TENDULKAR - AFTER 100TH HUNDRED

           

After making a hundredth hundred,during the mid-innings break, Tendulkar had explained to television commentator Ramiz Raja how he had not been able to get away from talk about his 100th hundred. "It's been a tough phase for me. I started off the season batting reasonably well. I was luckless. I am not playing only for my 100th hundred. It doesn't matter how many hundreds you score, you still put your head down, grind it out and do the job for the team.

"I was not thinking about the milestone, the media started all this; wherever I went, the restaurant, room service, everyone was talking about the 100th hundred. Nobody talked about my 99 hundreds. It became mentally tough for me because nobody talked about my 99 hundreds."

Tendulkar was able to joke about having finally achieved it, saying he had shed "50 kilos" with the 114 he made on Friday.

"The hundred was not the only thing on my mind. I was thinking about getting a good total for the team. When I looked at the scoreboard, I was looking at the run-rate and what we needed to do; I was avoiding looking at my personal score."

"After scoring 99 tons you are made to realise the value of a hundred. It's not easy, it was a testing period, but there were many people who helped me.

"There are opinions, some for some against. I don't read them, I have a job to do. Ups and downs are a part of life, there is no person who has not experienced it, and they teach you a lot in life.

"I am glad about the journey. It has tested my patience, my character. So many people have had questions, I don't read any of them. Somebody who has not gone through this will have only questions, not answers."

"When I consider retirement, don't worry, I will not hide it from anyone. I will play as long as I am enjoying it and as long as I can contribute to the team. I don't play for milestones; that is a perception created by a few members of the media. I play cricket because I enjoy it."

In the mid-innings break, when Ramiz asked Tendulkar what message he wanted to send to youngsters who witnessed him make history, Tendulkar said it was important to never give up on chasing your dreams. "Enjoy the game and chase your dreams," he said. "Dreams do come true. I had to wait for 22 years for India to win the World Cup."

During the post-match press conference he said,"I talk a lot about cricket with my brother. He has guided me throughout and this is something I want to dedicate to him. We have lived our dream together. Whenever I went in to bat I knew that mentally he was always there with me."

Aside from the hundredth hundred, when asked, he duly produced a list of favourites. Perth 1992, Chennai 2008, Manchester 1990, Chennai 1999, Sydney 2004 were his favourite Test innings, a comical bit of running with Anil Kumble that miraculously didn't end up in a run-out against Bangladesh in 2004 counted as his funniest on-field incident.

Answering the question about the list of great bowlers, he replied, "You need one ball to get out," he joked, "I can name at least 25 different bowlers."

Sachin’s Dream House

Sachin Tendulkar’s new house is located on Bandra’s West Perry Cross Road. The ‘dream house’ has been designed keeping in mind the master blaster’s comfort.

India World Cup Journey (1983-2011)

Mahendra Singh Dhoni – King of Endorsements

 

Dhoni endorses 15 brands from clothes to cold Drinks. 

MS D.honi signed with Kolkata-based celebrity management company Gameplan Sports in April 2005.

Currently Dhoni has 20 endorsements, only Shahrukh Khan has more (21).

In 2007 Dhoni had 17 endorsements. In July 2010, Dhoni tied up with Rhiti Sports Management and Mindscapes and has been promised a minimum guarantee of Rs 210 crore over the next three years.

The following is the list of endorsements signed by Dhoni.

2005: Pepsico, Reebok, Exide, TVS Motors.

2006: Mysore Sandal Soap, Videocon,Reliance Communications, Reliance Energy, Orient PSPO Fan, Bharat Petroleum, Titan Sonata, Brylcream, NDTV,GE Money.

2007: Siyaram.

2008: Fashion at Big Bazaar, Maha Choco, Boost (health food), Dainik Bhaskar

2009: Dabur Honey, Kolkata Fashion Week,Aircel communications, Nova Scottia Premium shirts.

