India falters at the LAST MILE despite ‘Grandpa’ Sachin Tendulkar’s Heroic Knock of 175!

Sachin’s teammate Yuvraj Singh in a fitting tribute to the veteran’s tenacity had just recently said, "We have started calling him grandfather. Even at this stage, he wants to improve with every game. For him, there is no end to getting better, no matter whatever you have already achieved. He is an amazing man and I don't think any other player can go on to play for 20 years or more like he has."

Before the start of today’s match against Australia in Hyderabad the batting maestro needed just 7 runs to reach the 17,000-run mark in One Day Internationals. By the time he was out in the 48th over he had piled on 175 runs (141 balls, 19 fours, 4 sixes) and put India within sniffing distance of victory.

The match had started on a perfect batting track with Australia winning the toss and quite understandably opting to bat first. Openers, Shaun Marsh, who scored a run-a-ball 112 (with 8 fours and 2 sixes) and Shane WatsonShane Watson (93 off 89 balls with 9 fours and 3 sixes) started off in style putting together 145 for the first wicket partnership. While Watson dominated with his big hits Marsh was fluency personified and ended up emulating his dad Geoff who like him, had recorded his maiden ton against India - way back in 1986.

Captain Ponting (45 off like number of balls with 3 fours and a six), Cameron WhiteCameron White (57 off 33 balls with 2 fours and 5 sixes) and Mike Hussey (unbeaten on 31 in 22 balls with a four and 2 sixes) also produced useful contributions to take the team’s total to a solid looking 350.

In response, Sehwag and Tendulkar came out all guns blazing in a belligerent run-chase and quickly put 66 on the board before Sehwag perished at his individual score of 38. Soon Gautam GambhirGautam Gambhir (8), Yuvraj SinghYuvraj Singh (9) and Dhoni (6) followed Sehwag to the pavilion proving that Sidhuisms ring true even today and reminded one of Navjot Sidhu’s famous line which goes: “Indian team is like bicycles in a cycle stand, you push one and the rest follow.”

Luckily for India, Cameron White saved an all-fall-down situation by dropping Raina who was then on nought. It also helped that Tendulkar had totally different plans. Almost imperious in his stroke making, at one point he raced from 68 to 92 in two overs flat with Watson and Hauritz taking the stick as he blazed away with three sixes and a four. Meanwhile, Raina gained in confidence as he spent time at the crease in the company of the unstoppable Sachin and scored a meaty 59 with 3 sixes and an equal number of fours before falling to Watson. The same over saw Harbhajan SinghHarbhajan Singh, promoted up the order depart for a duck after nicking a ball to keeper Manou.

It was a pleasant sight to see that Ravindra Jadeja (23 with 3 fours) had shed his nerves and was scoring freely in the crunch situation. Naturally, one felt confident that he will stay around and see the team home when 19 more runs were needed at the loss of Sachin’s wicket - but that was not to be. An impatient Jadeja at the non-striker’s end, never in a situation to return back to the crease, ran himself out starting off for a non-existent single when the batsman on strike did not even budge an inch!

Clearly, Tendulkar's wicket had signaled a panic and the remaining four wickets went tumbling thereafter like the proverbial bicycles in that cycle stand. Alas, the boys could not even realize that Grandpa’s painstakingly put together innings could evaporate in a jiffy if…

- myVox