The early signs of genius
With Sachin Tendulkar on the verge of a century of international centuries, Steve James, writing in the Daily Telegraph remembers the first and only time he played against ‘tiny, impossibly young-looking fellow with a curly mop of hair poking out
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
With Sachin Tendulkar on the verge of a century of international centuries, Steve James, writing in the Daily Telegraph remembers the first and only time he played against ‘tiny, impossibly young-looking fellow with a curly mop of hair poking out of his helmet.’ Tendulkar, he says, is proof that the game has not changed all that much despite the introduction of 20-over cricket – a batsman with robust technique still enters the battle best prepared.
Bowling for us was a chap called Hamish Anthony, an Antiguan of dubious ability to be a high-class overseas player, but of no little pace. He bowled a decent good-length ball on about middle and off stumps. It should have been defended back down the pitch. Instead the little fellow was up on his toes on the back foot and punching the ball, with an impossibly high elbow and no follow through, back past Anthony for four. Standing in the gully, I gasped audibly.
Nikita Bastian is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo