Boria Majumdar in Manchester
There are two results possible in the fourth Test. An England win and a draw, which will mean India bat superbly and save the game. That’s what takes me back to Sachin Tendulkar and his first international hundred. It was a match-saving one at Old Trafford in 1990, something that Shubman Gill will have to emulate at the same venue if he wants to keep the series alive.
Tendulkar stood up to his tag of prodigy in what was also the debut Test of Anil Kumble. His unbeaten 119 and his unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 160 with Manoj Prabhakar was the highlight of the series, which India lost 0-1.
In the words of Tendulkar, “We had to bat the whole of Day 5 to save the Test. There was a substantial cloud cover and the ball was swinging around all day on a worn out final-day pitch.”
The man who finished with 100 international centuries has vivid recollection of that August day. “Azhar fell with the score on 127 and Kapil Dev got yorked by Eddie Hemmings when the total was reading 183. Prabhakar joined me and we knew it was an extremely vital partnership in the context of the match.”
There was a narrow escape early on. “I had been lucky at the start of my innings, with Hemmings dropping me when I was on 14. Trying to save a match, the important thing is to set small targets and go about meeting them. These could be as little as the next five overs, the next hour or even a session.”
However, the three-figure mark also started playing on his mind. His previous best was 88 in Napier earlier that year. “The first time the thought of hundred came to me when I was nearing 90. I reminded myself of the mistake I had made in New Zealand and was conscious not to repeat the mistake and lose out on the opportunity again. There was some time left in the day’s play and England could press for victory if I got out. Eventually, I played a punch off Angus Fraser through mid-off on 97. Chris Lewis chased down the ball and by the time he had thrown it back to the bowler, I had run three.”
Believe it or not, the initial reaction wasn’t joy. “More than elation, I was acutely embarrassed after the century to raise my bat to the stadium or to the dressing room. I hadn’t done anything similar in the past and was extremely uncomfortable at acknowledging the applause. Without doubt I was thrilled. More than thrilled, I was relieved at having saved the game for India.”
At Old Trafford again, this is exactly what India will need to do. It could be tougher because there are still two days to go. With weather expected to play a part, batting out sessions will be the key. Two hours without wickets will frustrate England and India must believe they can save this game.
More than anyone, it is the skipper who will have to lead from the front in the absence of Rishabh Pant. He did so at Leeds and Birmingham and must to do it one more time. The Sachin legend started here when he was No. 6 in the bating line-up. Gill is now batting at No. 4. It is his chance to be the hero. Do something that will forever be remembered in the annals of Indian cricket.
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