India in command of Mumbai Test
Tendulkar to resume first innings of 200th Test at 38.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul became the first West Indian to play 150 Tests as the 39-year-old reached the mark on the first day of the Mumbai Test. Photo: BCCI
Hosts India ended day one of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar’s final Test appearance in a dominant position as they rolled over the West Indies for a paltry 182 runs at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
A capacity crowd packed in at the home ground of arguably the greatest cricketer of all time and Tendulkar didn’t let his fans down. He scored an unbeaten 38 off 73 balls with six fours as India ended the day’s play at 157 for two, only 25 runs behind the West Indies score.
Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay provided a stroke-filled opening stand of 77 runs in only 13.2 overs; however, both failed to convert their starts into big scores.
Tendulkar will resume his innings on the second day with Cheteshwar Pujara who is batting on 34 runs off 49 balls.
Earlier in the day India spinner Pragyan Ojha claimed a five-wicket haul which left the tourists reeling after MS Dhoni had won the toss and opted to field first on a turning track.
Opener Kieran Powell top-scored with an innings of 48 off 80 balls as the tourists collapsed spectacularly in the second session of the day. They lost eight wickets as Ojha and fellow spinner Ravichandran Ashwin tightened the screws.
Ashwin became the fifth-quickest bowler to reach the 100 wickets milestone in Test cricket when he accounted for West Indies captain Darren Sammy. The off-spinner, playing his 18th Test, finished the innings with figures of three wickets for 45 runs in 15 overs.
Crowd ecstatic at Wankhede stadium
Delirious crowds greeted Tendulkar as he walked out to bat in his last Test match on Thursday, an emotional farewell game for a national hero whose 24-year career has made him a legend.
Crowds at the Wankhede stadium erupted as Tendulkar headed for the crease on the first day of the match, walking through a guard of honour created by West Indies team.
Each run was greeted with raucous applause and cheering, with several textbook cover drives exhibiting the elegant stroke play that has marked Tendulkar out since his international debut in 1989.
Ahead of the match, he said the last 20 years had been “marked by some of the most challenging, exhilarating, poignant and memorable moments of my life”.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2013.