2010: Amrapali

TENDULKAR @ 20

Sachin Tendulkar will join a list of 15 players whose international careers have spanned more than 20 years when he plays in the first test against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad on Monday.

Tendulkar has been the face of Indian cricket since his test debut as a chubby, curly-haired 16-year-old against Pakistan in Karachi in November 1989.
He now holds the record for most test runs (12,773), test centuries (42), ODI runs (17,178) and ODI centuries (45).

The 36-year-old cricketer’s passion for cricket has not diminished during his long career and he still has a child-like enthusiasm for the game, said the record-breaking India batsman.

"Cricket lives in my heart and whenever I'm on a cricket field I enjoy it ... somewhere it's still a 16-year-old hidden inside who wants to go out and express himself," Tendulkar told a news conference on Friday.
"I do that and it comes naturally and I don't make any special effort to show enthusiasm. It's been my life and I enjoy every moment.
"I enjoy challenges, it's a package deal, ups and downs, wonderful moments and there are disappointments so all that also makes you a stronger person and you learn to deal with various things in life," said the batting great.

"I think I'm very fortunate to be living that dream and 20 years is a long time so there have been many special moments in my career," Tendulkar said.
"To actually start counting them would be tough but I'd definitely say the first day, walking with the playing XI, playing a test in Pakistan was probably the greatest feeling.
"The journey began there and whatever I did after that was a mere reflection of my contribution towards the nation's cause," he added. 

"I cannot fail to thank the people of India for all the affection and love, the support," he said.
"Whatever I do, whatever level I perform, you need people around you to share your happiness with them and I've got more than a billion people to share that with so that means a lot to me.
"Because of all these things you are inspired to go out and do something special for all the people."
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni recently said Tendulkar had the fitness and form to play until 2015.
"It would be nice if I can go on that long but I don't want to think that far," said Tendulkar.
"My focus is on the near future. I feel there is cricket left in me and everything is going really well."

Dhoni- world's top earning cricketer

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has topped the list of world's 10 top earning cricketers compiled by Forbes.

Raking in USD 10 million, Dhoni is at the top of the chart followed by Tendulkar at the second spot with earnings worth USD 8 million in the list of 'The World's Top-Earning Cricketers'.

While Yuvraj Singh and Dravid are at the third and fourth spot, respectively, Ganguly and Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting share the sixth place.

"Paycheck figures include club and national team salaries and commercial endorsement income over the last 12 months," Forbes said.

According to the magazine, Singh earned USD 5.5 million while Dravid and Ganguly raked in USD 5 million and USD 3.5 million, respectively. Ponting also earned USD 3.5 million.

At the fifth spot is England's Andrew Flintoff with earnings of USD 4 million followed by Australia's Brett Lee and English cricketer Kevin Pietersen -- both at eighth place and Australian Michael Clarke is ranked tenth.

While Lee and Pietersen raked in USD 3 million each, Clarke earned USD 2.5 million.

Hayden To Open Cricket Academy In Chennai

 

Former Australia opener, and current Chennai Super Kings batsman, Matthew Hayden, has planned to begin work on setting up an academy in Chennai and may enlist the help of Rahul Dravid and Stephen Fleming in doing so. Hayden has had a very good record in the country, while he averages 83.75 in test matches in Chennai including a double century.
Hayden said that it was his intention to try and give back to the city where he first made a comeback and practiced playing spin bowling on tracks that assisted spin bowlers in 2000-01.

He also said that the academy would not focus on cricket alone, but also have education as a part of the exercise too. The reason for this, he said, was that not all aspirants went on to become cricketers, and needed to have something to depend upon.

Hayden added that the reason why he would want to work with Dravid was that he could identify his values and hence the chance of a partnership. He said that he had had a chat with Dravid during the 2009 edition of the IPL and would love to have Dravid with him. He also drew inspiration from former Australian captain, Steve Waugh, who had been involved in charity projects in India and had been an inspiration for him.

