Tendulkar's experience, grit come to the fore

<div class="section1"><div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="0" width="33.5%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><img src="/photo/1048361.cms" alt="/photo/1048361.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">Sachin Tendulkar missed out on another world record</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">MOHALI</span>: It was sunny and bright in Mohali.But as soon as Sachin tendulkar was nabbed by Asim Kamal off Naved-ul Hasan, dark clouds encircled the skies in a few minutes and threatened to cut loose, as if on cue. Sachin bit his lips imperceptibly, and tucking the willow under his arm, slowly walked back to the pavilion. <br /><br />He desperately tried to hide the disappointment but his eyes glazed in agony and disbelief. As he reached his people, very briefly, he lifted his bat in acknowledgement and vanished into his shell. Within a few minutes, Mohali started going back to Chandigarh, depressed and unfulfilled.<br /><br />In the end, though, maybe there''s a happier story lurking in the future: Tendulkar surely didn''t deserve to become the greatest century-maker in this fashion. He would surely have been relieved if the record had tumbled here but it would have hurt him forever, and made him unhappy for life. The 35th ton would have been his scratchiest.<br /><br />It is said that the most painful steps for a marathon runner are the last few ones; that the last couple of peaks are the most excruciating ones for a mountaineer. Both present an ugly sight, not a glorious one, as they cross the finish line or reach their destination, arms flailing in desperation and face twisting in contortion.<br /><br />For most of Thursday, Tendulkar looked like a marathoner and a mountaineer: he was gasping for air after every step and looking uglier with each passing moment. His first tentative step itself, in fact, was taken on a false note: he edged the ball into silly point''s hands when he was only on nine.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal">But Rudi Koertzen neither saw the deflection nor heard the edge; he, therefore, didn''t pay any heed to the pleadings of Danish Kaneria and all the close-in fielders. Sachin, who is normally a walker, simply smiled inwardly and continued batting: there was a record to be broken, a lifetime''s mission to be accomplished.<br /><br />For most of the day, too, he remained restless and scowly-faced. He was distracted by movements behind the sight-screen, he played away from his body and was beaten more than a handful of times outside the off-stump. There was no felicity in the flicks off his pads, no thunder in his drives either; worse, his paddle-sweeps looked alarmingly fraught with danger. Clearly, fate had already ordained a near miss for him.<br /><br />Yet, Sachin dug deep into his gigantic bag of experience to stay afloat. It wasn''t a glorious innings at all; but it was a wonderful exhibition of true grit, personal goading and total patience. His ego and pride might have been bruised a little bit but these are minor sacrifices that great players learn to live with. <br /><br />It surely won''t be too long before the 35th milestone falls; until then, Gavaskar can remain the original king of centuries. And Virender Sehwag can continue lighting more fans with his vivaciousness.</div> </div>