He pampers it like his own baby. He never packs it in his kitbag or leaves it around alone even for a few minutes. Sachin Tendulkar loves to carry his bat with him—just like in the grand manner he did today with an unbeaten innings of 154 —his 38th century knock— that virtually defied that dreaded law of averages.

Every ball the Australians bowled became a new note in the maestro’s symphony, and given the standing ovation and the admiration for that man, there shouldn’t be objections if the SCG is renamed Sachin’s Cricket Ground.

Perhaps, that would please Tendulkar as well, who is happy that Laxman got to keep his ‘Sultan of Sydney’ title.

“Let that Sultan of Sydney title be with Laxman, he’s played some brilliant knocks and he truly deserves every appreciation,” he says. “Yes the SCG is one of my favourite grounds, it’s one of those grounds where you walk in and you get a good feeling.”

Never before has an expression of celebration seen so many interpretations. When Tendulkar, with the bat and the helmet in each of his hands, jerked his arms in the air to gain maximum extension, he provided one answer each to questions of his nervous nineties, of not delivering when the team demands of him, of not playing match-winning innings, and unashamed queries of his retirement.

Tendulkar’s 243-ball knock with 14 boundaries and a six gave India an upper hand in the match—a skilful production, directed, edited, marketed by him alone. His effort at the crease was ‘dwarfed’ only by the 6’5” tall Ishant Sharma and that last wicket partnership of 31, of which Ishant scored 23.

... contd.