Tendulkar’s gratitude to England
SACHIN TENDULKAR, the greatest runscorer cricket has seen, admitted he had never made a more emotional century than the one that defeated England yesterday.
A pulsating Test which India won against all the odds in the last hour of the fifth day was played out against the backdrop of the terrorist attacks on his home city of Mumbai which claimed 181 lives. Tendulkar, with the 41st century of his 19-year Test career, took his team to victory by six wickets in a remarkable run chase as India scored 387-4.
A man of great dignity, Tendulkar said: “I look on what happened as not simply an attack on Mumbai but as an attack on India, and it should hurt every Indian. That innings is for everyone and I would like to dedicate it to everyone who has gone through terrible times.
“This will not make everyone forget about what happened in Mumbai, but I would like to thank England for coming back to play Test cricket and helping make a wonderful Test match. People are again enjoying cricket the way it is meant to be.
“I don’t think by India winning or me scoring a hundred will make people who have lost their dear ones feel better – that is a terrible loss and our hearts are with them. But all I can say is whatever manner in which we can contribute to make them feel better we will do our best.”
Two parents at the school attended by Tendulkar’s daughter were killed in the attacks which forced England to abandon their one-day series in India and return home for a week. Throughout the Test Tendulkar has featured in a television advertisement backed by one of the sponsors in which he talks about the atrocities.
In it he says: “I know what it means to be part of a team. It means we support each other, look out for each other.
“We stand together through the bad times and when the good times return we are stronger than before. I play for India now more than ever.” His unbeaten 103 in Chennai saw India to their target of 387, the fourth highest successful run chase ever, and denied England a victory they believed was theirs at the start of the day. “It is emotional,” said Tendulkar. “I feel very happy and proud I have been able to achieve something very special.”
Tasting defeat for a sixth successive time in India this winter, England captain Kevin Pietersen was not about to turn his attention to what had been a poor bowling performance. “You could not write Sachin’s script any better,” he said. “The man from Mumbai came in and scored a sensational hundred, he batted like a superstar.
“We felt 387 was enough, we were in a position where we thought we should have won the Test, we tried our hearts out but came unstuck.
“To control the Test for 70 per cent of the time and miss out is a bitter pill to swallow. The boys are not happy in the dressing room but they can be proud with the way they played following what happened in Mumbai.”
