Great people are
really great. And they prove it time and again. And so has Sachin Tendulkar. This Little Champion sports a
cool head on his shoulders in hottest of the situations. He is really cool like a cucumber. When he missed
century after century in 2007, in one of his post-match conferences he has said that he laughs away such decisions. No reading between the lines please. He simply meant he doesn’t lose him temper or neither does he get frustrated. When Symonds-Harbhajan ‘row’ was underway, he tried to calm others down too. McGrath threw unsporting challenges at him, daring him to
hit and loft the
ball there where already fielders were posted. That’s Aussies tricks to disturb the batsman’s concentration and to make his furious, if he fails to hit the ball where the bowler wanted. That’s winning small mental battles. Now that’s ok. It’s history now.
But Sachin was in the firing line at the SCG during the first of the finals. Ponting was getting desperate, for the game was slipping out of his hands. And to add insult to
injury, there was Sachin, looking rock solid, nearing his century. When 2 runs away from his century, Ponting had Lee in the attack. And already fighting a groin injury, Sachin was hit on his left shoulder by an express beamer from Lee. It seemed the ball had slipped out of Lee’s hand due to the due. This is the Australian version of the story. Not denying it. But the damage had already been done. The cover up act by Ponting & Co. should get 10/10. But it was a cool Sachin, who took in sportingly and denied the cricketing fans another of bitter memories, which could have taken place, incidentally, again at the SCG.
More reviews about the Greatness