 Sachin Tendulkar working on around off-stump line
15th Feb 2008 16:03 IST
Agencies
As Tendulkar's session lengthened, young Dinesh Karthik ventured to ask how many overs it would have meant in the middle. "Eight or ten," was Tendulkar's gentle dismissal of the youngster's nudge to remind him of his overstay in the nets.
History's longest serving one-day player, the one with most runs under his belt, most centuries, most fifties, Tendulkar has had a modest run in the Tri-Series so far. His four innings read 10, 35, 44 and 32 so far and on at least three occasions, he has let go an opportunity to build a major innings in the middle.
It wouldn't be long before he leaves the one-day arena but as is his wont, it would only after he reaches a major high.
Speculation on Tendulkar's one-day retirement has kept resurfacing since the tour of England last summer.
Neither his form nor any signs of dipping interest nor for that matter any fitness issue has warranted such a speculation but the word has kept whirling nevertheless.
Since the twin tour of Ireland and England in the summer of 2007, Tendulkar has turned out in 27 matches, scored 1232 runs, got out six times in the 90s and is yet to add a three-figure score to his 41 centuries.
He hasn't scored a one-day century for 33 games now, for over a year, a striking aberration in the game's most prolific scorer ever.
So the interest -- and whispers -- on the great man continued and it was admitted with high humility by a member of the side, yet to get a game in the series.
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