Waugh has adopted the charity institute Udayan and has worked for the benefit of the children in the institute. Hayden said that he would like to do something similar for Chennai like what Waugh had done in Kolkata.

MASTER BLASTER SACHIN TURNS 36

 

Sachin Tendulkar turns 36 today. The master batsman has scaled every summit in the game - except for one. He has not yet been part of a World Cup winning team. But come 2011, the master blaster is all set to change that, when the World Cup is held on the subcontinent.
When asked at a recent function what his dreams were, he laughed off the question saying, "You only dream when you are asleep." But then he added, "I want to win the World Cup for India."
The captain of the Mumbai Indians got a surprise from his team when he found that they had organized a surprise birthday party at the team hotel.

Sachin’s praise elevates Dhoni’s status

Everything Sachin Tendulkar says or does makes news and is taken very seriously by one and all. Hence  the little master has  praised the current India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will only elevate his status as a skipper in world cricket further. There is little argument over the fact that Dhoni is a great captain in the making. However, Sachin – who has played under various captains in the last two decades – coming out and praised someone who has taken over the post only six months back.

Paying tribute to Dhoni, Sachin has commented, “He is a balanced guy, is always on his toes all the time. Before he was made the captain, standing in the slips I interacted with him, and  he picked  lot of things which clearly indicated that he has a sharp brain, his approach was pretty clear and not complicated.” The same points have been raised by a number of experts and commentators a number of times. However the fact that Sachin, who has been an integral part of the Dhoni-led winning combination in the longer version of the game, has said all this now gives full stop to all the talks.

Sachin's wax statue for Tussauds

Sachin Tendulkar on Monday came face to face with himself, as a new waxwork figure of the Indian cricket legend was unveiled in his home city of Mumbai after demand from the public.

The figure has been made to go on show at London's Madame Tussauds museum and is the first of an Indian sportsman at the world famous waxwork attraction. It shows Tendulkar, 35, in a familiar pose -- in full whites of the India team, batting pads, arm guard and gloves, holding his bat and helmet aloft in celebration.

"This was the way I celebrated when I passed the record," he told a news conference, referring to the moment last October when he broke Brian Lara's record for the most runs in Test cricket. "I saw the picture and it was a special moment, a very dear one to me."

Tendulkar, nicknamed the "Little Master" or "Master Blaster," described being immortalised in wax as a "great honour." "It's fantastic, fabulous," he added.

Liz Edwards, from Madame Tussauds, said it was the first time one of its wax figures had been launched outside London and had been designed to coincide with the start of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament this weekend. Tendulkar captains the Mumbai Indians in the competition, which has been moved to South Africa because of a clash with India's general election.

"Guests vote for wax figures to come in. Sachin's name was constantly coming up and we were delighted to work with him," said Edwards.

India’s newly crowned Fab Five

India had a great 2008 and so it is not surprising that as many as five Indian cricketers made it to Wisden’s Dream Test XI. Here’s a look at India’s newly crowned Fab Five.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni:

Leaving behind Graeme Smith and Ricky Ponting, the Indian captain has surged ahead to be named the skipper of the XI. In a short span of time that he has been at the helm of affairs, Dhoni has notched up a record to be proud of. Under him, India have beaten Australia and England at home and New Zealand away – all three of them comprehensively. With the responsibility of captaincy, his batting has taken a backseat. However he has performed in most crisis situations, a sign of a great leader in the making. Under Dhoni, Indian cricket itself seems headed for a dream era.

Virender Sehwag:

 

Ever since being recalled to the Test squad for the tour of Australia last year, Virender Sehwag has made sure that he did not disappoint the selectors. After scoring a ton in that series, he smashed a quite unbelievable triple hundred against the South Africans at Chennai and hasn’t looked back since. Bowlers have had a tough time against him and continue to do so. The Australians suffered at his hands during their return series and though India lost in Sri Lanka, the hosts were not spared some Sehwag bashing. The Englishmen would do well not to remember the name Sehwag for he changed the fate of a Test in an hour of scintillating strokeplay. In short, he has been on top of his game and the Kiwis were plain lucky to escape some pasting in the three Tests.

