Tendulkar, Giles look
for an encore
After scoring his 27th Test hundred, Sachin Tendulkar stated the obvious when he
said his knock in the second innings would be crucial to the team's prospects in the second Test against England.
Tendulkar, who has single-handedly won - and saved -
many a match for India, produced yet another great knock on Thursday, scoring 103 to pull his team out of trouble after they had been reduced to 93 for four in reply to England's first
innings total of 407.
However, India still fell 116 runs short, being bowled out
for 291, and by the end of the third day's play England had
scored 15 without loss in their second innings to extend their
lead to 131.
"I would like to think that my efforts in the second
innings would be much more important than the century today,"
Tendulkar, whose knock took him to joint third position in
the overall list of highest number of Test hundreds, told
reporters after the day's play.
"I think we have to play really tough over the next two
days to come back into the match. If we apply ourselves well
we can do it," he said.
Tendulkar joined Australians Allan Border and Steve Waugh,
who too have 27 centuries each to their credit, and only Sunil
Gavaskar (34) and Sir Donald Bradman (29) have scored more
Test hundreds than him.
"It is a great feeling to score a Test hundred especially
under difficult circumstances. We had lost early wickets today
and England quickies were bowling pretty well," he said.
Analysing India's performance on day 3, Tendulkar
said the main problem was the lack of a good partnership.
"Except for my fifth wicket association with (V V S) Laxman
which yielded 118 runs, we failed to get the big partnerships
going. I think even England were in a similar position in
their first innings but were saved by Craig White's century."
England's star of the day Ashley Giles, who produced his
best Test figures of five for 67, paid rich tributes to
Tendulkar.
"He is an awesome cricketer. I find him as the all-time great," he said.
Giles, who recorded his second five-wicket haul on Thursday, said he had deliberately employed the ploy of packing the
off-side field while bowling to Tendulkar. "It was a ploy
which worked quite well. I had seven fielders on the off-side
and attacked his off-stump to curb his intentions of going
over the top. I think it worked to a great extent as I managed
to tuck him up."
Giles, who missed the first Test at Mohali due to a foot
injury, did not agree with the suggestion that the selectors
had taken a gamble by including him despite having not
recovered fully.
"I am fully fit and there was no question of
the team management taking a gamble by including me.
"It is nice to be a part of the team which has come back
well after losing the first Test by ten wickets," he said.
And like Tendulkar, Giles too is looking forward to the
second innings.
"The match is not over yet and the Indians can
come back with a bang in the second innings. Let's hope I
can bowl as well as I did in the first innings," he said.
Mail Cricket Editor