Tendulkar seeks SCG inspiration in ton quest
Sachin Tendulkar’s search for his elusive 100th international century
fittingly takes him to the Sydney Cricket Ground for Tuesday’s second
Test against Australia, an arena celebrating its own Test ton.
The “Little Master” came close to achieving the unique feat with his
fluent 73 in the first innings of last week’s Melbourne Test, where
India succumbed to a 122-run defeat.
But the SCG, hosting its 100th Test, is one of 38-year-old
Tendulkar’s happy hunting grounds. He has scored three of his 51 Test
hundreds there in seven innings and averages an incredible 221.33 at the
ground. Tendulkar has been stranded on 99 Test and one-day international
centuries since scoring 111 against South Africa in the World Cup in
March, but the odds are stacked in his favour in Sydney this week.
“You really think cosmos, the Almighty and the Hindu gods were going
to allow him to score it (100th ton) anywhere but the SCG?” SCG Trust
chairman Rodney Cavalier said in half-jest.
“These things are preordained.” Tendulkar’s returns at the SCG make
for a compelling argument: 148 not out (1992), 241 not out (2004) and
154 not out (2008). Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said that based
on Tendulkar’s batting form in Melbourne he is “guaranteed” to get his
missing century in Australia.
“He looked very solid at the MCG on a pitch which had a fair bit of
help for the quicks. His feet have moved superbly, which is an
indication that his mind is thinking the right way,” Ganguly said.
“I can guarantee you that if he keeps batting like this he will make
a major impact on the remaining three Tests and probably get past that
magic landmark in this country.”
V.V.S. Laxman, one of India’s batting failures in Melbourne, is
looking forward with relish to playing at the SCG, which statistically
is his most productive scoring venue outside of India.
In five Test innings at the ground he has scored three hundreds and
averages 96.20, a far cry from his desultory two and one last week at
the MCG.
But for all of the runs from Tendulkar and Laxman, India have only
won one of nine previous Tests at the ground and they cannot afford to
fall 2-0 behind in the four-Test series. Australia’s pace trio, James
Pattinson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus, took 19 of the 20 Indian
wickets in Melbourne and helped rout the tourists for 169 in the second
innings to bring off an emphatic win inside four days.
Ricky Ponting, who was the best performing Australian batsman with 62
and 60 in Melbourne, has scored the most Test runs at the SCG with 1,346
at 64.10, including five centuries.
England scored three centuries in their innings thrashing of
Australia at the SCG a year ago and while spinners had a minimal effect
on that outcome, the signs are that there will be more spin this week.
“The last few years have been really seamer-friendly and there’s been
overhead conditions to help that as well, but it (now) looks definitely
a lighter colour and generally it has slowed down a little bit and
helped the spinners as the game’s gone on,” he said.
Australia - Michael Clarke (capt), Brad Haddin, Ed Cowan, Ryan
Harris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Michael Hussey, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, James
Pattinson, Ricky Ponting, Peter Siddle, David Warner.
India: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin
Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni (capt), Ravichandran
Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Pragyan Ojha.
SYDNEY, (AFP) |