Inspirational Tendulkar
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
AFP
At times Sachin Tendulkar's bat appears as wide as the Suez Canal, says Peter Roebuck in the Sydney Morning Herald. He says it's a privilege to watch players like Tendulkar and Shane Warne.
Over the past 15 years, cricket enthusiasts have enjoyed many delights but two stand out. Anyone able to follow the careers of Tendulkar and Shane Warne at close quarters has been privileged. They count among the most enchanting and compelling cricketers the game has seen. Both were craftsmen of high calibre but also artists of supreme talent. Warne was a mesmerising tweaker with a fiercely competitive streak. The Indian remains a classical batsman unburdened with ego and capable of exquisite strokeplay.
Anand Vasu, of the Hindustan Times, writes about the magnitude of India's achievement in Australia.
When Mahendra Singh Dhoni spoke soon after the win - perhaps the only Indian in the squad calm enough to say a few sensible words - he, perhaps for the first time, referred to this bunch as "my team" rather than "the boys" or "our team."
In the Daily Telegraph, Robert Craddock says Australia's tri-series loss to India is perhaps only a sign of things to come.
The gap between Australia and the rest has closed to the point where the national selectors must be getting sweaty palms. The Indian team which trumped Australia last night contains just one player - Sachin Tendulkar - over 30.
Australia, by contrast, had just three players - James Hopes, Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson - under 30. Earlier this week India stormed to victory in the under-19 World Cup. They are a nation on the rise.
In the same newspaper, Michael Hussey says Adam Gilchrist's retirement will leave a big gap to fill.
While Adam Gilchrist and Brad Hogg went off in a blaze of praise, carrying a crystal vase each, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid (and V.V.S. Laxman, don’t forget) were interred sans ceremony, say Sankarshan Thakur and Charu Sudan Kasturi in the Kolkata-based Telegraph.
Devendra Pandey, of the Indian Express, talks to Rohit Sharma about the tour.
What can you recall of your 2006 tour to Australia for the Top End series and what has changed now?
I remember when I came here to play the last time I didn’t have enough money! I couldn’t shop... I didn’t have a single penny to spend. In fact, I even borrowed money from my teammates that time. Now, fortunately, things have changed. That sums up a bit of the difference I’ve been experiencing.
Mathew Varghese is sub-editor (stats) at Cricinfo