A milestone for Bangladesh to cheer

He got 114 in 147 balls — that’s 4.5 runs an over. His team-mates got the remaining 175 at 6.5 an over.  So did Sachin Tendulkar play for his milestone or the team?

Some might say this is a churlish position to take on a day when an idolised cricketer has achieved another one of his milestones. But to not ask the question is to turn one’s face away from the idol-centric culture that has become the bane of Indian cricket.

Maybe Sachin thought he could get away with his slow run-rate in pursuit of his milestone because it was lowly Bangladesh. Raina and Dhoni almost covered up for him with a flurry of shots in the end. But India’s 290 proved too little on such an easy wicket even against Bangladesh.

It’s easy to blame the bowlers as usual for not defending what seems like a decent total, but it was well short of what we could have got. We just settled for less, with Sachin holding one end up till the 47th over. It was not as if we lost early wickets either, but Sachin never accelerated right through his plodding way to his century in 138 balls.

That he felt no embarrassment in getting to his 100th century in this manner shows how desperate he had become to get the ton that had eluded him for a year, even if that put unnecessary pressure on the team.

When India won the World Cup, it was Sachin who was carried on the shoulders of the team, even though his contribution was underwhelming in the campaign except for an 85 thanks to several dropped catches in that dubious semi-final with Pakistan. But now surely it’s time to ease the team’s burden.

Sachin’s last five centuries have not given India a single victory. Surely this is no way to round off a long career.