BedTea.in | Ravi Matah's Blog

‘Sachin Tendulkar does not stay away from records and on Saturday, while he played the 200th Test in his illustrious career, the Prime Ministers’ Office announced that he has been awarded ‘BHARAT RATNA’. He became the first sports-person to receive this award, which is the highest civilian honour.

Dhoni handed him a cap which had “200th Test” stitched on it while the whole Indian team wore a shirt which had “Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar 200th Test” embossed on it.

Guard of honour

Spectators at Wankhade Stadium gave a standing ovation when Sachin came out to bat on Friday and his team-mates gave him a guard of honour. He walked towards the pitch with his heavy bat which had a grip coloured in the Indian National Flag.

The Little Master scored 74 runs in this final Test match. (more…)

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar  has scored his hundreth International Century at Mirpur, Bangla Desh. He has achieved this feat in the fourth match of the Asia Cup after keeping his fans all over the world, waiting, for almost a year.

Sachin has so far scored 51 Test Centuries and 49 ODI hundreds.

After achieving this he said that he had shed “50 kilos” and said – “Enjoy the game and chase your dreams. Dreams do come true.”  He denied that he was not under any sort of pressure to achieve the hindreth international century and it was the media who hyped it.

Twitter was abug with tweets on Sachin Tendulkar’s feat and I quote some of the tweets here –

(more…)

India’s dream of a World Cup triumph at home is one step closer after their bowlers throttled Pakistan’s batsmen to set up a 29-run victory in the semi-final in Mohali. Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat at Motera Cricket Stadium, Mohali against Pakistan in the Semi-final of the World Cup 2011 on Wednesday. 

Virender Sehwag gave India a magnificent start before Sachin Tendulkar survived a series of close calls to reach his half-century, and by the halfway mark he was the key to India posting a decent fighting total on a good batting pitch.

But that was not to be as Sehwag got out on 38 runs played with his usual gusto and Tendulkar also helped in building up the Indian innings with lady-luck sitting on his right shoulder.

Tendulkar was on 60 with Virat Kohli on 9, and India had reached 140 for 2 at the halfway point of their innings, with 300-plus total in sight. Pakistan had only them to blame for Tendulkar’s good fortune, after Misbah-ul-Haq put him down at midwicket on 27 and Younis Khan spilled a regulation chance at cover when Tendulkar had 45.  (more…)

Sachin Tendulkar

Zaheer Khan bowled exceptionally well and helped India snatch a point from England after a pathetic display from Indian bowlers and fielders led to team’s failure in defending a huge target of 338 as the Group B match ended in a tie at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium at Bangalore on Sunday.

Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat on Sunday in front of a packed  stadium against England in their second World Cup fixture. Sachin Tendulkar delighted the spectators there and millions watching all over the world, with his five sixes and struck his 47th ODI century. This was his 98th century in International cricket.

When Sehwag was going great guns, Sachin was suppporting him with calm and ease and almost stood there watching Sehwag score. Sehwag got 35 runs though he could have been out twice during this period. (more…)

The exclusion of middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma was the major surprise in India’s 15-man World Cup squad announced in Chennai by the Selection Committee that met on Monday for the ICC World Cup 2011, which begins from February 19.

M.S.Dhoni

The other bone of contention had been the second specialist spinner’s slot, and the selectors have picked both offspinner R Ashwin and leg spinner Piyush Chawla, ahead of left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha.

Another surprise omission was  Sreesanth who has been bowling well and has been amongst the wickets in the cricket matches being played in South Africa.

The announcement also allayed fears about the injury-scare that hit the Indian camp on the South African tour, with all the four injured players – Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Praveen Kumar – being named.

The nominated squad also does not include a second wicket keeper in case the situation so demands. (more…)

No one ever thought that this 16 year old lad who hit three sixes in an over off Abdul Qadir on debut in the Karachi Test in 1989, would one day create  records which would be unsurpassable for centuries to come. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar caressed the ball through covers to achieve the milestone of 50 centuries in test Cricket in India’s first test against South Africa at the Centurion Park.  I feel that even our great-grand-children will be talking about Tendulkar’s records while discussing cricket.

Sachin Tendulkar

He has 96 centuries in International Cricket and is four short of the coveted century of centuries mark. His appetite for runs is insatiable and he commented on his fiftieth century by saying that it is another number and said that ‘he has dedicated this century to his father as it was his birthday yesterday’.

Even after two decades of being at the pinnacle of international cricket, he still wants to improve his game and is still hungry for runs. This is what keeps him apart from his contemporaries and he is always increasing the gap between him and the next in line  Ricky Ponting. (more…)

Bangalore:  After a tight finish in Mohali a week ago, it was a one-sided game in Bangalore as India comfortably beat Australia by seven-wickets on day five of the second Test to win the two-match series 2-0 on Wednesday and register their first win here in 15 years.

Cheteshwar Pujara

India won the first Test at Mohali, thanks to VVS Laxman who played a splendid knock there to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. In the second test it was Sachin Tendulkar’s herioc 214 in the first innings and 53 not out in the second innings which spelt doom for Australia.

Earlier in the day, the Australians added 21 runs to their overnight score and ended up being dismissed for 223 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Requiring 206 runs to win on the last day, India began the run chase from the word go and lost Sehwag early in the second innings. But Cheteshwar Pujara and Murli Vijay ensured building the foundation of India’s victory at Bangalore in front of a jam-packed Stadium. Pujara slammed chancelesss 72 on Test debut was bowled by Nathan Hauritz. He seems to have sealed his place as the one-down batsman for the Indian Team. (more…)

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has been awarded the honorary rank of group Captain in the Indian Air Force in a glittering ceremony held in New Delhi on Friday. Air Chief Marshal PN Naik pipped his uniformed shoulders with the rank and said that Sachin would soon be flying sorties in Su-30MKI, and added that it depends on the master blaster to make him available for this purpose. 

Sachin Tendulkar

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who sets the cricket field on fire with his bat, now wishes to light up the skies by flying a Sukhoi-30MKI, the most lethal fighter jet in the Indian Air Force. 

Sachin Tendulkar has 48 Test Cricket centuries under his belt and has stated that he has no plans to retire from International Cricket in the near future. 

Replying to a question about the fighter plane he wishes to fly, the batting legend said: “I want to fly a Sukhoi-30MKI.”  (more…)

India beat  Sri Lanka by 5 wickets in the third and final test played at P.Sara Oval Stadium. With this win they level the series and have retained the number one spot in Test Cricket in the world. India were hungry to beat Sri Lanka on their ground since August 1994.

Resuming the chase from Friday’s 53 for three, India lost Ishant Sharma for 4 runs in the morning.

Requiring 257 runs to win, the final day belonged exclusively to VVS Luxman who posted 103* scintillating runs off 149 deliveries to ensure victory for India about ten minutes before tea.

VVS Luxman

Sachin Tendulkar 54 and Suresh Raina 41*  played a sheet anchor role in ably supporting Luxman, who batted like a cool lion despite his back pain. (more…)

‘Tendulkar opus’, the autobiography of Sachin Tendulkar, is in the pipe-line and due for publication next year. This will not only be one of the most expensive autobiographies in history but also, will include the blood and DNA sample of the master blaster. This is amazing, unheard of and gives his fans mixed feelings.

It will contain a page signed in his blood! This has led to criticism from some quarters.

Is this an advertisement gimmick? No. Sachin does not need anything or anyone to advertise for him. Then why did he agree to such an obnoxious request of the publisher?

It is well known that the “Tendulkar Opus” has been in progress; but a few copies would be signed in his blood and would be highly priced was a closely guarded secret. (more…)