Tendulkar sparkles in rain-affected four-dayer Why is it that Sachin Tendulkar’s finest knocks get terminated on 169? After the audience at the Cape Town Test in January 1997, it was the turn of the faithfuls who had assembled for the tour match at New Road, Worcester to pose that question. Before his dismissal, the little master, had in the course of an electrifying 249-ball knock, more than made up for the lack of any action on the first two days. Tendulkar's 53rd first-class hundred, which came on a damp and uneven pitch, was laced with as many as 30 boundaries. Rahul Dravid (53*), Virender Sehwag (43), Wasim Jaffer (42) and Harbhajan Singh with a quicksilver 32* were the other Indian batsmen to make an impression on a day when Indian piled up 417/8 declared. The final day saw the Worcestershire reply get off to a steady start - their openers adding 84 runs for the first wicket. But the batsmen who followed could not make much of an impression as the home team slid to 200 for six before rain intervened to bring an early end to the match.

England include Key, Harmison in squad for Trent Bridge Test Opening batsman Robert Key, who was included in England's squad for the second Test against India, is all set to win his first Test cap at Trent Bridge on Thursday. The selectors have also called up fast bowler Stephen Harmison, after Simon Jones was ruled out of contention with a side strain. Key, 23, who had an impressive stint at the England Academy last winter, will open the batting at Trent Bridge with Michael Vaughan, allowing Mark Butcher and Nasser Hussain to move back down to three and four respectively. "We also considered Ian Bell and David Fulton as replacements for Graham Thorpe," England's chairman of selectors David Graveney said. "But Robert Key has been in outstanding form for Kent and his career has really kicked on this season after he attended the National Academy in Australia last winter." Whether the 23-year-old Harmison plays, meanwhile, could well depend on Alex Tudor's ability to prove his fitness for a five-day match, after missing the Lord's Test with tendonitis. Tudor is included in the squad, while Derbyshire's Dominic Cork is retained after missing out to Craig White in the final eleven at Lord's. "Alex Tudor did play in a Norwich Union League match last week, and we will give him every opportunity to prove he is fully match fit in the run up to the Test Match," Graveney observed. "Our resources in the bowling department have been stretched for this match and we have had to slightly vary our policy with regard to bowlers needing to play in a four-day match before a Test match to prove their fitness," he added. England squad: N Hussain (captain), MP Vaughan, MA Butcher, RWT Key, JP Crawley, AJ Stewart, A Flintoff, C White, AF Giles, MJ Hoggard, DG Cork, SJ Harmison, AJ Tudor

Don’t over-react - Tendulkar A rare run of failures in the Test arena has suddenly prompted questions about Sachin Tendulkar’s effectiveness in away Tests. After answering his critics in the best way possible - by scoring a masterly 169 in the rain-affected four-dayer against Worcestershire - Tendulkar asserted that he was in complete control of his game. "I think people are just over-reacting, I know what I am doing," he told newsmen. "I am worried about what I need to do rather than about what people write about me. I just want to go out and play my game," he added. The little master reeled out some impressive statistics to buttress his assertions. "In the last five or six Tests, I have scored over 400 runs. Even in the one-day championships, I have scored 350 runs. So I am not bothered," he observed.

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