This was Indias first batting day against some serious bowling opposition. The Australian view of Stuart Broad was that they were lucky he wasn’t picked in the Ashes line up. And Adil Rashid the young English leg-spinner is thought of so highly, that he makes the England A side after a mere 14 first class matches. They struggled against the new ball, Sachin Tendulkar found himself in a situation which most observers might consider difficult, but he himself relishes, and one couldn’t help but get a feeling of deja vu at the end of the days play.
The top order collapsed to the new ball, and yet it is impossible to know anything about the form of these players from this one innings. Wasim Jaffer fell before he was set (7 balls), Dinesh Karthik and VVS Laxman, both of whom made runs at Hove faced 12 and 3 deliveries respectively. Tendulkar entered into a situation which he has pretty much mastered over the years – early wickets, the opposition bowling on song – but crucially – attacking fielding and opposition bowlers trying to dismiss him. In these circumstances, his technique and his naturally attacking instincts allow him to counterattack successfully more of than not, simply by playing normally. It is when the game is set and the opposition looks to bore him out, that he hasn’t been at his best. He survived two chances and stroked his way to 171(236). If you ignore the runs he made of Adil Rashid – 54(41), the rest of his runs were at his normal pace – 117 (195). In a Test match, he is unlikely to find a bowler like Rashid whom he can target. The added pressure of a Test match may not allow him to play with as much freedom either. I cannot see him attempting a reverse sweep with India at 235/5 facing 400+.
I do hope however that this innings and his stroke-filled displays against South Africa are an indicator that Tendulkar has decided to be a bit more assertive at the wicket than he has been in the recent past. Some old strokes have been dusted off, and his batting seems to have acquired a different, far more robust rhythm recently. There may yet be occasion for circumspection, and i have no doubt he will demonstrate it at some point, but the default mode seems to have changed.
Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni made important runs, merely adding to the selection dilemma. I think India will persist with Wasim Jaffer at Lord’s and i hope that if it comes to a choice between Dhoni and Yuvraj, that Yuvraj is preferred.
There is bound to be speculation that Tendulkar’s attitude towards Rashid might be an indication of what he has in store for Monty. In his recent Test matches, Monty has consistently conceded about 3-3.5 runs/over. Surprisingly, he was more miserly against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in England last year, than he was in India or in Australia. With regard to Tendulkar or the other Indian batsmen, it is unlikely to be a case of them targeting Monty because they view him as a threat. It is more likely to be a case of them viewing him as a run scoring opportunity. Beyond that i don’t think they will seek out specific individual battles with him. The pressure of a Test match is completely different from that of a tour match, with a 100 over cap on the length of an innings.
Today however was Tendulkar’s day. He ought to really stop making modest comments though. His latest effort – “Having been around for reasonable time, I know when to accelerate and when to hold back and be patient. I read the situation and it’s a lot to do with the way my body is moving, the way I’m thinking as well. You can’t go out everyday and try bang, bang, bang and say it’s my natural game.”
Press conferences have lost all meaning – they consists of the same questions and the same responses and betray a paucity of thoughtfulness amongst the members of the press. There must have been no questions asked of Tendulkar during this tour, which would have applied specifically to this tour. This Q&A might have occured any time during the last 18 years, and the only difference would be that Tendulkar’s command over the English language has become increasingly assured. He did offer some comments about needing time in the middle. But given the almost incessant prattle about “decline” and lack of desire to “dominate” – one might have expected some respectful questions about his thinking. Has he changed the way he approaches an innings? Has he resolved to play more strokes on this tour? Tendulkar has been injury free since the beginning of the South Africa tour now – almost 8 months. Has that continuity influenced his batting style? How does he view this – his last England tour? So many questions – when do you think he might be willing to take them on? When hes made 171 or when hes made 2?
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