Compact Tendulkar declares intentions
Sussex 247-4 & 29-0 India 185-3 dec
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Your support makes all the difference.There were declarations aplenty here yesterday as both teams tried to keep the game alive, but none as emphatic as the one made by Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 85 off 72 balls. It was an innings that seemed to confirm Tendulkar's belief about bowl- ers: that like gongs, they should be struck as hard and as often as possible. Sussex, now 91 in front, will be mindful of that before declaring some time today.
Tendulkar plays compact and coiled, ready to meet the oncoming ball with as much bat as possible. Though given near-impossible angles, he can still deflect the bowling, as he did by glancing Ed Giddins deliciously fine to the long-leg fence for four. At one stage he looked like he was scoring runs as and when he pleased, particularly against the flat off- spin of Nicky Phillips. In one over he hit Phillips' first three balls for 14, blocking the next, before holing out with a mishit to long-on.
Phillips' bowling has come in for some fearful tap this season. In fact, so often has the ball disappeared that his team-mates have suggested he stick an air mail stamp on it before he bowls so it can be returned more quickly. Getting out one of the world's great players may give him the confidence he needs to at least save on the postage.
The day started marginally less cold than it had been on Thursday. Sussex soon lost Bill Athey, lbw to Saurav Ganguly, and Alan Wells in quick succession, Wells scuppered by the flatter of Narendra Hirwani's googlies. When Martin Speight was out, bowled trying to pull Hirwani, Sussex declared at 247 for 4.
Coming down the hill, Jason Lewry quickly made inroads, removing Ajay Jadeja with a beauty that clipped off-stump. That left Jadeja with plenty of time to admire the exhibition here dedicated to his great uncle Duleepsinhji. With England's Texaco squad about to be selected, one of the more interesting items on display is a letter dated 20 June, 1929, informing Duleep of his selection for England's winter tour to New Zealand. Presumably it took time to assemble a team of decent manservants.
Out on the pitch, things were far less leisurely, with Paul Jar- vis' whippy action working up steam. Sanjay Manjrekar, a cold starter in Bombay let alone here, played and missed, and though by the time India declared he had made an unbeaten 66, he was dropped by Speight off Jarvis at square-leg.
Jarvis had also taken the wicket of Navjot Sidhu, who inside-edged a bouncer to Neil Lenham at short-leg. It was the type of dismissal that plagued Sidhu last time India toured, and one England's bowlers will surely focus on this summer.
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