Sachin Tendulkar:

What does one say about his man? He just keeps going on and on and on. Even after 20 years in international cricket and nearly every batting record in the book, Sachin is still hungry for more. He played the perfect guiding hand to the youngsters in the series wins against Australia, England and lately New Zealand. As long as he stays fit and keeps scoring runs in the consistent manner that he has been doing till now, there is little reason for Sachin to call it quits. However, to prolong his Test career, he must seriously consider retiring from the shorter version of the game.

Harbhajan Singh:

He was a somewhat surprise choice though it has to be said that among the spin options available, he was the best bet especially with Monty Panesar not in his elements. To give due credit to Harbhajan, he has improved his overseas record and is growing as an all-round bowler. He bowled well against Australia in both the series’ played between the two sides last year and his 63 wickets in 2008, made him the right choice statistically as well. Having done well in New Zealand and with a batting record which is improving with every innings, Harbhajan Singh’s career has got a new lease of life. Let’s see how far he goes from here.

Zaheer Khan:

No surprises here! Without a doubt the best left-arm pacer in the world presently, Zaheer will walk into any World XI. His ability to move both the old and new ball combined with pin-point accuracy, has played a humungous role in India’s wins over Australia, England and New Zealand. He has developed the knack of picking up wickets at crucial moments and this has made a huge difference on a number of occasions. Ishant Sharma’s emergence has also helped Zaheer a great deal and there is no reason why he shouldn’t continue in the same vein in the forthcoming series’ as he has also remained injury-free.

SACHIN PRAISES KIRSTEN AND THANKING INDIAN PEOPLE FOR SUPPORT

Entire country supported us in New Zealand triumph: Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar and four other victorious Indian teammates returned to Mumbai in the wee hours on Thursday and thanked the countrymen, saying the entire nation supported the team in its quest of creating history in New Zealand.

"It's an achievement. Everyone is happy. The entire country has supported us. It was victory after 41 years," the champion batsman told reporters at the airport on arriving with four other teammates.

Under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India defeated New Zealand in their own backyard in a Test series for the first time since Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi's team had vanquished the Kiwis in 1967-68 after hopping across the Tasman sea after a poor series in Australia.

Tendulkar, who had made vital contributions with the bat in both the preceding five-match One-day series and the Test rubber, returned with Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel and Dhawal Kulkarni.

Some members of the support staff of the team also landed in Mumbai along with them.

Skipper Dhoni and some other members of the team, based in northern cities, disembarked in Delhi by a different flight.

South-based cricketers, including stalwarts Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, went to their respective places directly, according to BCCI sources.

Wisdon Test XI Of 2008:Sehwag-The Leading Cricketer In The World

 
Wisden published its first ever Test match Dream XI on Wednesday with Kevin Pietersen the only England player to make the line-up in the sport's annual of record.
South Africa-born Pietersen finds his place at number five in the team. Above him in the Dream batting order is an opening pair- Virender Sehwag, of India, and South Africa captain Graeme Smith.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting claims the  number three spot, and India's master batsman Sachin Tendulkar is number four.
Below Pietersen are West Indies player- Shivnarine Chanderpaul, just above India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The tail starts with India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh - followed by Australia left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson and South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn, with India's Zaheer Khan at number 11.
Sehwag is not only number one by virtue of his position in the batting order but for good measure is identified as the sixth player to be recognised as the Leading Cricketer in the World.
It is an annual accolade previously bestowed on the likes of Shane Warne, Andrew Flintoff and Muttiah Muralitharan.

