It is Feb 23, it is 1st Test-2nd day's Tea, between India vs Aus in Chintambaram stadium. It is Indian batting after Aus made 380sh. Importatnly the guys in the middle are Purjara and the great Sachin. They are 84/2 with both the batsmen in their 30s.
For Indian cricket fan there is certainly no better series than India vs Aus, especially when they are playing in India. Aus pitches still are a big hard for Indians. Not as bad as SA, but still not in the comfortable bracket. But for me as for many other cricket fan of my generation, it is all about Sachin. Sachin is 39, few months away from his 40th he is only a year away from the oldest player for India, Vinoo Mankat who played till 41 years. But unlike none to what I know he has over 23 years of international play. From Nov, 1989, when he was 16 years. So in a sense with 23 years in cricket makes him favorite amondg every generation of criket fans. To comprehend how long Tendulkar has played can be asertained that his batting partner Pujara, though 25 year was only a year old when Tendulakar played his first game. More interestingly in the current squad except Dhoni, Sehwag and Harbajan all others where less than 5 years old/and one Bhuvanesh was not even born. But that long tenure has its donwside. Sachin has reitred from both T20(2010) and ODI(Dec 2012) but none of his contemprary have long retired. His 3 year junior Saurav/Dravid have reited over a year back. And it is jsut matter of time that he is going to retire.
What makes Sachin-sachin is so many years of great criket he has givne to Indians and all the cricket lovers. He with the three other Titans (Dravid/Saurav/Laxman) made Indians a powershouse for over two decades. Mind wanders back to the great inning tbat Sachin played. The super 140s in Sharjah, or the magial 80s in the boucy New Zealand grounds. The fact remains for many of us who started watching cricket along with him, Indian cricket always had Sachin as an impotatnt ingedient in the team. With him gone, which will happen very soon it would be a big lss.
For me with Sachin the same age as me, and with the other three it gave me so many hours of entertainment. And amny of them besides ODI innings it were the test matches. And the India vs Australia in India would certainly be the best among his innings. The best certainly would be the 1997 tour. Wiht likes of Warne and McDermott Sachin Devasted the Australian attack especially Warne, ending up with an avaerage of over 110 runs. Sachin was at his prime, actually scored max 100s during the period. And with some great innings including the 2nd innings where he with Azharuddin made 418 runs in 104 balls.
So with the evening setting in Chennai, and last few overs remaining of the day, and with Sachiin in his 60s, there is an aprehsension f wherhter he could get among his last centuries. Who knows how lng will he play. But as of tonight, I had time, and was able to enjoy his Innings, maybe my last.
For Indian cricket fan there is certainly no better series than India vs Aus, especially when they are playing in India. Aus pitches still are a big hard for Indians. Not as bad as SA, but still not in the comfortable bracket. But for me as for many other cricket fan of my generation, it is all about Sachin. Sachin is 39, few months away from his 40th he is only a year away from the oldest player for India, Vinoo Mankat who played till 41 years. But unlike none to what I know he has over 23 years of international play. From Nov, 1989, when he was 16 years. So in a sense with 23 years in cricket makes him favorite amondg every generation of criket fans. To comprehend how long Tendulkar has played can be asertained that his batting partner Pujara, though 25 year was only a year old when Tendulakar played his first game. More interestingly in the current squad except Dhoni, Sehwag and Harbajan all others where less than 5 years old/and one Bhuvanesh was not even born. But that long tenure has its donwside. Sachin has reitred from both T20(2010) and ODI(Dec 2012) but none of his contemprary have long retired. His 3 year junior Saurav/Dravid have reited over a year back. And it is jsut matter of time that he is going to retire.
What makes Sachin-sachin is so many years of great criket he has givne to Indians and all the cricket lovers. He with the three other Titans (Dravid/Saurav/Laxman) made Indians a powershouse for over two decades. Mind wanders back to the great inning tbat Sachin played. The super 140s in Sharjah, or the magial 80s in the boucy New Zealand grounds. The fact remains for many of us who started watching cricket along with him, Indian cricket always had Sachin as an impotatnt ingedient in the team. With him gone, which will happen very soon it would be a big lss.
For me with Sachin the same age as me, and with the other three it gave me so many hours of entertainment. And amny of them besides ODI innings it were the test matches. And the India vs Australia in India would certainly be the best among his innings. The best certainly would be the 1997 tour. Wiht likes of Warne and McDermott Sachin Devasted the Australian attack especially Warne, ending up with an avaerage of over 110 runs. Sachin was at his prime, actually scored max 100s during the period. And with some great innings including the 2nd innings where he with Azharuddin made 418 runs in 104 balls.
So with the evening setting in Chennai, and last few overs remaining of the day, and with Sachiin in his 60s, there is an aprehsension f wherhter he could get among his last centuries. Who knows how lng will he play. But as of tonight, I had time, and was able to enjoy his Innings, maybe my last.
