The pick of them was the flick off Dale Steyn. He picked the overpitched delivery about 1 foot outside off stump by combining superb footwork (moving across) and quicksilver wrists and smoked it to deep midwicket. That exemplified Tendulkar was at peace with the surroundings and he was in his zone.Can't wait to watch the full inning brother. The shots he was manufacturing for fours were out of this world. For every shot Tendulkar had 10 years ago, he has 3 now.
Kallis' looked like a laboured effort at the presentation. Perhaps he was just down from the sheer effect of the defeat. Earlier when he captained against India, Tendulkar was the spoilsport (Belfast series, 2007) with consecutive 99s. And he was involved in a quite animated mid pitch confrontation with Tendulkar (as usual the next delivery was despatched over midwicket for four).He also mentioned being unlucky with the toss. Isn't winning the toss and bowling the way to go in Indian day nighters..
Steyn's look after that delivery and specially after when he was dispatched for a four to midwicket of a yorker was priceless.(tendulkar went deep into the crease to make the yorker a overpitched half volley)The pick of them was the flick off Dale Steyn. He picked the overpitched delivery about 1 foot outside off stump by combining superb footwork (moving across) and quicksilver wrists and smoked it to deep midwicket. That exemplified Tendulkar was at peace with the surroundings and he was in his zone.
Haha true indeed.Steyn's look after that delivery and specially after when he was dispatched for a four to midwicket of a yorker was priceless.(tendulkar went deep into the crease to make the yorker a overpitched half volley)
He was like "What am i up against?"
Yes he never goes all aggressive still able to keep a good strike rate with proper cricket shots.Haha true indeed.
Another feature of this innings was till he got set, it was the orthodox Sachin, minimal lateral movements and trademark cuts, drives, flicks and the occassional pulls. But once he got really going, he really started improvising by moving across the stumps and finding the gaps on the leg side off the pacers. The absence of pace on the pitch meant there were not many strokes down the ground unless he really forced himself upon it. Against the spinners it was mainly inside out strokes and loft sweeps which has been his style over the last 3 years as attacking options.
It wasn't the flattest pitch. It wasn't the smallest ground either.what an innings, he deserves this, but honestly given the pitch and the incredibly fast outfield, if Sehwag had gone on or Dhoni had opened the innings.... can a man score 250 in ODIs?
I watched the great innings live, the outfield was probably in my top 5 of the quickest I have ever seen, and I dont recall many pitches being better for batting. Some pitches are flat but slow but this one was flat and the ball was coming onto the bat at perfect pace. I dont think the ground was bigger than the one in Chennai. Great innings though, better than any other knock surpassing 150 easily by a mile.It wasn't the flattest pitch. It wasn't the smallest ground either.
New Delhi: Sunil Gavaskar, bowing down to the remarkable double century smashed by Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday, said he would like to touch the 36-year-old's feet.
Tendulkar cracked an unbeaten 200 against South Africa in Gwalior to become the first batsman in ODIs to hit a double hundred.
"Who else has 93 international hundreds, who else has more than 14,000 ODI runs, who else has more than 17, 000 Test runs? Nobody. I would really like to bend down and touch his feet. If somebody is at that pedestal, I would like to do that," Gavaskar told CNN-IBN.
Also depends if Ponting's double ton against Pakistan was him coming out of a form slump or just a blip in his decline.Just checked - Ponting is the next closest, 6000 runs behind. Then there's Lara who is not going to add to his tally obviously, but then come Dravid and Kallis - both of whom are 10,000 runs behind and are not going to catch up.
So no one active really has a shot besides Ponting. Ponting would have to play for - say 5 years longer than Sachin? I don't think that'll happen since Sachin will go on until at least the WC, and I doubt Ponting will stick around till 2015 - though maybe he's aiming for the 2014 Ashes and may have an outside shot.
Sachin is not going anywhere, I know he is in great form at the moment and that may cloud my judgement but I any many others think that he could play at a very good level until he is 40. I fully expect Ponting to score heavily again (although not at the ludicrious levle he did for a while) but can see both retiring about the same age.Also depends if Ponting's double ton against Pakistan was him coming out of a form slump or just a blip in his decline.