Sachin Tendulkar’s century lead an emphatic Indian batting performance, pushing them to a massive 160-run win and a 3-1 series triumph at Vadodara
The Bulletin by Dileep Premachandran31-Jan-2007
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Sachin Tendulkar scripted a magnificent 76-ball hundred © AFP
Sachin Tendulkar, Indian cricket’s first among equals, led the way with asensational 76-ball century as a mighty batting performance overwhelmedWest Indies to seal the four-match series in emphatic fashion. Havingpiled up 341 from their 50 overs, India romped to a 160-run victory, withthe West Indian big three contributing just 23 runs between them. BrianLara’s final innings on Indian soil ended with an unfortunate run-out, ona day when he was comfortably eclipsed by the man who has been his greatfriend and rival for nigh on two decades.Having come in at 148 for 2, halfway through the innings with SouravGanguly just having been stumped for a fine 68, Tendulkar scripted amagnificent innings, reaching three figures off the final delivery, a pushto midwicket. Mahendra Singh Dhoni had come in and biffed a stunning 40from just 20 deliveries at the end, including three huge sixes, and therewere sizeable contributions from Ganguly and Rahul Dravid as the batsmenran riot following Lara’s decision to field.The final passage of play was just carnage, with Dhoni and Tendulkarwalloping 75 from 39 balls after two century partnerships earlier had setthe game up for the Indians. Tendulkar scampered his ones and twos withtremendous energy, and picked the gaps in the outfield when theopportunities came. There was one massive six off Marlon Samuels thatsailed over midwicket, though he was extremely fortunate to be at thereceiving end of two wretched bits of fielding.First, Lara dropped a chance to his left at cover when Tendulkar had made85, and six runs later, Dwayne Smith allowed a flick off the pads to sailthrough his palms at deep square leg. It summed up a very ordinaryfielding display from the West Indies, with India’s batsmen targetting theweak arms with ruthless precision. It had been nearly four years since Tendulkar struck a hundred in a winning cause, but on a day when nearly everything went his way, there waslittle risk of his thunder being stolen. Not even by Lara. After his gamble at the toss, Lara had taken another punt with the newball. Ian Bradshaw was back in the XI, but it was the sedate medium paceof Smith that he turned to as foil to Daren Powell, perhaps inspired bymemories of Smith’s 4 for 31 against India at Kuala Lumpur. He nearly hadUthappa early as well, with umpire Amish Saheba turning down a leg-beforeappeal that looked fairly adjacent to the naked eye. Uthappa though was quickly on his way, with a thick edge to third man and a steer in the same direction – shots that left Powell infuriated. Things then came to a boil in his next over. A misdirected bouncer went for fivewides and then Uthappa took over, with a nonchalant slash for six overthird man and a magnificent loft over long-on, hitting through the line toa ball that wasn’t even full.The next ball was quicker and short of a length, and the edge was neatlytaken at first slip. There was a brief lull as Dravid took nine balls toget off the mark, but by then, Ganguly was in cruise control. Powell hadinduced a top-edged hook off a short ball from round the wicket and WestIndies zoomed in on this supposed frailty with disastrous results.Both Smith and Powell were pulled disdainfully for four, and when the fulldelivery was directed at his legs, he moved out of the way and hit cleanlythrough the covers. The only thing that looked like stopping him was adodgy back that required manipulation from the physio when he’d made 37,and after the treatment, India upped the ante.Dravid was soon into his stride too, with lovely cuts for four off RayadEmrit, and a glorious straight loft off Samuels. Samuels and Emrit reinedthings in somewhat, but runs came steadily on a pitch where the grasscover was like a chimera. Ganguly’s dismissal, giving Chris Gayle thecharge, allowed West Indies to fancy their chances, but then Tendulkar came out and madetheir morning a nightmare.Dravid and Tendulkar were clearly aware of what had transpired at Chennaiwhen they tried to force the pace too soon and here, they took 64 ballsfor the 50 partnership, picking off singles and biding their time. Whenthe acceleration came, West Indies didn’t know how to cope. Gayle bowledtidily, conceding just 34 from his eight overs, but every other bowlercame in for a fearful pummelling. Dravid took 77 balls for his 50 and then ticked along at nearly a run a ball, even as Tendulkar started to find the gaps with unerring regularity.The partnership was worth 118 in just 18.3 overs when Dravid’s flail atSamuels dropped into the hands of long-on.Dhoni gave no respite, setting himself and proceeding to unveil two ofthose mind-boggling shovelled sixes, but even his destructive ways wereeclipsed by the master who timed his century to a nicety.
Brian Lara, in his last international appearance in india, was tragically run out, depriving his Indian fans of one last hurrah © AFP
West Indies’ chase was a non-starter. Just two months on after his Playerof the Tournament exploits in the Champions Trophy, Gayle ended adepressing series by having his off stump knocked out. Ajit Agarkar wasthe man responsible, for the third game running, and with hopes of aturbo-charged start extinguished, the pressure mounted on ShivnarineChanderpaul.It proved to be too much. Moments after striking the umpire with a crispshot off the pads, Chanderpaul took the aerial route against Zaheer Khan,only finding Harbhajan at deep square leg. Samuels, on the back of 98 atChennai, came in and started to stroke the ball superbly, and with DevonSmith also thumping some fine strokes through the covers, the run ratestarted to nudge up.Irfan Pathan, on his return, conceding eight in his opening over, andeverything seemed to happen when he had the ball in hand. First, Smiththwacked one to midwicket where Yuvraj Singh, whose fitness has beenconstantly monitored since his return, flew to his left to pouch astunner.Lara entered to a standing ovation, but lasted just two balls, beforePathan’s attempt to take a return catch off Samuels crashed into thestumps at the non-striker’s end. Lendl Simmons went soon after to abrilliant direct hit from Suresh Raina, leaving Samuels and Denesh Ramdinto salvage some pride from a clearly hopeless situation. They added 66before Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, playing in tandem for once, endedany thoughts of resistance, and it was left to Yuvraj to apply thefinishing touch.It had been nearly four years since Tendulkar struck a hundred in awinning cause, but on a day when nearly everything went his way en route to No.41, there waslittle risk of his thunder being stolen. Not even by Lara.