Published: Nov 16, 2013, 11:47 AM (IST)
Edited: Nov 16, 2013, 11:47 AM (IST)
Sachin Tendulkar was given a great send-off as India won the Test by an innings and 126 runs © IANS
By Nishad Pai Vaidya
Nov 16, 2013
Sachin Tendulkar bid adieu to Test cricket with India completing a 2-0 series win over the West Indies with an innings and 126–run victory in the second Test at Mumbai. The whole game was about him with the Mumbai crowd turning up in numbers to watch him bat. However, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma and Pragyan Ojha dazzled the stage and helped India record the victory. Tendulkar did contribute with 74, an innings of character under great personal pressure.
On Day One, the felicitations began with a slew of mementos for Tendulkar. Shivnarine Chanderpaul was also felicitated as he completed 150 Test matches. Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl first. India were unchanged, while West Indies brought in Shanon Gabriel and Narsingh Deonarine in place of Sheldon Cottrell and Veerasammy Permaul.
West Indies had a decent start, but they crumbled to Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha’s spin. They collapsed to 182 on the first afternoon as Ojha finished with figures of five for 40. India resumed their innings after tea and Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan started off with a flurry of boundaries. However, with the score on 77, Shane Shillingford snared both openers in no time and the Wankhede crowd roared to welcome their hero.
Emotions were running high an Wankhede as everybody were on their feet. Darren Sammy’s West Indians formed a guard of honour to welcome him. Even the umpires were a part of the formation. Tendulkar shook hands and then got on with the jobs. With his family in the stands, Tendulkar took guard for the last time under the intense cauldron of pressure.
Since it was the last time, the Master unleashed that hidden side. In a long time, he was positive and looked fluent and in control. Moving onto the front-foot, he reached the pitch and essayed those typical cover-drives and the straight-drives. If the ball was pitched short by the spinner, he rocked back and cut it behind point for four. He finished Day One on 38, with India on 157 for two.
At the other end, Pujara went about his job easily. There was no pressure on him and he played those typical crunchy shots through the off-side. Day Two resumed with Tendulkar taking control and moving to his fifty with a straight-drive. He was having a good contest with Tino Best and tried to play the upper cut a few times and missed.
Pujara too moved to his fifty with the spotlight off him. However, then came a moment that broke a billion hearts — for the final time. Deonarine wrote his name in history when he bowled a shortish delivery outside the off-stump and Tendulkar tried to play it late through third-man. But, it sped to Sammy at first-slip and he took a blinder. Silence!
As Tendulkar walked back, the crowd stood up to applaud him. There was that look of disappointment on his eye and he took off the helmet and waved his bat to the crowd. Kohli waited for Tendulkar to leave the ground and then entered the field. Suddenly, India had to contend with the thought of playing without Tendulkar.
Kohli and Pujara took control and dazzled with their strokeplay. Kohli in particular was dominant with those cover-drives off the spinner as he sped away to his fifty off 53 balls. But, Shillingford snared him when he induced an edge to first-slip. Rohit walked out to join Pujara as the latter completed his ton with ease.
Rohit carried on from where he left off at Kolkata. He charged to Shillingford early and picked a few boundaries. Pujara fell to Shillingford for 113 and the lower order wobbled a touch, although Ashwin managed a quick 30. However, Rohit was in fine form and struck an 80-run partnership with the last man, Mohammed Shami.
Rohit farmed the strike and protected Shami. He dealt in boundaries and also had a chance go his way as he holed out to the deep off a no-ball. He then got to his ton when he smashed a six through long-on. It was his second ton in as many innings in Test cricket. Shami then wielded his willow a touch, before India were bowled out for 495.
West Indies started their second innings 313 runs behind late on Day Two. Spin was brought in early and Kieran Powell was the first to go as he offered a catch to long-off. Best came in as the night-watchman and was dismissed leg-before for nine. Darren Bravo was also dismissed by Ashwin as he edged to the slips. West Indies finished Day Two on that note at 43 for three.
As Day Three dawned, the general feeling was that it was Tendulkar’s last as an international player. And, the feeling grew stronger as Pragyan Ojha snared Marlon Samuels and Chris Gayle in no time. Gayle did play a few aggressive strokes, but edged one into Dhoni’s gloves as he went for another. Deonarine didn’t last long as he spooned a catch back to Ojha.
Chanderpual and Ramdin then took control and put up a fighting stand. However, once Chanderpaul fell, India were in set to wrap it up quickly. Ojha completed his ten-for when he had Sammy leg-before. The crowd also cheered when Tendulkar was brought on to bowl a few overs.
Shami then came on the bowled the last-man and then the crowd knew it was time. The Indian team formed a guard of honour which took Tendulkar right through to the dressing room. The West Indian team also came down to shake hands. A tear rolled down his cheek as he waved good-bye to the crowd. It is indeed the end of an era.
The presentation ceremony completed with a moving speech and a lap of honour. The crowd were in tears and so was the man himself. It is a moment, no cricket fan would forget.
Brief scores:
West Indies 182 (Kieran Powell 48; Pragyan Ojha 5 for 40) and 187 (Shivnarine Chanderpaul 41, Denesh Ramdin 53*; Pragyan Ojha 5 for 49, Ravichandran Ashwin 4 for 89) lost to India 495 (Cheteshwar Pujara 113, Sachin Tendulkar 74, Virat Kohli 57, Rohit Sharma 111*; Shane Shillingford 5 for 179) by an innings and 126 runs.
Man of the Match: Pragyan Ojha
Man of the Series: Rohit Sharma