THE WISDEN TEST XI OF 2008
V. Sehwag (India)
§G. C. Smith (South Africa)
R. T. Ponting (Australia)
S. R. Tendulkar (India)
K. P. Pietersen (England)
S. Chanderpaul (West Indies)
*†M. S. Dhoni (India)
Harbhajan Singh (India)
M. G. Johnson (Australia)
D. W. Steyn (South Africa)
Zaheer Khan (India)
§ Vice-captain

Remarks on Sachin By Great Cricketers,Sachin is GOD

 

 

"I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the
wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He was unstoppable. I
don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin
Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player" -Shane Warne.

"I saw him playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I
asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel
that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she
looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between
the two... his compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed
to gel" -Sir Donald Bradman.

"In an over I can bowl six different balls. But then Sachin looks at me with a sort of gentle arrogance down the pitch as if to say 'Can you bowl
me another one?'" - Adam Hollioke

"Destined to be a great" -Barry Richards.

"He is 99.5 percent perfect. I'd pay to see him" - Viv Richards.

"Don't bowl him bad balls, he hits the good ones for fours" - Michael Kasprowicz.

"It's scary, where the hell do we bowl to him" -Allan Border.

"There is no shame being beaten by such a great player. We didn't lose to Team India. We Lost to Sachin Tendulkar" -Steve Waugh.

"If I've to bowl to Sachin, I'll bowl with my helmet on. He hits the ball so hard" - Dennis Lillee.

"I'd like to see him go out and bat one day with a stump. I tell you he'd do okay" -Greg Chappell.

"Cricketers like Sachin come once in a lifetime and I am privileged he played in my time" - Wasim Akram.

"The pressure on me is nothing as compared to Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin, like God, must never fail. The crowd always expects him to succeed and it
is too much pressure on him" -Mark Waugh.

"Everybody gets 15 minutes of fame. But if there's one person I've admired
over a 15-year of period, it's definitely Sachin." - Brain Lara

Sachin is cricket's God? Barry Richards.

You might pitch a ball on the off stump and think you have bowled a good
ball and he walks across and hits it for two behind midwicket. His bat
looks so heavy but he just waves it arounad like it's a toothpick? -Brett Lee

You have to decide for yourself whether you're bowling well or not. He's
going to hit you for fours and sixes anyway? -Micheal Kasprowicz

Technically, you can't fault Sachin. Seam or spin, fast or slow ? nothing
is a problem? -Geoffrey Boycott.

His life seems to be a stillness in a frantic world... [When he goes out
to bat], it is beyond chaos - it is a frantic appeal by a nation to one
man. The people see him as a God... ? Mathew Hayden, on Sachin Tendulkar.

I (Embarrassed laugh) am a normal person who plays cricket. I am nothing
more than that? Sachin Tendulkar, on being told of above quote.

"The fact of the matter is that India still need Sachin in a big way. All
this talk of the youngsters taking over is very foolish. The reason why
Tendulkar is so important for the team is because of his ability to
inspire others and make them perform under pressure" - Some day on "Times of India".

Cricket is the religion and sachin is the God
Team India without Sachin is like Temple without God.

And, this is the best!!! (A True fan of Sachin carried this Banner in a match..)
"Commit all your crimes when Sachin is batting. They will go unnoticed because
even the Lord will be gone to watch his batting!!!."

Yes, Sachin is not only the Cricket's God, the Cricketers' God...

Sachin Tendulkar is relishing the success of the Indian cricket team like never before

Sachin Tendulkar is relishing the success of the Indian cricket team and admits that in his 20-years association with the game, the time has never been as exciting as it has been in the last three-four years.

The master batsman, who has 85 international hundreds - 42 in Tests and 43 in ODIs - said team's victory in New Zealand was indeed satisfying.

"It is good for Rahul (Dravid) and myself to be part of a winning team here. We've been here on earlier tours, but it wasn't so good. But it is better late than never.

"It is exciting time for Indian cricket. It has been quite satisfying. The Test victory is very special. We have been able to achieve that in the last few years wherever we have travelled. I am glad that we made it possible here as well," said Tendulkar, who had a strenuous net session at the Eden Park.

