything changed in Vadodara. Playing with an uncluttered mind, Tendulkar turned batting into an expression of freedom once more. Shots seen recently only on television shows of India's Greatest Triumphs were resurrected. Two of them will endure in memory: a down-on-the knees six off Marlon Samuels and a last-nanosecond flick off a Darren Powell yorker that sped to the boundary even as the bowler muffled his appeal. You could see why He was the best. Tendulkar appeared irritated at the suggestion that there was something missing from his recent knocks. "I never played according to what x, y or z says. I always bat as I feel is the correct way. I have played long enough to know what is good for me. People should appreciate that," he said rather tersely to presenter Arun Lal in the ceremony that saw him claim both player of the match and player of the series award.
You couldn't argue with him today. Former greats feel with Sachin roaring back to form, India's World Cup jigsaw is falling into place. Ex-India captain Ajit Wadekar believes that fear of injury could have been restricting Sachin's strokeplay since he returned after a lay-off last year.
"But the kind of shots he played in this innings show such worries are gone. When you regain your confidence, it takes your batting to a higher level. He seems to be peaking at the right time for the World Cup," said Wadekar.
courtesy:timesofindia
Jigsaw falling in place
India save best for the last
Sachin's ton fashions India's big win
In Pics: India's emphatic 160-run win against WI
Scorecard
It wasn't just the less number of runs, a mere 339 scored in 13 innings at an average of 26.76, it was also the manner in which he was getting them. There was something un-Sachin-like about these knocks: an absence of fluidity and fun.He seemed like a millionaire fallen on middle-class days. Everything changed in Vadodara. Playing with an uncluttered mind, Tendulkar turned batting into an expression of freedom once more. Shots seen recently only on television shows of India's Greatest Triumphs were resurrected. Two of them will endure in memory: a down-on-the knees six off Marlon Samuels and a last-nanosecond flick off a Darren Powell yorker that sped to the boundary even as the bowler muffled his appeal. You could see why He was the best. Tendulkar appeared irritated at the suggestion that there was something missing from his recent knocks. "I never played according to what x, y or z says. I always bat as I feel is the correct way. I have played long enough to know what is good for me. People should appreciate that," he said rather tersely to presenter Arun Lal in the ceremony that saw him claim both player of the match and player of the series award.
You couldn't argue with him today. Former greats feel with Sachin roaring back to form, India's World Cup jigsaw is falling into place. Ex-India captain Ajit Wadekar believes that fear of injury could have been restricting Sachin's strokeplay since he returned after a lay-off last year.
"But the kind of shots he played in this innings show such worries are gone. When you regain your confidence, it takes your batting to a higher level. He seems to be peaking at the right time for the World Cup," said Wadekar.
courtesy:timesofindia
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