Gambit Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 DURBAN: It is not very often that Kevin Pietersen will find mention in the same breath as the Indian master batsman Sachin Tendulkar. Over the last year, Pietersen has been in the news for a number of reasons, including for the switch-hit shot that he employed against New Zealand last year. It required the custodians of the game, MCC to step forward and legalise the shot. Now, almost a year on, there is another shot that is being spoken about in the same breath and it has been less than 24 hours since that shot was first played. It was the cute scoop played by Sachin Tendulkar as he tried to maximize the scoring opportunities in the slog overs. Tendulkar employed the shot against part-time off-spin Chris Gayle and wowed everyone with his innovation. Ask Gayle about the shot and he smiles at the mention of the shot. "He is one of the top players ever. It was a treat to watch him play the shot," confesses Gayle. It was a tough shot but Sachin has tried to innovate similar things in the past as well. I don't want to compare it with the switch-hit, because both were different shots." Within the Mumbai Indians team too, Tendulkar's God-like status has reached a new level after the knock against Kolkata Knight Riders and especially the shot. The players are discussing the shot and everyone has a different explanation of how the shot was played. "The bat went like this and ball went over," Bangladesh skipper and Mumbai Indians' reserve player Mohammed Ashraful said as he demonstrated it to a small group. Ashraful was with wicket-keeper Pinal Shah and few of the reserve players. Ashraful considers Tendulkar his idol, so watching him play a shot like that left him awestruck. "I have never seen something like this before. It was simply unbelievable," says Ashraful. Sri Lanka's Dilhara Fernando, also a Mumbai Indians reserve, remembers Tendulkar practising the shot a couple of days before the game against the Knight Riders. "I saw him practicing that shot and remembered it when I saw the game," said Fernando. Mumbai Indians mentor Shaun Pollock smiles when asked about the shot. "Let me put it this way, I wasn't surprised that he played that shot. I have seen him trying to perfect it at the nets. I have seen a few shots like those but of different varieties," said Pollock. Mumbai Indians reserve 'keeper Luke Ronchi takes a bat in his hand and tries to see how he can replicate the shot. "It is indeed a tough shot to play. Switch-hit is all about changing the stance and the grip but for this, you need to get the angle right," says Ronchi. Of the others, Royal Challengers Bangalore coach Ray Jennings cannot stop praising Tendulkar's innovation. "That's why he is the master. He has done this for 20 years and he knows how to raise the bar," said Jennings. Let the last word on the shot rest with the master himself. He smiles at the very mention of the shot and puts it as simply as he can. "It was sort of... I scooped the ball because I anticipated the ball to be right up there and to just get under the ball and use the pace of the bouncer. It worked," he said. That's the bottom line - the shot worked. And is now being spoken about, with the same reverence like most other things Tendulkar does. Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anbuchelvan Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Link :cheer::cheer::cheer::cheer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kohum Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 'That' Shot is a treat to watch indeed. How he anticipated it - is his genious part I scooped the ball because I anticipated the ball to be right up there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holysmoke Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 GOD. :bow: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nospam Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I2N2YlHgAk#t=4m30s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rajiv Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Sachin is a superstar, of his cricket and personality..very few will have this type of fan following Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamy Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 :hail::hail::hail::hail::hail::hail::hail::hail::hail: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Warrior Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 sach :adore: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anakin Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 :adore: :adore: :adore: :adore: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunny Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 A great shot indeed...time to practice it at home :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sachinism Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Brilliant shot b-**** IPL got the video removed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gaurav_indian Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I2N2YlHgAk#t=4m30s This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Indian Premier League. :((:(( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
satishg Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 GOD :adore: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graphic23 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 They cursed him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamy Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 They cursed him. God falters to black magic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graphic23 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 God falters to black magic? Nope. :P It was just a way to increase my post count. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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