The Steve and Sachin Show

08/01/2004

THE LOVE OF THE GAME:
The Steve and Sachin Show


It doesn't get much better than that in Test cricket.

The absorbing final day of the fourth Test between Australia and India
in Sydney gripped two nations and intrigued much of the neutral sporting
world. The final three sessions were even beamed 'live' on STAR Sports
across Southeast Asia due to popular demand.

And at the centre of the drama was two men loved by both countries.

Stephen Rodger Waugh was playing his 168th and final Test match on his
home ground while Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar gave two thrilling displays of
batting.

Both men were under tremendous pressure and scrutiny yet responded in
the way that you'd expect from two of our generation's greatest players.

So it seemed inevitable that the long-time rivals would oppose each
other in the tense, final session when Tendulkar came to the crease to
bowl his part-time leg-spinners, and ultimately took the catch in the
deep that dismissed Waugh for a thrilling 80.

At the end of his eventful 18-year international career, no-one was
surprised when Waugh was called on to help rescue Australia from a
potentially dicey situation.

Dicey situations were commonplace when Waugh made his Test debut against
India in the 1985-86 season. Australian cricket was at one of its lowest
ever points after the recent retirements of players like Greg Chappell,
Rod Marsh and Dennis Lillee. Captain Allan Border was doing his best to
prop up a young and inexperienced side. Heavy home defeats against the
West Indies and England were soon to follow.

In 1987, Australia were surprise winners of the World Cup but it wasn't
until 1989 when they really turned their Test fortunes around with an
Ashes victory in England. That series coincided with Waugh's maiden Test
century and, after a moderate start, Tugga's career started to flourish.

That same year, at the age of 16 and 205 days, Tendulkar made his
international debut against Pakistan in Karachi.

In the almost 15 years since, the pair has enjoyed some epic duels,
opposing each other in the 1992, 1996 and 1999 World Cups as well as 13
Test matches. And, amazingly enough, they've both scored 32 Test centuries.

India's love for Waugh goes beyond his batting and captaincy skills.
He's the generous patron of the Udayan orphanage in Kolkata and makes
frequent trips to the sub-continent.

Tendulkar is so popular in Australia because of the sheer entertainment
value he provides every time he comes out to bat. In the ill-fated
1999-2000 series, he was one of the few Indian bright spots.

In the first three matches of this series, Sachin was dogged by bad luck
and the odd rough umpiring decision. It seemed only a matter of time
before the runs would come. If anyone showed up Australia's bowlers, the
Sydney crowd would prefer that Sachin did it.

On that nerve-jangling Day 5, Waugh showed typical nerves of steel. I
couldn't help but compare his final innings with the last stand of Sir
Donald Bradman back in 1948. Needing at least four runs at the Oval to
finish with a Test average of 100 or better, the Don was out for a
second-ball duck, reportedly because he had tears in his eyes.

There was apparently little or no emotion as Stephen Waugh strode out to
the wicket for the final time in a Test match. Typically, he appeared to
put the needs of the team above his personal concerns.

His brother, Mark, who recently retired from international cricket, was
watching from in the ESPN STAR Sports' commentary box. They played 108
Tests together.

"We're twins so I don't have to talk to him to know what he's thinking,"
Mark said. "He wants to be there at the end."

After a scratchy start -- he was very nearly caught after a mistimed
sweep off left-arm spinner Murali Kartik -- Waugh produced a trademark
innings of sweetly timed cuts and drives plus some daring bottom-hand
shots over midwicket.

While making sure that Australia wouldn't lose the game, Waugh stayed
positive in the hope that an unlikely victory might be possible in the
final session.

Saurav Ganguly could certainly learn from Waugh when it comes to
attacking captaincy. While the Kolkata left-hander is maturing nicely as
a skipper, he was too conservative at times during the fourth Test,
especially on the final day.

Rather than employing an all-out attack, Ganguly was overly concerned
with saving runs, allowing the batsmen to pick up easy singles with his
field placings. One feels that if Waugh were put in the same position,
he would take a more aggressive approach. But perhaps the extra
pressures on any Indian captain means the priority is always not to lose
a Test match.

Waugh will now finish his cricketing career by playing five first-class
matches and five one-day games with his state side, New South Wales.
Rather than linger after his memorable Sydney farewell, he's heading 150
kilometres to the northern industrial city of Newcastle for a four-day
Pura Milk match against Victoria that begins on Friday, probably in
front of only a few hundred spectators.

But that's the way that Steve Waugh likes it. No fuss. For him, cricket
has never been about the glory and the glamour. It's the competition,
the camaraderie, the challenge. For the love of the game.