A different sort of century
© Reuters One remembers the tremendous excitement generated in July 1968, when Indian-born England captain Michael Colin Cowdrey became the first cricketer to appear in 100 Test matches
Partab Ramchand
03-Aug-2006
© Reuters |
And yet, by the time Cowdrey had played the last of his 114 matches -
interestingly enough, also in Australia, in 1975 - he remained the
only cricketer to have played in a century of Tests. Over the next
quarter of a century, however, with international engagements getting
heavier, around 25 cricketers had joined him. All of them were over
30, some even close to 40 and Geoffrey Boycott was over 40 - when
they played their 100th Test. The latest entrant into the club is
therefore unique in that he is only 29 years of age.
But then, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has been associated with recordbreaking feats ever since his entry into the Test arena at Karachi in
November 1989 at the age of 16 years and 205 days. Given the fact that
he was always going to be a regular member of the side, it was only a
matter of time before he played his century of Tests, and the only
point of interest was whether he would be playing the significant
match at home or abroad.
At the Oval on Thursday, nearly 13 years after his debut, Tendulkar
will become the youngest to achieve the feat. Except for missing three
Tests in Sri Lanka last year due to an injury, Tendulkar has played in
every single Test since his debut - a run of 84 consecutive matches
that is a tribute to his fitness, calibre, skill and enthusiasm.
Over the years, Tendulkar has carved out a niche for himself in world
cricket with his inimitable brand of batsmanship that has seen many
speak of the little Indian as next only to Don Bradman. The great man
himself reckoned that Tendulkar's approach was the closest to his
style of batting and included him in his all-time dream team.
Tendulkar of course is no Bradman, as he himself has admitted. Sunil
Gavaskar summed up the issue in succinct terms way back in October
1983, when he equalled Bradman's record of 29 Test hundreds.
Discounting any comparisons, Gavaskar said that the only batsman
better than Bradman would be the one who gets 30 hundreds in 52 Tests.
© CricInfo |
Few batsmen in the game's history have inflicted greater psychological
damage on bowlers. The manner in which Tendulkar takes them apart
drives the bowlers to nervous depression. He has them in such a tizzy
with a trail of devastating shots that at last, in desperation and
disgusted with life as it were, the bowler has to either look to the
heavens for divine help or, closer to earth, implore with the captain
to take him off. "There is no use bowling to this bloke" has been the
general refrain of bowlers the world over. When you bowl to him, there
aren't enough tricks. Similarly, when you write about him, there
aren't enough words.
Tendulkar is a peerless player of any bowling. His technique is so
well-organised that he can counter any delivery with ease and comfort,
giving the impression of having all the time in the world to play the
stroke the hallmark of the greatest of batsmen. His excellent
eyesight sees any minute change in the bowler's action, and his nimble
footwork enables him to get to the pitch of the ball faster and with
much less effort than most batsmen.
Should the bowler force him onto the back foot, Tendulkar's feet are
in perfect position to essay a square-cut, hook, pull or the lofted
drive. He has no pet stroke; he plays them all handsomely,
felicitously and lucratively. There is an element of power in his
batting, but it is not total, naked power, just controlled force.
Timing is the essence of all his shots. His concentration is
legendary, his determination is fierce, and his hunger to succeed is
insatiable.
An important facet of Tendulkar's character is his ability to rise to
the occasion when a challenge is thrown at him. His treatment of Shane
Warne is the foremost example of this. The ace Australian leg-spinner,
voted among Wisden's five cricketers of the century, does not even
want to hear his name mentioned, stating that Tendulkar has given him
nightmares.
Tendulkar will become the fourth Indian to achieve this prestigious
landmark. Sunil Gavaskar was the first; he played his 100th Test at
Lahore in October 1984, becoming the fourth after Cowdrey, Boycott and
Clive Lloyd - and also at 35 the youngest. Dilip Vengsarkar was the
second, playing his 100th Test at the age of 32 in his hometown of
Bombay against New Zealand in November 1988. Almost exactly a year
later, Kapil Dev became the third to reach the landmark. Interestingly
enough, his 100th Test was Tendulkar's first. Kapil was a couple of
months short of his 31st birthday when he played that Karachi Test.
Cowdrey made his 100th Test a doubly memorable occasion by getting a
century. Gordon Greenidge emulated his feat in 1990, and along with
Javed Miandad, holds an absolutely unique record. Both batsmen scored
centuries in their first and 100th Test. Will Tendulkar emulate the
others by getting a hundred at the Oval? That would make the occasion
all the more unforgettable and be a fitting tribute to the pre-eminent
batsman in the world today. Calm, cool and composed even in the most
critical situation, Tendulkar remains the picture of modesty and
cultured behaviour, the prime role model for today's youth.