My father has never been a keen follower of cricket, but still, whenever India plays, he sits for few hours and watches and tends to blast at the players when our team loses the match without a fight. Today, in the third test match against England at Mumbai, after watching India slowly pulling off the follow-on, courtesy Dravid and Dhoni and then nudging close to 280 with key contribution from Kumble and Sreeshanth, my father remarked "If Munaf Patel can score 7 runs which included a boundary, then bloody, why Sachin manages just one run of 21 deliveries and got out to a nothing ball?" This clearly shows the angish people are getting over Sachin's continous and consistent failures.
Is it time that Greg Chappell says to Tendulkar - "Look, you have not been playing well and it is increasing the pressure on the team. I think it is time for you to step down." He did this to Ganguly and the people supported his decision and frankness in doing so. Will he do the same to Sachin?
The remuneration for players representing Team India is Rs 2.50 lakhs for a Test and Rs 1.85 lakhs an ODI on foreign tours and Rs 2 lakhs a Test and Rs 1.60 lakhs an ODI for a home series. This is not out of my hat - but from the Sportstar magazine. Check out the link - http://www.sportstaronnet.com/tss2907/stories/20060218001001700.htm to read in detail
The way Dravid is playing, the amount of consistency he is showing, I don't remember when was the last time he got out on a low score. At the same time, I don't remember when Sachin made a healthy contribution to the Indian score. Their scoring pattern has been at either ends of spectrum. Sachin's 35th century came against Srilanka, a side that was low in confidence and the innings was such a slow and painstaking I have ever watched. It was equivalent to the century made by Ganguly against Zimbabwe just before he was removed from the team.
It is time for Sachin to honour his own statement - "I will step aside when I feel that I have become a burden to the team". You have certainly entertained this game and played some great innings when you were so young, the type of innings many couldn't even think off.
He still seem to have something left in his one day cricket. But the time has come for a great cricketer like him to retire from Test cricket.
1 comment:
Its not time for Sachin to retire, but to take a break and introspect. He definitely has a few years in the game and India (especially Dravid) need his services for he is a very shrewd cricketer. Give him a break, and he will bounce high like a RUBBER BALL.
I am amazed that you have not written about Sehwag. He has a technical flaw that the Pakis exploited earlier, and the English have carried on from then. And he is not intent on rectifying his flaw. What say VijayTV???
Post a Comment