Ahmedabad Test, Day 3, Tea
Wednesday, December 13, 2001

Nasser Hussain was extremely good with his bowling changes and his field placements in the afternoon session. If India still got the better of England in that period, it was due to the genius of Sachin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar obviously understood the importance of his presence at the crease. It was a different Tendulkar one saw in the morning session – one who was just trying to get used to conditions in the middle. I don't think he was particularly bothered by the wicket or the line of attack. By staying at the crease and eschewing risks, he was merely studying the bowlers and the conditions. It was a tremendous mental effort which bore rich him dividends.

Once he was satisfied with his preparation, he unleashed his full repertoire of strokes, some of which were quite unbelievable. I haven't seen him play the flick-drive which he executed off Matthew Hoggard today. He would have normally played those deliveries, which pitched around off-and-middle stumps, straight past the bowler or towards mid-on. However, Hoggard was getting significant movement, and Tendulkar used it to play strokes which had shades of Vivian Richards, a player Tendulkar admires immensely. Excellent shots, which demonstrated his talent in ample measure.

It was a smart move by Hussain to opt for the new ball when Tendulkar was in his nineties. It was a gamble worth taking, as Tendulkar had been toying with the attack for most of the session. The new ball at least made Tendulkar think a little bit, and though it didn't prevent him from reaching his century, England got rid of him immediately after.

Tendulkar gave the Motera crowd plenty to cheer, but his wicket at a crucial stage means England are back in the game.

Sanjay Manjrekar, mainstay of the Indian batting in the late '80s and early '90s, was talking to S Rajesh.

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Day 3, Lunch: England choke India

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