Tendulkar attributed team's heady performance to its all-round capability.

"It has been all-round performance that has seen us do consistently well. We just needed a break and that break I thought we got in Zimbabwe (2001) which came after a long time," he said.

"After that we went to the West Indies and won a Test there. We went to England and won. We went to South Africa, we won. We did that in Australia as well. So wherever we have traveled we have created an impact. That is what the nation was looking for and we are glad we have done it," Tendulkar added.

India miss out second spot in ICC rankings

 

Team India missed out on second rank in the annual ICC Test Championship and a prize money of USD 75,000 after they were beaten by South Africa by just a point following the South Africa's win over Australia in the third Test in Cape Town.
South Africa, who would have secured top spot,if they had clinched the series against Australia.They lost the series by 1-2 against Australia and barely managed to hold on to their second spot.
India, who beat New Zealand in the first Test in Hamilton by 10 wickets, will end the year in third spot on 118 points behind South Africa (119) and Australia (128) on the April 1 cut-off date.
In the ICC ODI rankings as well Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team will end the year at third spot, a mere two points behind second-placed Australia (124). South Africa will be on top with 125 points on the same cut-off date.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting will receive the ICC Test Championship shield and USD 175,000 on behalf of Cricket Australia from ICC General Manager (Cricket) David Richardson in Johannesburg on Wednesday for ending the year on top of table.
He will also pick up a cheque for USD 75,000 for his team coming second in the ODI Championship.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith will accept the ODI Championship shield and a cheque for USD 175,000 on behalf of Cricket South Africa. He will also accept a cheque of USD 75,000 for his country ending the year second in the Test Championship.
ICC Test Championship: 1. Australia (128); 2. South Africa (119); 3. India (118); 4. Sri Lanka (108); 5. Pakistan (100); 6. England (98); 7. West Indies (89); 8. New Zealand (81); 9. Bangladesh (0).
ICC ODI Championship: 1. South Africa (125); 2. Australia (124); 3. India (122); 4. New Zealand (112); 5. Pakistan (111); 6. England (107); 7. Sri Lanka (105); 8. West Indies (92); 9. Bangladesh (46); 10. Zimbabwe (23); 11. Ireland (19).

ICC surprised at IPL shift

 

International Cricket Council (ICC) president David Morgan said he is surprised at the news of the Indian Premier League being held overseas, and added it would be difficult for any nation to host the event at such short notice.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Sunday announced that the hugely popular Twenty20 tournament will be played outside India because state governments have expressed their inability to provide security to the tournament as it clashes with general elections in the country.
"That is a quite surprising news, they have had real difficulties with the elections on in India," Morgan said.
"I honestly don`t know (where it will be staged) but the rumours here in Australia were that South Africa was a likely relocation destination but there has been nothing official."
"It`s the beginning of the season in England and Wales and there is a lot of Twenty20 cricket being played, including the ICC World Twenty20."
"I do think there will be great difficulties in relocating it," he said

Will Sachin be able to make a century of centuries?

 

 

The way Sachin is playing today,100 international tons are within Sachin`s reach.

The 'little master', cricket's leading run-scorer, already has 85 centuries - 42 in Tests and 43 in one-day internationals - more than anyone else in both forms of the game, and 15 more for the ultimate 100 is not beyond him.

Fast approaching his 36th birthday, there are not too many years left for Tendulkar although it's likely he will be around until the 2011 World Cup.

Between now and then there is ample opportunity to complete a remarkable record.

Tendulkar has scored hundreds in his last two outings on India's current tour of New Zealand with 163 in the one-day series followed by 160 in his only bat in the first Test which India wrapped up by 10 wickets on Saturday.

DHONI PRAISED SACHIN,BOWLERS

India's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni heaped praise on Sachin Tendulkar and his bowlers after the thumping 10-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Test in Hamilton on Saturday.

