The worrying thing is his inability to go on and record a score.

Remember this is the man who used to have the best 50 to 100 conversion test rate ( I think Hayden has this now)

This is the only man to make five consecutive centuries with the score being over 150.

Here are his last 20 test innings.

16, 22, 109, 16, 23, 19, 14, 23, 26, 16, 28*, 4, 1, 34, 44, 14, 63, 0, 64, 14

That is 550 runs @ 28.95

Whilst it isn't terrible and he deserves to choose his own timing, FFS, any other top class player would have been tapped on the shoulder by now and asked to explain.

I know that there have been some horrible umpiring decisions in that, but a few drops spring to mind also.

I think if he had failed in these last two tests he would have been 'tapped on the shoulder and asked to explain' - at the least.

But he made two half-centuries. Hadn't passed 50 in 7 test matches before that.

There were five wretched tests v Pakistan and England earlier in the year, no doubts there. But this tour of South Africa has been an improved performance. Saying 'the end' after a bloke has just had his two best games for a year is just bizarre in my opinion. Yes, he needs to keep improving. But this parrot is neither dead nor resting, but finally waking up again.

India have bucketloads of ODIs in the next three months, then a tour of England. I reckon he'll go well.

Sachin IS the sort of player who's bad form you put up with for a little longer than most.

I know that Greg Chappell has long been a Tendulkar fan. He must be wondering what is wrong as well. I think it can sometimes be the case that peole feel too scared and intimidated to give advice to a player as big in World Cricket as Tendulkar.They kind of say,"Well, I guess he must know what he is doing".

he was the second highest run-getter for india in the series, despite two dodgy decisions. looked positive in all his innings bar one, playing most of his shots in front of the wicket. i would wait until england and australia to pronounce judgement. if anyone actually saw the matches, the signs dont look bad

quote:

Originally posted by Leo:
Further - he passed 50 in the first innings of his last 2 tests. But people are saying 'the end'. A bloke scores 63 & 64 in consecutive tests, but he is finished as an international player? Pull the other one.

However: it may be that we'll never see Sachin at his best again. I don't think Lara 2002-06, though prolific at times, has ever been quite the player of 1992-99. Some people seem to think Tendulkar either has to be a batting god or a feather duster: there is a middle ground. He was solid and made a contribution in this series - more so than Dravid or Sehwag. 'The end' is OTT, and (IMO) silly.

Agree here completely with you Leo.

However it was true that Sachin looked embarrassing in the last inning of the 3rd test but one has to bear in mind that he was not 100% fit and had a lower bottom strain.

It was disappointing to see sachin not countering the negative bowling of SA spinner because he had faced it in 1st innings and would have known what was in stock for him in this innings. but perhaps his movement was affected by that injury.

We'll never know. however disappointed I may be, I will never say that this was the end of Tendulkar. And I'm saying that without even going into the bad decisions that he received in 2 of these 6 innings.

In terms of pure ability he is still one of the best how ever for some reason he thinks about it too much and doesn't allow his natural flair to take over.

Sad, really. One hopes he has a Steve Waugh-like comeback and finishes on a high note.

Since his comeback in the Malaysia series, there is a visible effort from Tendulkar to regain his old playing style. And I'm about sure it's just a matter of time before he starts playing like the old Tendulkar again. Sadly, a few big years of his life as a batsman have been partially ruined by injuries IMO.

quote:

Here are his last 20 test innings.

16, 22, 109, 16, 23, 19, 14, 23, 26, 16, 28*, 4, 1, 34, 44, 14, 63, 0, 64, 14

That is 550 runs @ 28.95

That's almost Martynesque.

quote:

looked positive in all his innings bar one

the most important one. thats the problem with his batting in tests in recent years. bangalore also comes to mind. dravid was also guilty on both occasions but he has stepped up many times - the decider in the windies being a prime example. this indicates to me that its more a mental problem with sachin atm. as you say he was fluent in all his other innings in the series...inexplicable

dravid's s/r in that innings in windies was 40, hardly attacking. but what was needed

problem with judging this sachin innings is that it was cut down by the ump. a fuller innings would have been a better judge. getting down to attacking is not the easiest thing on a 5th day pitch with negative bowling, well not unless you take some risks, which at that stage would have been suicidal for india

that bangalore innings for sure was a disgrace, you knew there was going to be only one end. i am not so sure about this

srt is useless and shud b thrown out of the team.....always making xcuses about injuries and age...just retire man.....!!!!!!!!!! champion choker always chickning out udner pressure......!!!!!