"One-Man-Army" Sachin Tendulkar inspire India to series triumph

Tendulkar and Praveen inspire India to series triumph

India 9 for 258 (Tendulkar 91, Bracken 3-31, Clarke 3-52) beat Australia 249 (Hopes 61, Hayden 55, Praveen 4-46) by 9 runs.

In the final installment of its 29-year existence, a series that has become a part of Australia's summer culture came to a climactic end with a fitting humdinger at the Gabba.

Twenty three years after India's last significant limited-overs title in Australia, Sachin Tendulkar helped script another memorable chapter with an innings of skill and determination. There was to be no repeat of his twin centuries against Australia in 1998, but his 91 set up a total which, backed by Praveen Kumar's subtle-swinging accuracy, proved nine runs too much for Australia.

In a game that ebbed and flowed wonderfully, James Hopes took Australia agonisingly close to victory with his maiden fifty after Praveen returned from an 11-run 45th over to snap a threatening eight-wicket stand. Back when Australia dominated this tournament regularly Steve Waugh earned the moniker 'Ice Man' and under starry skies Hopes and Praveen gave it a modern context.

Hopes battled on with comfortable sweeps against the spinners and some deft placement down the ground. There was not a trace of emotion on face as he raised his fifty. Similarly, having given up 11 runs in his penultimate over, Praveen displayed awesome composure to bowl a three-run 47th, cleaning up Brett Lee.

That left Australia needing 29 from 18 balls. Sreesanth picked up a second wicket but Hopes refused to bow down, flat-batting a six over wide long-on to ratchet up the tension. With 13 required off the final over, Pathan came back on. A single to third man exposed Nathan Bracken, who chipped a slower ball to midwicket. Hopes crossed and drove a manic couple to long-off but could only drive the fourth ball into midwicket's diving lap. Sinking to the ground as India whooped and cried around him, Hopes cut an endearing figure, a hero on a losing side, but the entire Brisbane crowd stood to applaud a pulse-setting, nerve-wracking game - and the deserving winners.

The contest was set up by yet another masterclass from Tendulkar. In nearly three hours of nimble-footed driving, mainly to the off side, interspersed with soft on-side strokes, Tendulkar treated an appreciative crowd to a fine innings. India were steady during the Powerplays, scoring 36, 30 and 26 in three blocks, but made their best opening of the tournament. The ball didn't speed away to the ropes when the openers leaned into their drives and so they smartly adjusted gears, keeping the outfielders busy through a mixture of full-faced dabs to third man and flicks to deep square leg.

Tendulkar had a life on 7 when Ricky Ponting dropped a hard reflex catch at short cover, and he made it count. An utterly mistimed pull attempt off Nathan Bracken was the first sign of frustration but he quickly regained composure and decided to target Stuart Clark. His fifty came up from his 70th delivery and India had successfully chipped out a good start.

Some needless shots, however, allowed Australia back in. India would have preferred even 280 after this but having seized the initiative they allowed it to slip in a flurry of impetuous shots. Hopes allowed just one run in the 45th over, Bracken was accurate with his crafty mix of yorkers and slower deliveries, taking two wickets in the 48th over, and Lee kept it full as well.

At the SCG Tendulkar backed the bowlers' efforts with a sublime century and today they returned the favour. Especially Praveen, who for the second time in two high-pressure matches justified his new-ball promotion with the wickets of Australia's three most dangerous batsmen. Adam Gilchrist's final innings came to end with an edge and a walk but it was Ponting's horrendous attempt at a pull shot that really set off the alarm bells.

Michael Clarke's ability to judge length has been his strength in the tournament but he lost his off stump, playing a crude swipe across the line, to one that stayed low. Hayden made the most of mess-up between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Tendulkar, at first slip, when he was on 5, to keep the asking rate in control. Irfan Pathan was again the target of Hayden's ire and went for 37 from his first five overs. Hayden put on 89 with Andrew Symonds, whose eventful season continued with him shoulder charging, and Australia looked to be in the game.

At this stage Australia required another 138 and Michael Hussey showed there was fire in Australia's belly. Paddling and sweeping his way energetically in a 76-run stand with Hopes, he threatened to take the series to Adelaide. Hunting a target at over eight an over finally got to him, and he under-edged Sreesanth for a cool 44 in the 42nd over.

