The 'Master' stood tall once again when India needed it most and has given his team the chance to draw the match and stay in the series. He had lost out in the previous Test when he missed a pretty straight delivery from Malinga when he was just 16 short of a ton. That only showed that he is human after all. He wasn’t going to miss again and that is what makes great players even greater. They are such quick learners and adapters to the situation and can mould their game according to the requirements of the team.
I knew Sehwag would go after me on 99: Randiv
The three 'D's are vital for success in any field: Dedication, Determination and Discipline. The dedication to becoming as good as possible means making sacrifices in one's lifestyle and adopting one that takes you to the path of success. The determination is about not getting cowed down by adverse looking situations and to hang in there and wait for the opposition to relax, tire or just give up and then attack when they are vulnerable.
The biggest 'D' is that of discipline and that is not only about keeping a discipline about habits, having early hours, no late nights, etc. but about disciplining your game to suit the side. This is the most difficult 'D' of them all. Many players get so used to the style in which they play, be it aggressive or watchful cricket as a batsman or as a bowler that it is very hard to change it as the situation in the game gets fluid.
Batsmen are the ones who usually get the stick from the critics if they are unable to switch gears from first to fifth or vice versa and bowlers who keep bowling the same way get away. But then this is a batsman's game and if they get the credit then they should get the blame too.
Tendulkar was well supported by debutant Suresh Raina. The southpaw's biggest examination was going to be his temperament. He has been such a good player in the short format of the game where he can blast off from the first ball. The question that had to be answered was whether he could put his head down, buckle up to play the dot balls and wait out the threat. He did that with aplomb as if he belonged to the Test arena.
Sure, there will be sterner tests ahead but the young man will have learnt so much from the 'Master' in this partnership that he will be well prepared for it. It is not just out in the middle but when they adjourn to the dressing room and then back to the hotel that Raina will do well just to listen to Tendulkar and absorb as much as he can.
India in Sri Lanka
Yuvraj Singh, who Raina replaced in this Test, matured as a Test player in that match winning partnership against England when India chased down nearly 400 runs on a wearing, turning pitch in Chennai two years back. That Yuvraj has not been able to cement his place in the team since then is a tragedy for Indian cricket.
In that Test, it was Virender Sehwag who gave India the lift-off and the belief that India could do it. In this Test too, it was Sehwag who showed that the pitch is terrific for batting and in his company Murali Vijay prospered. That is what good partnerships are about, feeding off the senior man’s class and experience and increasing your own game value as well. The Delhi dasher missed out on another century going for a big hit but can you find fault with a batsman who reaches a triple century in Test cricket with a six? Nah.
Professional Management Group
