Sachin and Pujara pull India to victory

The hour findeth the man and C Pujara emerged as a hero. Needing 207 to win, India won by seven wickes, thanks to C Puara ( 72 ) and the Master Blaster ( 53 no ).

A new star has zoomed on the horizon. Pujara is a prolific scorer in domestic cricket and one can say he lived upto his reputation.

Sachin complete his 58th fifty and almost singlehandedly won the match for Inda. In Two Tests, he has more than 401 runs.

India is the No 1 Text team, with 130 points, in ICC Rankings. Australia has slipped to the fifth position.

His 49th hundred is a double hundred !

Sachin was out eventually for 214, but then India had already taken a lead. Now they are 485/6 !

There was one man not at all tired on Monday. That was Sachin ! He batted throughout and never once did he exhibit any tiredness !

He is a living legend. May he score more. Now he has 49 Test hundreds and 46 ODI hundreds !

Tremendous powers of concentration and endurance mark this man. Aussies were bewildered as he went on to his double century ! He had crossed 14000 runs in Test cricket, the highest ever !

He should be knighted. Sir Sachin Tendulkar !

This is the Legend's

sixth century in 2010
second double
98 in the last Test
Total - 1217 this calender year.

Can you believe it ? He has an average of 93.61.

This is his best year, and that too in his 20th year. He seems to be improving all the time. He may go and cross Yousuf's 9 centuries in an year. Many has laughed at him saying that he is over the hill. It is time they did some introspecting !

The fiery spells of Waqar, Wasim and Imran at Karachi on Nov 15th, 1989 greeted him on his debut. A baptism of fire ! From then on he only improved and improved and erased all records in all the three formats of the game. M. Hayden was broadminded enough to comment.... " I have seen God !He bats at No 4 for India "

He did not lose his composure and remained humble and cool. A true professional!



After his debut, he was challenged by Lara, Inzamam ul Huq, Saeed Anwar and finally Ricky Ponting. When you compare him with the great Ponting, he has scored 14000 runs against P's 12026, average 56.02 against 54.66, 49 Test hundreds against Ponting's 39 ! ( in Tests ).

In ODIs, he has 46 hundreds against P's 29, 93 fifties against 79, 17958 runs against 13072, highest 200 no against 160, average 45.12 against 42.85 and strike rate 86.26 against P's 80.64 !

These two Great Ones will battle again and a battle royal is in the offing. Ponting is all geared up to break the jinx against Bajji, on Indian pitches. ( Now Australia are 132/5, with Ponting on 42 ).

Australia has crept upto 202/7, with Ojha taking 3 wickets, Bajji 2 and ZAK and Sreesath one each !

A tense final day is indicated as both will battle for supremacy. Above 200 will not be an easy task for India either !

A grand 308 run partnership !

Sachin's 49th hundred stalled the mighty Aussies. It helped Vijay scored 139 runs in a magnificent 308 run partnership !

Sachin is just 9 short of 200 and may create history tomorrow. Now he has 49 Test hundreds and 46 ODI centuries !

A draw will mean that India will win the series. The match seems to be headed for a draw. And Dhoni is in no hurry to declare !

C Pujara, the new debutant, was out cheap unfortunately. Raina also fell. Except for those two wickets, the day belonged to India.

Sachin still on 191 no is a great solace to India. With Dhoni in no mood to declare, Sachin & the tailenders may go on and on. Thus feel the Indians.

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Laxman pulls India to victory !

Laxman has always been the destroyer of the Aussie attack. India needed 92 runs with 2 wickets in hand when in walked I Sharma to partner Laxman. Laxman with his touch artistry scored an invaluable 73 not out, thus snatching victory off the jaws of defeat. It was 124/8 at one stage. Then I Sharma scored a priceless 31 and Ojha partnered the great Laxman and India had beaten the world champions !

Beating Aussies is not easy and full marks to India. The way they bowled in the second innings, the way they never lost their presence of mind and glorious batting by Laxman.

Well done, India. After all, it is mighty Australia you have beaten !

India pull off spectacular win !

Set to score 258 by a strong Lankan side, India was in the doldrums at 57/3 and 62/4 ! Then the Indian batsmen went in for a strong rear guard action and emerged victorious. Full marks to Laxman ( 103 no), Sachin ( 54) and Raina *( 41 no ).

