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News Letter
Mon Aug 12 2002
Issue No: 91

Tendulkar, Dravid hold firm after India lose openers

A swashbuckling half century by Sachin Tendulkar, his first of the series, revived India's ailing fortunes ahead of the final day of the second Test at Trent Bridge. When bad light ended play on the fourth day, India were 99 for two, 161 runs behind England, with Tendulkar on 56 and Rahul Dravid on 34. Earlier, a career-best 197 from opener Michael Vaughan and fifties from Mark Butcher (53), Alec Stewart (87) and Craig White (94) propelled England to a massive 617 all out in their first innings. With the Indians having only posted 357 in their first essay, this gave the home team a healthy 260-run lead. On a belter of a batting track, Nasser Hussain's men took full toll of the loose deliveries that the Indian bowlers liberally sprayed around to score their runs at a fair clip, thereby giving themselves a chance of pulling off a second consecutive win despite the loss of almost a day's play to bad weather. All now hinges on the outcome of the all-important first session of the final day.

Vaughan: I was gutted I didn't get the double

The third day of the Trent Bridge belonged to Michael Vaughan, who made a commanding 197 off 258 balls to propel his side towards a large first innings total. His third ton after donning the mantle of England opener was also his highest in first-class cricket. The knock which followed his 100 in his team's second innings at Lord's also made him the first English batsman since Graham Thorpe (119 in Auckland and 108 in Wellington in England's tour of New Zealand in 1997) to score back-to-back Test tons.

After rating the knock as the best of his career,Vaughan went on to add that he was, however, disappointed at missing a double century.

"To be honest it was just one of those days when everything seemed to hit the middle of the bat," he said. "I would say it's the best I have ever played especially given the situation in the game - it was important someone got a big score after India got 357.

"This is a ground where there are a lot of boundaries to be had, the feet moved as well as they have all summer and I just felt in good touch. I have never hit it as clean as I did today. When I got out I sat in the dressing room for two or three minutes, and I was gutted I didn't get the double.

"But if you had offered me that score (197) at 11.50am I would have ripped your hand off," he added.

Robert wishes to ask some key questions

Robert Key's batting in his debut Test innings Trent Bridge might have been stodgy but we assure you that his wishes are anything but. The 23-year-old with a passion for music and Britney Spears told BBC Radio Five Live that were he allowed to host a dream dinner party, he would love to invite Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and "someone who could shed light on a lot of things that happened in the 20th Century. It would give us something really interesting to talk about." In particular, he would love to know the truth behind the assasination of former American President John F Kennedy. Not surprisingly, this inquisitive English cricketer names Steve Waugh as the cricketer he admires the most. Sachin Tendulkar, however, is the batsman that he would love to watch.

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India were at the receiving end of a Sri Lankan assault on the fourth day of the final Test of a two-Test series played in the Emerald Isles in 1997. Probably irked by the fact that their team had conceded a 43-run first innings lead to the Indians, Sanath Jayasuriya (199) and Aravinda de Silva (120) pummelled the visitors' bowling during an exhilarating 218-run stand.

Tendulkar and Dravid might have forged a reassuring partnership on the fourth evening. But their real test lies ahead. The two stalwarts would now have to withstand a fresh and determined England attack on the fifth morning and ensure that their side succeeds in saving the match. Log on to CricInfo.com to find out if they succeed in their mission.

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Michael Vaughan
Back-to-back centuries
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"Hoggard bowled consistently but in general we were a bit short and suffered from our inexperience. Having played on so many flat pitches recently we didn't pitch the ball up enough."Nasser Hussain

"It must be hoped that this lean patch will make Tendulkar pick himself up, brush away a few cobwebs in his technique and concentrate on playing like Tendulkar. No one else." Bishan Bedi



"The sheer incompetence of the bowlers makes it impossible for us to even fathom the possibility of India bouncing back and winning even one Test in this series." Keshav Patel.


Virender Sehwag became the second batsman after Sir Don Bradman to score a hundred and a duck in a Test at Trent Bridge.

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