Dhoni said Tendulkar, who smashed a masterly 160 in the first innings, looked at his best.

"I think New Zealand bowlers bowled in the right areas. They didn't get wickets, but it was hard to score against them. That was the time Sachin was at his best. If there was a bad ball, he made the most out of it and he made it a point that their bowlers stayed long in the field.

"It was difficult for the bowlers to bowl again at their best, having already bowled 20-22 overs. That's when you cash in on, set big a partnership or contribute with the tail-enders also chipping in. It was a fantastic innings from Sachin," said Dhoni.

He lauded the bowlers too for their superlative performance, which vindicated his decision to insert New Zealand after winning the toss.

"We chose to field first and the bowlers proved that my decision was right. We got six early wickets, and after lunch the pitch became easy to bat on� and it was not more easy getting wickets," Dhoni explained.

He singled out spinner Harbhajan Singh, who scalped six for 63 in the second innings, for special praise.

"There was not much for him in the first innings and he didn't get plenty. But he saw some assistance in the second and grabbed six wickets which really mattered," Dhoni said.

He had a good word for the seamers too.

"Our seamers really bowled well. They rely a lot on swing, they are not the hit-the-deck kind of bowlers, apart from Ishant (Sharma), who is tall and looks to hit the right areas. But Zaheer (Khan) relies lot on swing and it's the same with Munaf (Patel)," Dhoni said.

Man of the Match Sachin Tendulkar was elated.

"I enjoyed my time in the middle. Initially it was tough, but once the new ball was taken I was more comfortable and my feet started moving better. I found the centre of the bat after a long time," said the ace batsman.

"It was a good track where one needed to spend some time to adjust to the wicket. But it was a fantastic track and we all enjoyed batting on it," he added.

Asked about his stomach and finger injuries, Tendulkar assured it was nothing serious.

"The stomach is fine and the finger is little sore. I think I should be okay (for the second Test)," he added.

Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori felt his bowlers were not consistent enough to curb India's star-studded batting line-up.

"We were not consistent enough. The Indian top order thrives on boundaries and we fed them too many. Small ground and fast outfield really made it difficult for us. We really were not good enough," he said.

Admitting that the team has a lot of work ahead, Vettori said, "We have seen teams bounce back from 1-0 loss and that would test us."

Tendulkar dedicates 42nd ton to tiger conservation

 

Sachin Tendulkar dedicated his 42nd Test hundred, which put India in command against New Zealand in the first Test, to the cause of tiger conservation.
"I would very much like to dedicate this hundred to tiger conservation, because that is what, right from the start of this tour, the whole team had decided. I have given couple of messages as well in this regard. So I would dedicate this one to tiger conservation," said Tendulkar, who scored a sublime 160 in India's first innings total of 520 at the Seddon Park on Friday.
On the eve of the first Test, Tendulkar had supported the cause, expressing concern about the dwindling numbers of tigers in India.
"At the start of the century, there were nearly 40,000 tigers in India. Today that number has shrunk to 1,700 and we are losing at least one tiger a month. The rate at which the tiger is being hunted down is alarming," Tendulkar had said.
Concerned about the steep fall in tiger numbers, he said, "When I was growing up, I was told there was an animal called a dinosaur. Tomorrow, we would probably be talking about the tiger in a similar way to our future generations. Something needs to be done soon to stop the tiger from vanishing from our forests."
Tendulkar, who holds the record for the most number of centuries scored by a batsman in Tests (42) and one-day internationals (43), said, "Though I am no expert in this field, I feel the tiger should be allowed to live without disturbance in the forests. As we have our own homes and territories, the tiger has its territory. We should not disturb its habitat. That would be the best way to ensure that this magnificent survives in our forests."
Interestingly, the entire Indian team has come out in support of the tiger, which is being driven to extinction. A banner 'Extinction is Forever' has been displayed at the team marquee.