Tendulkar’s throw wasjust another reminder of the man’s presence of mind and his sheernatural ability on a cricket field
Osman Samiuddin and Anand Vasu in Kolkata18-Mar-2005
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The twilight twist
With gloom settling in and bad light almost certain to
be offered, enter India’s favourite umpire,
celebrating his 100th test. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul
Dravid were in the midst of a rescue act, quickly
transforming into a match-turning one. Tendulkar had
just completed his half-century, with a rasping square-drive off Abdul Razzaq.Razzaq, in the middle of a disciplined and varied
spell, started testing Tendulkar with short balls. In
his next over, the first ball was again short, it went
past Tendulkar’s outside edge and swung away after
going past his bat. As replays confirmed, the ball
missed the outside edge by some distance. Kamran Akmal
dived to take the catch and appealed meekly, as did
Razzaq, protractedly. Nothing came from Steve Bucknor,
Tendulkar moved away from the crease and as Razzaq’s
appeal withered, Bucknor suddenly raised his finger.
Tendulkar jumped as if facing another short ball,
stunned, Pakistan went ecstatic and the match took, on
a day of twists, one final controversial one. A case
perhaps for offering light to the umpire?The Golden Arm
Younis Khan drove a full one back past Lakshmipathy Balaji and hared
off down the pitch. Sourav Ganguly from mid-off and Sachin Tendulkar
from mid-on gave chase, and Ganguly pulled the ball up just before the
ropes. Tendulkar received the flick, and threw the ball to the
longest distance on a ground that is acres big. The ball thudded into
Dinesh Karthik’s gloves at the far end, and he had the bails off
before Asim Kamal got back for the third run. Tendulkar’s throw was
just another reminder of the man’s presence of mind and his sheer
natural ability on a cricket field.
