Sports FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013 45 Tendulkar bats in last Test MUMBAI: Delirious crowds greeted India’s at the stadium in the morning and the toss Sachin Tendulkar as he walked out to bat in took place with a specially minted coin bear- his last Test match yesterday, an emotional ing his image on one side, footage showed. farewell game for a national hero whose 24- Cries of “Sachin! Sachin!” echoed throughout year career has made him a cricketing legend. the day. Crowds at the Wankhede stadium in his Excitement around the game has been home town of Mumbai erupted as Tendulkar building since last month, when he headed for the crease on the first day of the announced his intention to retire. Highlights match, walking through a guard of honour of his innings and interviews have been loop- created by his West Indian opponents, televi- ing on news channels. “He’s not just a crick- sion pictures showed. Each run was greeted eter. For me he’s an ideal son, an ideal friend. with raucous applause and cheering, with The biggest thing about him is his humility,” several textbook cover drives exhibiting the said fan Himanshu Kapadia, queueing for elegant strokeplay that has marked Tendulkar entry to the stadium with his two sons. out since his international debut in 1989. Among the spectators was Sudhir Gautam, He finished the day unbeaten on 38, hav- Tendulkar’s celebrity fan, who travels across ing hit six boundaries off 73 balls, setting the the world to watch him while painted in the scene for further excitement today. The 40- colours of the Indian flag-with his idol’s name year-old is ending an international career dur- written across his chest and back. ing which he became the all-time leading Test The star’s wheelchair-bound mother Rajni and one-day batsman and the only man to was also watching him bat for the first time score 100 international centuries. Ahead of after a special ramp was built for her at the the match, he said the last 20 years had been south Mumbai stadium. She normally stays “marked by some of the most challenging, away out of fear of bringing bad luck. exhilarating, poignant and memorable Along with Indian politicians, businessmen KOLKATA: Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, a fan of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, waves moments of my life”. and Bollywood stars, cricketing greats Brian the Indian national flag in this file photo. Chaudhary, who was attended more than 300 “The game has seen so much change over Lara and Shane Warne flew in for the game at international matches, is widely recognised for showing up at every home match the the last two decades-from advances in tech- Wankhede, where a huge security force has Indian team plays with his entire body painted in the national colors of India. —AFP nology, new formats, yet the basic spirit and been deployed.Many followers expressed dis- passion surrounding the game remains the appointment that only 5,000 out of 32,000 Along with murals, banners and billboards visit to New Delhi, called him “absolutely an same,” he wrote in a front-page Hindustan seats were for the general public, with the rest that have sprung up ahead of his last match, all-time great” and said he was an example Times article. reserved for VIPs such as sponsors and cricket Mumbai’s tattoo parlours have reportedly and inspiration to cricket-lovers. The end of the “Little Master”, who has club members. seen a surge in requests for designs of the Despite his glowing status, Tendulkar’s almost god-like status in his cricket-mad “We will be very fortunate if we get anoth- sporting icon. cricketing powers have waned in recent years country, has been met with nationwide nos- er Sachin,” Indian captain Mahendra Singh On a beach in the eastern state of Odisha, and some suggested he should have retired talgia for his sporting feats. Dhoni said at the toss. “So it is important that an artist created a huge sand sculpture of 200 earlier. The latest of his 51 Test centuries was As he strode to the crease, acknowledging we learn from the great man.” cricket bats and Tendulkar’s face. back in January 2011 against South Africa.Due the applause with a modest raising of his bat, Since 16-year-old Tendulkar made his “Sachin Tendulkar was the best batsman of to an ongoing dispute between media groups Indians all over the country huddled around debut in Karachi in 1989, he has racked up an my generation and it will be a privilege to be and the Board of Control for Cricket in India television sets and Twitter exploded