India v Kenya
Wednesday, October 24, 2001 It's a sheer pleasure these days to watch our opening batsmen, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. I really envy the South African crowds who are getting the opportunity to feast on the finest pair of opening batsmen in one-day cricket.

Ganguly's growing confidence is apparent in the manner in which he is using his feet to the seamers. He isn't as strong when the ball is pitched on middle and leg, but then he has overcome that drawback by adding another shot to his repertoire -- opening himself up to play the heave over midwicket. And with this arsenal he is going to be even more dangerous in the one-day game.

Tendulkar unleashed just 20 percent of his array of shots but still scored 146 in quick time, which is good reflection on his greatness. Having said that, I am a little disappointed -- as a Tendulkar fan -- when he plays these calculated innings where the runs are scored and the team benefits but in the process those breathtaking shots of his are conspicuously absent.

These days he goes into most one-dayers with the goal of scoring a hundred. He was so disappointed today after getting out that it showed that he had a much bigger individual score in mind –- probably a double-century. I have seen this genius play at all levels from a very young age and he has made me gape in astonishment at his talent and awesome ability.

I remember once sitting in an airport lounge with Ajay Jadeja and Tendulkar. I congratulated Tendulkar on getting a hundred but told him that his innings did not warm the cockles of my heart. Jadeja chipped in to say that even he himself could score such one-day hundreds. That's the kind of expectations people have from Tendulkar. All the same it was another Tendulkar gem.

Just watching the awesome finish provided by Virender Sehwag at the finish I wonder why people get the feeling that Indian cricket is in the midst of a crisis. As far as I am concerned, this Indian team just needs to keep their calm in tense situations. This is a very dangerous batting line-up; the kind of big hitting we saw today is normally associated with them on the subcontinent and Sharjah tracks, but this was on a South African wicket, which is an indication that the batting is making its presence on the international stage. With the World Cup in South Africa a batting line-up of Tendulkar, Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Rahul Dravid can be a real force.

But I have never been very impressed with Maurice Odombe's leadership. He seems to be in his own world without giving much thought to his approach. He looks a very casual cricketer which is probably why his achievements are very average despite his talents as an allrounder. I think Steve Tikolo would be an ideal captain and may have probably done something different to keep the Indians under pressure.

Sanjay Manjrekar, mainstay of the Indian batting in the late '80s and early '90s, was talking to Senior Editor H Natarajan.

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