July 28: Sachin Tendulkar laid out a careful selection of objectives and achieved it with some good old-fashioned Test batting. Paying careful attention to every minute detail that encompasses duration cricket, Tendulkar was a study in concentration as he helped India overcome the jitters with Suresh Raina on the third day of the second Test at the SSC here on Tuesday.
Their 141-run unbroken fifth wicket stand took India to 382/4 at stumps and to the threshold of safety. Tendulkar who made his fifth hundred in six Tests this year and 48th overall is batting on 108 (272m, 181b, 14x4, 1x6) while Raina is on 66 (145m, 133b, 8x4). The loss of three quick wickets in the opening session pushed India into an alternate plan. Kumar Sangakkara did not play his cards right. With a mammoth total to fall back on, the field through the day was predominately on-side. There was no real attempt to force the batsmen to make mistakes. Instead, the approach was to wait. It worked well briefly but Tendulkar, first with Laxman and later with Raina, stood like a rock.
There were many moments of brilliance from Tendulkar. With debutant Suraj Randiv probing in an untiring 15-over spell from the Pavilion End, the veteran brought out the sweep to telling effect. Singles were rotated with consummate ease. It was not a fluent start but he settled in well. Laxman looked on top of his game when he was given out. The ball from Ajantha Mendis that came in looked like missing leg stump but Rod Tucker ruled in favour of the bowler.
The first session was full of action. What looked like a never-ending first wicket stand between Virender Sehwag and M. Vijay, ended when the former decided to bring up another Test hundred with a six off Randiv. The shot was not the percentage option and Sehwag paid heavily. The bowler floated one through straighter to beat the batsman in flight, Prasanna Jayawardene did the rest to leave Sehwag stranded a run short of his 21st century.
Thilan Samaraweera grassing a chance offered by Sehwag when on 89 did not prove costly.