India vs West Indies 2013: 2nd Test, Day 1

Finally, the much dreaded 14th November arrived in a humid and somewhat hot Mumbai, with the last match of Sachin Tendulkar at Wankhede Stadium.

Having won the toss, MS Dhoni, in his own words, “disappointed the fans” by choosing to bowl first. In hindsight, it was a call based on getting the best out of the wicket, but it might have also calmed down any nerves which Sachin Tendulkar, if it’s possible for him, might be feeling on this day.

Here are the memorable moments of the day:

The tri-coloured bat

A special bat for a special occasion

It was a special occasion, and Sachin Tendular marked it not just with a special cap, with 200 imprinted on it, but also with a unique selection of his bat.

The saffron, white and green adorned the grip and the blade, as Sachin Tendulkar boldly chose to display the one cause he has batted for since the past 24 years – his country.

Sloppy catching

The likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli appeared to have made a smooth transition at slips since Dravid and Laxman retired, but increasingly, there have been some sloppy catching at close-in positions lately.

Today, Ashwin was the first one to drop a catch, after Bhuvneshwar Kumar finally got a nick that carried after going past the outside edge on numerous occasions. But Ashwin, getting the ball at a very catchable height, fluffed it.

Kohli was guilty next as he failed to hold on to another simple chance, this time off Ashwin’s bowling. Murali Vijay followed suit when the ball brushed past his hands at shoulder height at first slip, again off Ashwin. As he let out a cry, the frustration was writ clear on the No. 1 Test all-rounder’s face, but after all, he’s the one who started the proceedings.

Some catches did stick, as Dhoni’s 250th dismissal, where Dhoni had to juggle a bit with the ball going off his gloves onto his thighs, and somehow making its way towards his stomach as he grabbed it. Vijay did take a brilliant catch when he caught Narsingh Deonarine inches off the ground, diving forward, with his left hand.

The Fastest 100

Ravichandran Ashwin became the fastest Indian to take 100 Test wickets

Claiming his 3rd wicket of the innings, Ravichandran Ashwin became the fastest Indian and fifth fastest overall to reach the landmark of 100 Test wickets. He is also the fastest in the last 80 years. He reached the milestone in 18 Tests, 2 more than George Lohmann, who made the record of 16 Tests in 1896.

Having already made 2 Test centuries, this surely is the hundred he’ll cherish the most.

The slip cordon

A wonderful sight for Indian fans – a packed slip cordon

When Mohammed Shami was bowling in the 1st Test at Kolkata, he got prodigious reverse swing, and there was not a single slip fielder put in place by MS Dhoni. Today, with the moisture early on in the pitch and reverse swing not on offer, Shami got the ball to move away from the batsman on a consistent basis.

He beat Marlon Samuels on countless occasions and should have gotten the wicket, but the field put in place for Shami was a sight to behold for an Indian fan.

The guard of honour

After having dismissed West Indies for 182, it’s extremely likely that India will bat only once in this match, and the same holds for the man of the moment – Sachin Tendulkar. He was not out on 38 at stumps today, and got a moving guard of honour from the West Indies player, but not before the Wankheded resonated with the cheers of “Sachiiin, Sachiiin”. Watch it to feel the goosebumps:

The blunders of Darren Sammy

In the 2nd match in a row, Darren Sammy had a brainfreeze, as he tried to slog West Indies out of trouble on only the 2nd ball he faced. The horrendous attempt to hit Ashwin over the deep mid wicket found the top edge of the bat and was safely caught by Rohit Sharma. His similar attempt to slog in the first innings at Kolkata had cost the team another wicket when they needed stability from their captain.

As if in an attempt to make up for his poor decision, he followed it up with another one by opening the West Indies’ bowling attack himself. When the pace of Tino Best would have been a better option, Sammy failed to get much swing and without the pace, it was an easy start for the Indian openers, who put up a partnership of 77 in just over 13 overs. Not a good day for Sammy at all.

The Tendulkar drive

Sachin Tendulkar drove the crowd in Mumbai and millions watching on TV in a frenzy as he drove one delivery from Sammy, perfectly bisecting the bowler and the mid-on fielder; a glorious hit to the boundary.

It was very close to that signature Sachin on-drive which is imprinted in everyone’s mind. And with it being the last boundary of the day, it packs many promises of what is to arrive tomorrow.

The special guests

The morning session saw the focus on Aamir Khan in the crowd; the superstar also made an appearance in the commentary box, as the viewers listened to his superstition about the t-shirts he wears and performance of Sachin Tendulkar. With a hosts of ex-cricket greats present in the stadium, it was quite a disappointment that the cricketainment continued to take centre stage outside IPL too.

Sachin Tendulkar’s mother – Rajni Tendulkar

Later in the day, focus shifted to Sachin’s mother, Rajni Tendulkar, who had come to a stadium to watch his son for the first time, his coach Ramakant Achrekar and his brother, wife and children who had come to watch the match. It was indeed a private moment for Sachin Tendulkar when he took the field today.