with astonishing 15,847 runs in 199 Tests, helping in Mumbai,” wrote Australia’s Warne, who is (BCCI), Agence France-Presse is unable to pro- messages wishing him luck. India win the 2011 World Cup and reach the commentating on the match. vide coverage of the match between India Tendulkar led the team out onto the field top of the world rankings. British Prime Minister David Cameron, on a and the West Indies. —AFP England find form with bat as Ashes approach SCOREBOARD SYDNEYScoreboard at the close on the second day SYDNEY: Jonathan Trott believes looks set to make his Ashes debut but you’re not going to know both survived early scares before of the four-day tour match between a Cricket everything is coming together for next week, was dismissed for just exactly what nick you’re in until taking the game to the bowlers. Australia (CA) Invitational XI and England at the England a week before they four but thereafter it was a good you’re in front of 50,000 at Bell smashed 35 of 45 balls but it Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday: embark on their bid for a fourth day for the tourists, who reached Brisbane,” Trott told reporters. was Pietersen who really caught CA Invitational XI 1st innings (271 for 5 overnight): successive Ashes triumph in the close of play on 302 for five “It’s more about getting mental- the eye, playing conservatively for Aaron Finch c Bairstow b Broad 4 Ed Cowan c Trott b Finn 51 Brisbane. against an Invitational XI. ly prepared for that... being a tight 45 minutes or so before cutting Callum Ferguson lbw b Broad 8 Trott, Alastair Cook and Kevin Pace bowler Steve Finn had ear- knit unit, everyone firing, not just lose with a full repertoire of extrav- Kurtis Patterson c Cook b Finn 5 Pietersen all scored half centuries lier ended up with five for 103 as the batters but the bowlers and the agant shots. Ben Rohrer c Carberry b Broad 19 as England’s batsmen made the the Australians were dismissed for fielding. “We’ve looked good in the Showing no signs of the knee Ryan Carters c Bairstow b Broad 94 most of the Sydney sunshine on 304 before lunch, pressing his problem that forced him to have a Peter Nevill c Bairstow b Finn 83 field here as well, so everything Josh Lalor c Swann b Finn 0 the second day of their final warm- claim to be England’s third seamer seems to be coming together.” cortisone injection last Sunday, he Chris Tremain c Carberry b Rankin 1 up yesterday. at the Gabba. After Carberry’s departure, Cook knelt to smash his second six of the James Muirhead not out 14 Opener Michael Carberry, who “Everyone has got a few runs and Trott enjoyed a long period innings over midwicket before hol- Nicholas Bills c Carberry b Finn 6 ing out on the boundary three balls Extras (lb12, w2, nb5) 19 out in the middle on a good Total (all out; 103.4 overs) 304 Sydney Cricket Ground wicket, put- later for 57 from 71 balls. “It’s Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Finch), 2-27 (Ferguson), 3-37 ting on 143 for the second wicket always nice to see him in full flow (Patterson), 4-90 (Rohrer), 5-93 (Cowan), 6-271 before both were caught behind as and being confident, even in (Carters), 7-276 (Lalor), 8-279 (Nevill), 9-289 a result of loose shots. warm-up games,” Trott said. “It is (Tremain), 10-304 (Bills) Bowling: Broad 24-10-37-4 (2nb), Rankin 23-5-63-1 (1w), Finn 28.4-4-103-5 (3nb, Trott, who had averaged just 27 important that everyone feels in 1w), Swann 22-5-66-0, Trott 5-1-22-0, Root 1-0-1-0 in the first Ashes series of the year good touch and the way Kev goes in England, was unhappy with the about it might be different but he England 1st innings manner of his dismissal and rueful- looks in good form to me.” Alastair Cook c Nevill b Bills 81 ly bit his bat as he made way back Leg spinner James Muirhead (2- Michael Carberry c Nevill b Lalor 4 to the dressing room with 83 runs 97) took Pietersen’s wicket, a small Jonathan Trott c Nevill b Lalor 83 Kevin Pietersen c Hughes (sub) b Muirhead 57 to his name. “As a cricketer, you measure of revenge for the punish- Ian Bell c Rohrer b Muirhead 35 have pride and you want to go out ment he had received from the Joe Root not out 26 there and do well every time,” Trott almost contemptuous England Jonny Bairstow not out 11 added. batsman. Extras (b1, w1, nb3) 5 “I felt I was in good form and “Before the game I said to the Total (5 wkts; 73 overs) 302 played at a ball I shouldn’t have, I boys he’s the one batsman I want Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Carberry), 2-162 (Trott), 3-182 was disappointed.