Batman Robin save India

OVAL: One-day cricket is replete with close finishes, but even so, India’s last-over victory at the Oval must rank as a classic. At one stage, it appeared that the brilliance of Sachin Tendulkar, and his scintillating 150-run first-wicket partnership with Ganguly, would be wasted. But Robin Uthappa showed nerves of steel and a fine range of strokes, to lead his side home in a heady climax.

England, winning the toss and batting first, had pulled themselves out of a hole through the power hitting of Owais Shah and Dmitri Mascarenhas. Reduced to 85 for 4, Collingwood would have been happy with 250. Instead he got a whopping 316 as Shah stroked a maiden hundred, and Mascarenhas smote 36 off just 16 deliveries, including five sixes off the final over.

On a featherbed wicket and fast outfield, India needed a good start to meet the challenge. What they got from Tendulkar and Ganguly, in fact, was a flier. While these two were at the wicket, it appeared that even 400 would not have been enough for England to protect. Runs came thick and fast, and the scoring rate was a fantastic seven per over when Ganguly fell.

Tendulkar blew like a tempest over the Oval, the energy, aggression and sheer repertoire of his strokeplay leaving England staggered. Quick to judge length, he moved on twinkle toes to play shots all round the wicket, and with a frequency that had the crowd in raptures. The hapless English players were presumably saying a private prayer for mercy.

There were short-arm pulls, cuts, cover drives, steers through third man, and fine glances as Tendulkar waded into the attack with a vigour that suggested he had marked this day out as special. Despite the big shots, the hallmark of his batting was still the ability to pick the gaps in the field, outguessing the rivals most times.

Till he reached 75, he batted with the abandon of an 18-year-old Tendulkar. It was only when he started hobbling with a sudden attack of cramps did one realize that he was now a 34-year-old, carrying a body that had seen a lot of wear and tear. Hampered for movement, Tendulkar was dismissed just six shy of his first major hundred on this tour, having got into the 90s five times.

His departure was to signal the start of drama which would culminate in the heady climax. Shell-shocked by Tendulkar’s assault, Collingwood recovered his wits quickly, urging his players to show fight, allowing his spinners attacking fields, putting pressure on the batsmen.

No danger was evident when Yuvraj and Gambhir were putting on 53 runs for the third wicket, but three wickets fell quickly, including that of Rahul Dravid, and suddenly England were front-runners.

Mascarenhas, who had used his bat like a sledgehammer to hit Yuvraj for five sixes in the last over of the England innings, now became a key figure with the ball too. Rolling his fingers over the seam, he varied his pace adroitly, getting the ball to cut either way, bowling just short of a length, allowing batsmen few liberties.

As the run rate mounted, so did the tension - across the ground,and obviously in both teams. But young Uthappa held his nerve and his composure, even when Dhoni and Zaheer fell, showing a good eye for improvisation and a good feel for taking charge in the middle, riding his luck to play some handsome, some outrageous strokes..

England, having run out of slow bowlers, reverted to Anderson and Broad, and the extra pace of these two proved to be costly. In the last over, India needed 10 runs. Uthappa got two runs off the first, then Zaheer was run out of the second to make it even more tantalizing off the third, Uthappa spotted Broad’s slower deliver very early, moved inside the line and deftly flicked him over short fine leg for a boundary. The fourth ball was off-driven handsomely and powerfully, beating a diving mid-off to race to the fence.

India had won a famous victory, found a new young hero, and the lifeline to play for a series win at Lord’s.