What do you do when your opposition has a batsman, who kinda loves one of your home grounds, so much so that he average 326 there, and has scores of 148 not out, 45 , 4 , 241 not out, 60 not out and 154 not out in test innings spanning across 16 years on this ground? You name the ground after him, just like one spectator did in his banner today. SCG was not Sydney cricket ground anymore; it was renamed Sachin’s Cricket Ground by the banner. Such an amazing knock was played just the previous day by VVS Laxman, that it really needed to be someone really gifted to overshadow it the very next day. It was a terrific show of skill, power, intellectual ability and execution skills of Sachin. He kept on changing gears throughout the innings with ease, and along with India’s tail, really showed glimpses of the Sachin Tendulkar we used to see in the late 90’s. Another interesting incident will probably throw some light on Sachin’s special liking for Brad Hogg on this tour. Recently, Hogg got his wicket in a one-dayer in India, and there was a photo of this dismissal which Hogg asked Sachin to sign. Sachin obliged, and also wrote “This will never happen again, Hoggy”
Not much can be written about an innings like this. It is an experience for cricket lovers, and Sachin fans and can only be enjoyed as you watch. As someone rightly said in another banner today – “Commit all your crimes when Sachin is batting. They will go unnoticed because even the Lord is watching”
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