Tendulkar and Badani: Sensible batting under trying conditions
India met West Indies for the first time in the triangular series for the
Coca-Cola Cup at Bulawayo. The Indian bowlers did well to restrict the
Windies to 169/7 in 50 overs on a pitch that was on the slower side and
keeping low, not ideal conditions for batting. Chasing a target of 170 for
a win, India got off to a very slow start, Cameron Cuffy, the tall fast
bowler putting up another remarkable show with the ball. For the second
time in the tournament he bowled ten overs in one spell to finish with
10-3-20-1, claiming the all-important wicket of Sourav Ganguly (20 in 51
balls). Even Sachin Tendulkar had just 21 runs to his name after having faced 50 deliveries.
India lost two quick wickets in consecutive overs, Dinesh Mongia (8) and
Rahul Dravid (4) to be reduced to 63/3 in 20.5 overs. Hemang Badani joined
Tendulkar in the middle and made sure that there was no middle order
collapse this time. They added 74 valuable runs in 18.3 overs for the
fourth wicket, defying the poor batting conditions and some good bowling by
the West Indies.
Tendulkar was in no mood to go for his shots, knowing too well that he had
to graft for runs. He played the ball as late as possible to keep pinching
singles. Badani too had to curtail his strokeplay. He did cut loose twice
in his innings, lofting a four over mid-wicket and then pulling it around
for another boundary, Nagamootoo being the bowler to suffer on both occasions.
Tendulkar survived a confident appeal for caught behind off the bowling of
Carl Hooper in the 35th over. The TV replays suggested that the ball might
have run off the face of the bat into Jacobs' gloves. Tendulkar was a
transformed man after that. He got into an aggressive mode smacking Reon
King for a couple of boundaries in the following over; the first took him
past his fifty.
Runs started to flow thick and fast as Tendulkar hit Hooper for a four
through mid-wicket, the short-pitched delivery pulled away contemptuously
to the fence. Badani in the meanwhile got into a shell and was trying
almost everything to get out of it. The Windies spinner Nagamootoo tied him
down with a good line and length, prompting the crowd to go in for some
slow clapping to persuade Badani to play some strokes.
Badani fell to the pressure, trying to pull a good length ball from Merv
Dillon. The southpaw skied the ball high in the air for the bowler to take
a well-judged return catch. Badani made 27 off 59 balls and had helped
Tendulkar put on 74 valuable runs and took India closer to victory.
Tendulkar went on to remain unbeaten on 81 and take India past the target.
For their steady and sensible batting together, Tendulkar and Badani take
the honours of the 5 Star partnership.
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