This is one of the greatest wins ever. When it was 57/3, we all thought that India was facing the music. To play Mendis and Ranadiv on the last days of the Test is disconcerting to many. But not for Laxam, Sachin and Raina.

Raina proved that he is world class material again today with a majestic 41 no. When Sachin fell at a 171, India had won half the battle. Laxman was all wristy excellence and he scored one of the greatest character innings centuries to bring victory for India. The series is drawn at 1-1.

The Indian team had a point to prove to its detractors. Indian batting line up was earlier defined as one of the best and now that reputation had taken a lot of battering. Today's performance confounded those who dismissed it as a depleted line-up ! There were only four batsmen left at 62/4 and three batsmen rose to the occasion to defend India's reputation ! The experience of Sachin and Laxman showed the way. Also the potential of Raina. Trevor Bailey used to say that it is pressure, " it is the situation " which will take a toll of psyche and nerves of all those involved ! Laxman battled the great pressure and with aid from Sachin and Raina, pulled off one of the best wins ever !

Laxman defied cramps and played the sheet anchor role and was as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar. Raina smote Welegedara for a mighty six to seal the fate of Sri Lanka.

257 was a difficult score to chase and India suffered some reverses early on as Sehwag, Vijay, Dravid and Ishant went out cheap. India were in dire straits at 62/4, but then a glorious 109 partnership between Sachin and Laxman changed the complexion of the game.

Sachin had his moments of luck, when he was dropped by T Dilshan off Ranadiv. He was 18 then but he recovered his poise and cracked yet another fifty. He jumped down the track and hit Ranadiv for a mighty four. Laxman, the grand touch artist that he is, leaned forward to a Mendis delivery and turned it to leg for four, thus notching the 50 run partnership between the two which came off 92 balls.

India were comfortably placed at 145/4, but when Tendulkar fell, there was angst in the Indian camp. But Raina disproved all fears as he gave great support to the wristy genius, Laxman. Sachin was dismissed when he gloved a Ranadiv flighter to the wicket keeper. But Laxman's sang-froid and coolness ensured that the great dismissal of Sachin did no harm to India's hopes ! Laxman continued his wristy work and was comfortable, as he was partnered by the inform Raina.

Laxman was adjudged Man of the Match and Sehwag the Man of the Series !

India keeps the numero uno position in Test matches !

Sehwag and Sachin rescue India

India were 180/2, with Sachin on 40 and Sehwag on 97, in reply to Sri Lank's 425.

Ojha took 4wickets and Ishant 3 and SL were all out for 425. India can still retain the No 1 position.

Sehwag was dropped at 52 by Angelo Mathews and this lapse may prove costly. Sachin survived a scare when he edged Ranadiv just past slip.In Fortress Lanka, Lanka scoring 425 is a bit low by SL standards. India can still pull the match out of the Lankan hands ! Let us watch and see tomorrow. 3 runs more and Sehwag will complete yet another century and where is Sachin headed to ?

When the SL bowlers found swing and was threatening the Indian batsmen, Sehwag cut loose with three consecutive fours of Welegedara, the man who had dismissed him in the Galle Test twice. The SL bowlers tried to trap Sehwag with short pitched deliveries but the Indian opener was too smart for that. He slammed Welegedara over midwicket and square leg and runs flowed off his bat. Mathews also had tried to trap Sehwag but couldnt find success, as the Indian powerhouse was at his belligerent best !

Sehwag targeted Welegdera and blasted him for nine fours. Demon fast bolwer Malinga tried to keep Sehwag quiet with some bouncers but Sehwag hit him for a glorious punched backfoot drive past the umpire ! Malinga did bowl a fiery spell and tried to trap Sehwag with the slower delivery but to no avail !

The host had their successes when they dismissed M Vijay and Dravid cheap. If Mathews had held on to that catch, India would have been in dire straits. Now the Indian morale is up, with Sehwag on 97 no and Sachin on 40 no !

Sachin cracks 48th Test hundred

Some relief to Indians, as Sachin cracked his 48th Test hundred.

Facing a mammoth 642/6 decl by SL, India was fighting back to the wall. A great 99 by Sehwag could not bring cheer to Indian minds. But Sachin's magic did. India at stumps were 382/4, behind SL by 260 runs. Sachin is on 108 and Raina on 66.