The left proves right again

Khurram Darbar was an innocuous left-arm spinner from the Mumbai maidans. But in the 1988 Giles Shield inter-school final he troubled the 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar 8212; the world was yet know the teen prodigy as the Master Blaster.

Khurram Darbar was an innocuous left-arm spinner from the Mumbai maidans. But in the 1988 Giles Shield inter-school final he troubled the 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar 8212; the world was yet know the teen prodigy as the Master Blaster.

After about three decades, Monty Panesar struck at the same Achilles8217; heel and Tendulkar 8212; the Master Blaster couldn8217;t quite make his last visit to Lord8217;s memorable. Old habits die hard, but today it was proved they never do.

As Tendulkar misread the Panesar arm-ball and was out lbw, names like Darbar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Ray Price, Daniel Vettori and Ashley Giles came to mind. It was the day when the international left-arm spinners8217; club can proudly claim that they intimidated one of game8217;s most accomplished batsman all through his career.

It wasn8217;t the delivery of the day that Panesar bowled, but it certainly remained the wicket of the day. It was a classic case of poor judgment against a very ordinary delivery that Panesar bowled, undeserving of the 34-year-old batsman to get deceived.

In the end, it was a tragi-comic scene at Lord8217;s when India 8216;s third wicket fell. The stiff upper lip English crowd couldn8217;t help but let out a roar of laugher watching Panesar8217;s hysterical jubilation but at the same time they also felt the need to pay somber respect to the legend who would never return here.

Vintage Tendulkar, many had said at the start of his innings. Just before his dismissal, he came up with a classic drive through the covers that signaled that he was feeling comfortable in the middle. In the end, it had to be some good left-arm spin 8212; his palpable weakness against it 8212; that did him in.

A bit of history here at Lord8217;s still has its own bit of importance, the sight of Gordon Greenidge, when he was 33 years old, coming out in the fourth innings and smashing an unbeaten 214 to help the West Indies chase a massive target of 344 in the June of 1984. It reminds us once again that age could never be the problem if a batsman, of that stature, is to find his feet for the occasion.

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A win was always a far-fetched thought, if not impossible. But for Tendulkar, his outing today at Lord8217;s was the perfect last opportunity to help his longing desire and a mention in the Long Room that he had entertained spectators here.

Sadly, it wasn8217;t meant to be.