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NEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman have had numerous partnerships during their playing days and both had excellent record against Australia in Test cricket.
One of those partnerships was a 353-run stand for the fourth wicket during the Sydney Test in January 2004. Laxman scored 178 while Tendulkar remained unbeaten on 241 as India declared their first innings at 705/7.
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This was the famous knock of Sachin during the 2003-04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia in which he took the cover drive out of his repertoire and did not play it even once.
Now in a video that is doing the rounds on social media, Tendulkar and Laxman can be seen talking about that knock during the book launch of “281 And Beyond” written by Laxman in 2018.
Laxman says, “The double hundred in Sydney. I was in the best seat (at the non-striker’s end). There was nothing like tempting Sachin. It was just an unbelievable exhibition of controlling your instinct. Everyone goes with a gameplan, specially one someone is not going through a good patch. He (Sachin) was getting out in a very freak manner, Melbourne down the leg off Brett Lee, Brisbane his favourite umpire gives him LBW.”
Sachin cuts Laxman at that point and asks, “What’s his name? Nobody knows my favourite umpire. Please take his name. Now the ICC cannot do anything, it’s fine” as both Sachin and Laxman break into a laughter.
The umpire Laxman is talking about is Steve Bucknor who had a history of controversial incidents that created tension between the two during Tendulkar’s illustrious cricketing career.
Bucknor, considered one of the most experienced umpires of his time, made a few high-profile decisions involving Tendulkar that sparked debates among fans and experts.
During the Brisbane Test that Laxman is talking about, Tendulkar was shouldering arms to a Jason Gillespie delivery and the ball stuck him on the pads. But Bucknor adjudged it out leg before wicket even as the ball was going way over the stumps that the replays confirmed. Bucknor’s decision had surprised even the Aussies that day, who had hardly appealed.
Laxman continues, “And then we reached Sydney and he decides that he’s not going to play the cover drive. So everyone goes with a gameplan, but as you get back the rhythm, as you get back the touch, as you start middling the ball, suddenly you forget about the gameplan and you react to the ball which is coming your way. But during that entire double hundred innings, not even once, even when Simon Katich or Damien Matryn was bowling, not even one shot went through the cover region. And I give that example to a lot of youngsters is that when the great Tendulkar can control his instincts, when the great Tendulkar can make sure that one shot from his repertoire is out of the way, anyone can achieve that. There’s a mistake, not everyone can achieve that, because to have control over his instincts and even after you get a hundred, even after you get a double hundred, because when you get a hundred, when you reach a milestone, you get carried away, you get satisfied. But that day he (Sachin) didn’t get satisfied at all. It was a great exhibition of great determination and control over his instincts.”
Coming to that Sydney Test, Tendulkar was under pressure due to a series of low scores, with questions raised about his form. Tendulkar then focused on playing straight or square of the wicket, showcasing remarkable discipline and self-control.
Tendulkar’s innings not only helped India dominate the Test but also sealed his reputation as a masterful tactician capable of adapting his game to any situation.
The match ended in a draw, but India secured a memorable 1-1 series result against a formidable Australian team led by Steve Waugh in his farewell Test.
This innings is often cited as a masterclass in patience and technical perfection, showcasing Tendulkar’s ability to adapt and overcome challenges.
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