Sachin picks gaps with eyes shut!

Saturday, March 19, 2011, 10:33 [IST]Chennai, March 19: Such is the Little Master's skill that he can bat with his eyes closed! Even as practice wrapped up for the day, Sachin was still milling around in the nets. He put a couple of fielders within the net, asked bowling coach Eric Simons to give him throwdowns, and kept finding the gaps with his "eyes shut."
"He asked us to stand at short cover and short point and closed his eyes right at the moment of impact. We were supposed to say 'right' if the shot pierced the gap and 'wrong' if it didn't," one of the fielders told a leading newspaper. The player sounded really amazed when he said that Tendulkar kept getting it right, more often than not. "I don't know how he was doing it...But we couldn't believe our eyes as the ball went between us over and over again," the player added.

"He is certain that there will be two fielders in short cover and short point to snap him up. That's why he was trying to play the shots along the ground and looked to find the gap with his eyes closed," the young player said.

Sachin's 100th international century could very well come here, but the run machine wants to keep mum on his hopes of making the milestone.

Oneindia Cricket

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Sachin walked on edging ball, Ponting didn't

Chennai, Mar 21: Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and Australian captain Ricky Ponting's contrasting World Cup dismissals have re-ignited the debate around walking, an issue that gained prominence in the 2003 World Cup semi-final when Adam Gilchrist walked back to the pavilion despite an appeal against him getting no response from the umpire.
Tendulkar had edged a delivery behind in the first over of Sunday's match against West Indies in Chennai, he immediately turned and walked to the pavilion. This was despite umpire Steve Davis giving the 37-year-old not out.

Replays of the incident were inconclusive, which suggests that Davis's initial decision may not have been overturned had Tendulkar stayed at the crease.

Tendulkar's decision to walk was in complete contrast to the actions of Ponting against Pakistan in Colombo.

Ponting admitted after the match that he had edged the ball, but said that he stayed at the crease because he has never been a walker.

"There were no doubts about the nick - I knew I hit it. But as always, I wait for the umpire to give me out. That's the way I've always played the game," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting, as saying.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy praised Tendulkar's sportsmanship, while Ponting's actions were criticised by Pakistan coach Waqar Younis.

"That was just brilliant on his part. It shows the measure of a man. He's a true gentleman," Sammy said.

Waqar said: "There is a system there now in play so you can't get away with it. It's nice to see people walking, but that doesn't happen now I guess.

Oneindia Cricket

View the original article here

Sachin walked on edging ball, Ponting didn't

Chennai, Mar 21: Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and Australian captain Ricky Ponting's contrasting World Cup dismissals have re-ignited the debate around walking, an issue that gained prominence in the 2003 World Cup semi-final when Adam Gilchrist walked back to the pavilion despite an appeal against him getting no response from the umpire.
Tendulkar had edged a delivery behind in the first over of Sunday's match against West Indies in Chennai, he immediately turned and walked to the pavilion. This was despite umpire Steve Davis giving the 37-year-old not out.

Replays of the incident were inconclusive, which suggests that Davis's initial decision may not have been overturned had Tendulkar stayed at the crease.

Tendulkar's decision to walk was in complete contrast to the actions of Ponting against Pakistan in Colombo.

Ponting admitted after the match that he had edged the ball, but said that he stayed at the crease because he has never been a walker.

"There were no doubts about the nick - I knew I hit it. But as always, I wait for the umpire to give me out. That's the way I've always played the game," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting, as saying.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy praised Tendulkar's sportsmanship, while Ponting's actions were criticised by Pakistan coach Waqar Younis.

"That was just brilliant on his part. It shows the measure of a man. He's a true gentleman," Sammy said.

Waqar said: "There is a system there now in play so you can't get away with it. It's nice to see people walking, but that doesn't happen now I guess.

Oneindia Cricket

View the original article here