The rest turned into a tension-filled rollercoaster ride, during which India held their nerve to triumph. After a long and controversial tour Down Under, India now head home with their heads held high. For Australia, the last time they surrendered back-to-back series was 1983-84 and 1984-85, against West Indies, and 23 years later this loss would come as a chastening blow.

Source: Cricinfo

"Little Master" Sachin Tenduldar draws first blood in Australia

Sachin Tendulkar's first limited overs century on Australian soil has underpinned India's comfortable six-wicket victory in the first of the Commonwealth Bank Series finals at the SCG.

The master batsman crafted an unbeaten 117, reaching the boundary 10 times, as India easily overhauled Australia's 8-239. It gives the tourists a 1-0 lead over Australia in the best-of-three finals.

The hosts must now win in Brisbane on Tuesday to send the series to a decider.

Tendulkar was struck on the shoulder by a Brett Lee beam ball on 98 before two singles took him to three figures.

The veteran batsman punched the air in delight as the capacity crowd rose to its feet to acknowledge Tendulkar's breakthrough ton in his 39th one-day appearance in Australia.

The very next ball Rohit Sharma's magnificent knock came to an end on 66 when his off stump was rocked back by James Hopes (2-42)

Skipper MS Dhoni (15 not out) joined Tendulkar and saw India home with more than four overs to spare.

It was the 123-run fourth wicket alliance between Sharma and his boyhood hero Tendulkar which veered the match India's way.

The visitors lost early wickets, slumping to 3-87, before Tendulkar and Sharma slowly loosened Australia's grip on the game.

The pair didn't resort to big hitting, patiently picking the bowling off and staying ahead of the run rate.

Tendulkar's greatest concern early in the innings was the lack of fight at the other end, with wickets falling at regular intervals.

Opener Robin Uthappa (17) helped put on 50 for the first wicket before he was out to a terrific Michael Hussey catch from the bowling of Hopes.

Running at full pace and diving forward from deep square leg, Hussey picked up the ball centimetres from the ground, jumping to his feet and celebrating as if he'd scored the winning goal in an FA Cup final.

India slid further when the in-form Gautam Gambhir (three) was run out after going to sleep just six runs later.

Tendulkar called his team-mate through for a second run but Mitchell Johnson at third man, sensing Gambhir was slow to react, threw brilliantly to the non-striker's end.

Hopes gathered and threw down the stumps from a few metres away with the Indian No.3 well short of his ground.

Yuvraj Singh again looked in no man's land, limping to 10 before Brad Hogg (1-38) went right through him with a flat, quick delivery which crashed into off stump.

But Tendulkar found an ally in Sharma and their partnership proved the match winner.

Earlier, a Matthew Hayden half-century and cameos from Andrew Symonds (31), Hussey (45), Hogg (23 not out) and Brett Lee (17) lifted the home side to a respectable tally after it had been 3-24 early.

Source: Sportal

My son told me why don't you hit a six when on 94: Sachin

If only Sachin Tendulkar had listened to his son, he may have a century of centuries in international cricket now.

When the master batsman fell for 97 in the fourth cricket ODI against Pakistan in Gwalior, it was the 23rd time in Tests and ODIs that he has got out in the 90s. In ODIs, he has got out in the 90s as many as 16 times and in Tests seven times. He has 78 centuries to his credit -- 41 in ODIs and 37 in Tests, and the 23 missed ones would have taken his tally to 101. Unbelievably, he has fallen in the 90s seven times this year.

Asked about these surprise failures, Tendulkar laughingly disclosed a solution offered by his son. " My son told me why don't you hit a six when on 94".

"Well, these things happen. What is most satisfying for me is that we won both the match and the series," he said after India clinched a ODI series triumph over Pakistan on home soil after 24 years by winning the fourth ODI by six wickets. "I guess I got into this wrong habit of getting out in the 90's. But for me, what matters and counts most is that India won," he said.

The 42nd century is turning out to be jinxed for Tendulkar who has fallen in the 'nervous 90s' for six times this year (19 matches), and second time in the ongoing series. He fell short by just one run on three occasions.

Incidentally, it was Umar Gul again who denied him a century in Mohali, removing him for 99 in the second match there. Tendulkar faced a similar problem at the start of his ODI career and it took him 79 matches to score his first century that came almost after five years since the start of his career. But once he scored his first ton -- against Australia in Sri Lanka at Colombo in the Singer World series -- he scored centuries at will.

But of late, the century has eluded him, and the last time he crossed the three-figure mark was against the West Indies in January this year at Vadodara.

Source: ExpressIndia.com