Just a breakthrough away, says confident Tendulkar

SAS NAGAR, OCT 13: For nearly 400 minutes, Sachin Tendulkar was a picture of determination. His batting was sans frills and extravagance....

SAS NAGAR, OCT 13: For nearly 400 minutes, Sachin Tendulkar was a picture of determination. His batting was sans frills and extravagance. He could not afford to anyway, as there were so many things weighing on his mind: his second stint as the Indian skipper, apprehensions over his back problem and a disgraceful Indian collapse on the first day of the Test here.

Hard work done, Tendulkar was all smiles at the end of the day’s play. He had proved the doubting Thomases wrong with a disciplined century. “As long as I am comfortable, there is no reason to be worried about my back. I don’t want to interpret all that people have been reading into it these days. I am very happy and satisfied in my own mind,” Tendulkar said.

If India made such a remarkable recovery, they had as much to thank Rahul Dravid as Tendulkar. After a cautious approach yesterday, Dravid was confidence personified, playing some pleasing strokes on either side of the wicket today in his knock of 144.

Dravid seems to have some specialliking for the Kiwis. This is his third century in his last four Test innings against them (all this year). Most importantly, this is Dravid’s first Test century at home. “At least people won’t ask me why I haven’t scored a century here, now,” Dravid remarked. He jokingly admitting that after today’s effort he “can indeed be called a tiger at home. But I would love to get a few more abroad as it is always a greater challenge”.

He still rates his two centuries in New Zealand (Hamilton Test) as better as they came on a predominently seaming wickets. “Still, it’s good to get a hundred, especially after our first innings failure,” he said.

Dravid and Tendulkar share a special relationship, having high regard for each other. “He batted quite well under the situation,” Tendulkar felt about Dravid’s knock. Dravid felt the same about his skipper’ batting.

It’s been quite a contrasting year for the two. Tendulkar had a marvellous last year and the expectations were soaring all the time. However, his backinjury and personal tragedy (father’s death) may have held him back and the results have been ordinary, if you take his calibre into account.

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On the other hand, Dravid assumed the role of India’s batting backbone with unflinching ease. He shone in New Zealand and in the World Cup and has been going from strength to strength. He has signed up for Kent in the next summer’s English County championships and that should be the shot in the arm for Dravid as it would help him tune to the wet and seaming wickets.

Asked about the slow going yesterday, Tendulkar felt that the “wicket was a bit slow and their spinner Daniel Vettori was bowling to a leg stump line most of the time. It was difficult to score runs off that line”.

Dismissing suggestions that the wicket may have eased a bit, Dravid said that “when you are getting runs it gives the impression that the wicket is behaving welll. It’s not that easy.”

As for the match, Tendulkar agreed that a wicket or two more today would have been of help but wasconfident of the bowlers doing the job tomorrow. “Kumble in particular bowled very well this evening. Luck was not on our side but we just need a breakthrough tomorrow,” Tendulkar said.