Another Page in the Book
'The Book of Sachin Tendulkar Dismissals', if ever written will be quite un-put-down-able. It will have historic milestones, such as the first ever third umpire dismissal, career-makers, such as his first ball duck at Calcutta'99 first inning, freakishly unfortunate coincidences, such as Calcutta'99 second inning, where his bat was grounded before and after the stumpos were broken, but not at that precise moment.
It will have umpires being foolishly partisan, such as the should-before-wicket at Adelaide'99, umpires being just criminally and stupidly incompetent, such as at Brisbane'03, fielders being brilliant, such as Jonty in the 97 series, and sometimes players being dishonest, again, such as Jonty in the 97 series.
There will be other twists and turns as well.
Another bizarre page was added today with Tendulkar walking in spite of being technically not out!
This is what happened. Shoaib pitched it short, directing it at Sachin's body. Sachin fended, his right hand coming off the bat. The ball passed the bat handle safely, touched the right hand, touched his sweater and was caught by the keeper. The Pakistanis appealed, and promptly, Sachin walked. Taufel the raised his finger.
As commentators later pointed out, since his hand was not on the bat at the moment the ball touched it, technically he was not out. Yet Sachin walked!
Would Taufel have given him out if he had not walked? Maybe, considering his lousy luck with such decisions. But since he walked, we will never know.
And another twist has been added to 'The Book of Sachin Tendulkar Dismissals'. The man walking despite being not out.
Beat that, Mr. Gilchrist!
To me, this is another case study to illustrate why batsmen shouldn't walk.
It will have umpires being foolishly partisan, such as the should-before-wicket at Adelaide'99, umpires being just criminally and stupidly incompetent, such as at Brisbane'03, fielders being brilliant, such as Jonty in the 97 series, and sometimes players being dishonest, again, such as Jonty in the 97 series.
There will be other twists and turns as well.
Another bizarre page was added today with Tendulkar walking in spite of being technically not out!
This is what happened. Shoaib pitched it short, directing it at Sachin's body. Sachin fended, his right hand coming off the bat. The ball passed the bat handle safely, touched the right hand, touched his sweater and was caught by the keeper. The Pakistanis appealed, and promptly, Sachin walked. Taufel the raised his finger.
As commentators later pointed out, since his hand was not on the bat at the moment the ball touched it, technically he was not out. Yet Sachin walked!
Would Taufel have given him out if he had not walked? Maybe, considering his lousy luck with such decisions. But since he walked, we will never know.
And another twist has been added to 'The Book of Sachin Tendulkar Dismissals'. The man walking despite being not out.
Beat that, Mr. Gilchrist!
To me, this is another case study to illustrate why batsmen shouldn't walk.
