Cricket: Tendulkar itching for double milestone

By JULIAN GUYER

LONDON - Sachin Tendulkar's 100th test match could be an equally memorable occasion for his India side if they can beat England and clinch their first series outside the subcontinent in 16 years.

India go into the decider tonight (NZ time) at the Oval level at one test apiece in the four-match campaign and with momentum behind them following last month's crushing innings victory in the third test at Headingley.

By contrast, England have been so beset by injury, they have called up Essex allrounder Ronnie Irani - who played his last test three years ago.

While England captain Nasser Hussain could have been accused of playing mind games when he said all the pressure was on India following their emphatic win, he had a point.

During the past 15 months India have gone into the final test of a series away to Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and the West Indies with a chance to come out on top.

But they have always fallen at the final fence.

Tendulkar, who at 29 is set to become the youngest cricketer to play 100 tests, is aware of the challenge.

"It is important. We have been trying for so many years to win a series overseas and now the time has come where we stand a chance, and a fair chance," he said.

"The last test was very good. It was the complete team effort. I would say it was the best test I have played in."

If Headingley was a perfect test for India, it was a nightmare for England.

Their bowlers failed to make the most of English seamer-friendly conditions and the batsmen (Hussain's defiant second-innings century excepted) never looked like saving the match.

Fast bowler Darren Gough (knee) is still sidelined and key batsman Graham Thorpe has yet to return following personal problems.

England will also be without allrounders Andrew Flintoff (groin) and Craig White (abdominal tear).

With England not selecting a second specialist spinner to back up left-armer Ashley Giles, despite the turn traditionally offered by Oval pitches, it has kept the emphasis on having a seventh batsman who can also bowl.

To that end the selectors have recalled Essex captain Irani and he appears to be competing with Dominic Cork, another hard-hitting batsman and medium-pace bowler, for a place.

Irani has been out of action for a fortnight after having surgery on his right knee.

But Irani, who saw a specialist in Munich this week, insisted he was fit.

England also have fitness worries over opening batsman Marcus Trescothick.

The Somerset left-hander has been one of England's major success stories during the past year, but only recently returned to action after breaking his thumb in July.

He is still expected to replace Robert Key.

"If I was pushed I would say I'm more likely to play than not," Trescothick said.

Tendulkar said his latest landmark had particular significance.

"Reaching a hundred test matches is always going to be special for anyone because not many players have done that. I'm only the fourth Indian [after Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar]. It is a proud moment for me.

"Having played for 13 years I have learned a lot and there are still more things to be learned.

"Each and every moment I've enjoyed and cherished. This was one of my dreams, to play a hundred test matches for India.

"That's when a player feels he has achieved something in life and has contributed to the best of his ability."

Tendulkar said he was a worried teenager when he made his debut.

"I was in terrible shape, I was only 16. We were playing Pakistan, my feet were not moving, only my hands. They had a fearsome pace attack.

"I thought I was a bit out of my depth, but things got better from the next test."

Tendulkar has scored 8351 runs to lie seventh in the list of test run-scorers.

At Headingley he surpassed his hero and Australian great Don Bradman's mark of 29 test hundreds.

Now only another of his idols, Gavaskar, with 34 test centuries, stands ahead of him in the list of leading centurions.

But he said comparisons were unfair.

"Your heroes will always be your heroes, whatever happens. When you make comparisons you can end up degrading the other guy."

"I just want to be regarded as one of the best players in the world.

"It is up to the spectators and cricket followers to decide who ranks where."

- AGENCIES