Delhi Test, Day 2, Close
Friday, March 1, 2002

The strange mindset of the Indian batsmen, especially Sachin Tendulkar, in the post-tea session was difficult to comprehend. I can understand batsmen being kept quiet by good bowling, adverse conditions and bowler-friendly pitches, but that wasn't the case here today.

It would have made sense if Tendulkar had attacked, found the bowler got the upper hand and thus decided to be defensive. But, inexplicably, it was defence from the first ball.

Tendulkar, these days, has certain long-term goals in mind going out to bat. And today he sensed the opportunity to help himself to another big hundred. He didn't want to jeopardise that chance and eliminated all risks. That meant he went against his basic nature to attack. We saw him adopt a similar approach recently against Ashley Giles as well when he shut himself up completely. Now someone like Sunil Gavaskar could do it with ease because it came naturally to him, but not Tendulkar. A great batsman erred today and in the process allowed Zimbabwe to come on top.

It's a small world and people will now entertain thoughts of having a left-arm spinner to combat the might of Tendulkar. But I have watched him from a very young age and I can tell you that he is a very good player against left-arm spin and scores heavily off it. If anything, it's the offspinners who keep him relatively quiet. I have seen him get to his hundred with a lofted six off a left-arm spinner, bowling over the wicket and into the rough. There is no chink in the Tendulkar armour. It's just a new mindset.

India are indebted to Sourav Ganguly that the match did not drift heavily in Zimbabwe's favour. The runs he scored today will help the Indian captain. It will give him the confidence that he can still score at Test level. If and when he gets a hundred, a lot of people might say that it's a century against a weak side. While that cannot be disputed, the fact remains that a Test-match hundred is a Test-match hundred. I am sure he will be a slightly different player when he goes out to bat in the next Test. The knock will be beneficial because it would have showed him that there are gains to be had from positive moves. Coming in at No 3 was a great move, which he should have done a lot earlier. But better late than never.

Overall, it was a very ordinary performance by the Indians and purely of their own making considering that they were playing in familiar conditions and against bowling which was at best spirited. If I were the Indian coach, I would certainly have a word with the team in the evening. But for the spectators, the Test is nicely poised going into the third day.

Sanjay Manjrekar, mainstay of the Indian batting in the early 1990s, was talking to H Natarajan.

More Sanjay Manjrekar
Day 2, Tea: 'Zimbabwe overdo the short stuff'

Day 2, Lunch: 'Get your tails out, India'

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