THE FOLLY OF A MASTER BATSMAN WITH A MEDIOCRE MIND

THE FOLLY OF A MASTER BATSMAN WITH A MEDIOCRE MIND

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Foolish Tendulkar. Could not but be casual in running. Could have been out earlier as he attempted successfully reckless shots like sweeping to the off-side a yorker. Later in his career Tendulkar made such trademark foolish shots which cost him his wicket and his team the match on many an occasion when more circumspect shot-selection was the call of the hour. Neil Harvey had denounced this penchant for playing rash strokes by Tendulkar when well-set and pulled up the Australian media for lionising the Indian to the point of comparing him to Bradman. Harvey had said that the Don once set was sure to score a big hundred whereas Tendulkar never quite seemed to get set and was capable of getting out at any time irrespective of how long he had been at the crease. Hence, according to Harvey the comparison of the Indian ace batsman with the Don was almost blasphemous. The Don stood in unrivalled solitary splendour at the summit of batsmanship. Here we see how Tendulkar's stupidity in casual running cost his team the match and in 1998 an indiscreet shot by him under great physical pain from a strained back when well past the hundred mark during the Chennai Test against Pakistan had cost India the Test match. Again against Sri Lanka in the 2007 World Cup when on 98, Tendulkar played an indiscreet paddle-sweep off Muralidaran to lose his wicket. India managed to win that day despite this irresponsible act of her ace batsman but she could have as well lost it. This has been Tendulkar's way all along, attempting impossible shots at all odd hours when greater caution was the call of the hour, and, so, failing to stay till the end and secure the win for the team. It has got to do with his psychology which is as important an aspect of batting as technique, defence, strokeplay, etc. A batsman is a composite of body and mind and batsmanship is the integrated output of the twain. Here Bradman lies miles ahead of Tendulkar. So, Neil Harvey was right. He had hit the hammer on the head of the nail. Tendulkar's career has proved the correctness of his analysis and assertion.

Written by Sugata Bose