Rewriting the script

There are rarely such matches that provide so many thrills as the recently concluded Chennai test between India and England. While England dominated the test for most of the time, it took three brilliant innings of different styles to really snatch victory from the English team. While Sehwag’s belligerent innings was the difference between the two teams, it was Sachin Tendulkar’s measured approach to the target that won us the match – not to forget Yuvraj Singh’s performance.

For long I have been extremely critical of Sachin’s ability to win matches on his own – and used to rant about a long list of matches where he could have won us those but either gave away his wicket at a crucial juncture or got out. However, this year alone, he has played two amazing knocks – one in the CB series final against Australia, and this one now against England in the Chennai Test. Both innings had determination written all over them – that he will not give up before taking the team home. The Chennai innings was special, since about 10 years ago, on the same ground, Sachin had failed to win a match he single handedly set up for India. That was probably his best inning till date – fighting a back problems and a terrific Pakistan bowling attack. The only blot on that innings was that he got out with India needing some 15 odd runs, and we lost 3 wickets and the match after that. It was heartbreaking!

So it was only apt that he chose the same venue to rewrite the script, and take India home in this record chase. Let us hope we see a lot more of these innings from him now, as the pressure on him gets considerably lesser.

And I think we need to leave Dravid alone. For 2 months – let us not ask for his head. The guy will be back with a bang. He alone has saved and won more matches for us than a lot of the others – he has been the mainstay of this team for ages – he deserves to be left alone by critics and media for some time.