Sachin Tendulkar’s hooked six off Tino Best sends social media in a tizzy
India Legends skipper Sachin Tendulkar has been in sublime form in the ongoing Road Safety World Series matches. Tendulkar’s 65 off 42 balls not only lifted India Legends into the final, but also ensured that cricket fans were treated to some sublime strokeplay from the Little Master.
During the first semi-final against West Indies Legends in Raipur, Tendulkar broke the shackles by hitting WI Legends pacer Tino Best for a six on the leg-side. It all happened on the fourth delivery of the eighth over when Tendulkar hooked a short delivery from Best over the deep square region for a glorious six.
With one of Tendulkar’s many career highlights being the hooked six off former England pacer Andrew Caddick during the 2003 ICC World Cup, his shot against Best reminded one and all of his prime.
Opening the batting with Virender Sehwag (35), Tendulkar ended a brief boundary-less period with the shot. While India Legends posted 55/0 in the first five overs, Sehwag’s dismissal put a halt to the run-scoring process at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.
Tendulkar’s 42-ball knock featured three sixes and six fours. The India Legends skipper, who followed his shot with another boundary in the next over, soon witnessed his non-striker in Mohammed Kaif also among the runs as the right-hand batsman Dwayne Smith for two sixes and a four in the 11th over. It is worth mentioning that Kaif has been included in the Indian Playing XI for this match in place of the injured Subramaniam Badrinath.
Once Tendulkar was dismissed for his second successive fifty in the tournament, former India batsmen Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan joined the party. Yuvraj smashed four sixes in one over of Mahendra Nagamotoo en route to scoring 49 not out off 20 balls with six sixes while Yusuf Pathan smashed three sixes in his 37 off 20 balls.
India Legends managed to keep West Indies Legends at bay to win the first semifinal by 12 runs and book their place in the final.
