05 January,2011 08:03 AM IST | | Sai Mohan
If India go on to win the ongoing Test here at Newlands and with that, register a historic series win in South Africa, it would be rather tempting to proclaim that the 51st Test century of Sachin Tendulkar's career leaves the previous 50 behind.
Yesterday, on Day Three of the third and final Test, Tendulkar showed his fellow batsmen how to counter Dale Steyn's late swing. He took a few strides outside the crease, rarely stayed on his back foot, remained unfazed by excessive appealing, and didn't lose his cool despite being beaten on multiple occasions.
In contrast to his century at this ground 14 years ago, he remained subdued, rarely went out of his way to manufacture strokes, and yet struck 17 glorious fours and two sixes in his 146.
Former South Africa captain Kepler Wessels pointed out that Tendulkar's bat was beaten on 26 occasions, a statistic that throws light on the harsh batting conditions. "He toughed it out really. His shot selection was outstanding. I have rarely seen him being beaten so many times, and yet he never lost his cool. When there was a ball to be hit, he chased in. Truly a masterclass by the little master," Wessels told MiD DAY.u00a0
Slugging it out
"The fact that Tendulkar played and missed so many times was frustrating for the bowlers, but then, he hung around and did what Jacques Kallis did for South Africa. Both Kallis and Tendulkar have shown their teammates how to gut it out," he added.
Wessels reckoned the spinners will play a monumental role going into the fourth and the fifth day of the Test match. "Any lead in the first innings is worth its weight in gold. The pitch is starting to turn a lot and Harbhajan Singh will play a big role. The grass is getting drier as the sun has been baking the surface. It will get tougher to bat," he concluded.
