MATCH REPORTS
STAT SHEET
DIARY
HOT LINKS
OTHER SPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
BOOKS & THINGS
PEOPLE
DEAR REDIFF

India wins, but Tendulkar is unhappy

As part of its preparations for the Sahara Cup series of five ODIs against Pakistan, India played a 35-over game against the Canadian cricket team which had done well in the ICC Trophy tournament earlier this year.

Canada batted first and made 171 off its allotted overs - a run rate of almost five an over, which is not, first up, a good advertisement for the Indian team's bowling lineup.

Debashish Mohanty and Harvinder Singh, making up the new look opening attack, took a couple of wickets apiece while Ajay Jadeja and Sachin Tendulkar took one wicket each. In its own turn, India made the required runs in the 33rd over, with Tendulkar getting some big-hitting practise at the top of the order, and Robin Singh weighing in with an unbeaten 57 to guide the side home.

However, Indian skipper Sachin Tendulkar was far from happy - mainly because the game was played on astro-turf, at the Ajax Club in East Toronto, whereas the Sahara Cup proper will be played on conventional pitches, at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club.

Tendulkar's grouse becomes even more pointed when contrasted with the practise of the Pakistan team, which had an intense three hour workout at the venue of the matches. Tendulkar felt that playing on astro-turf didn't really mean anything in terms of preparation for the ODI series, game one and two of which will be played this Saturday (September 13) and Sunday (September 14).

Meanwhile, it was raining in Toronto when the Indian team landed there on September 11.

The inaugural Sahara Cup series, last year, which Pakistan won 3-2 had seen some interruptions due to rain. Here again, it seems a distinct possibility though, as last year, the organisers have kept reserve days in hand in case of any washout games.

The interest level in the tournament appears high among the expat population of Indians and Pakistanis in Canada. However, the major focus remains a film festival that is going on now, though officials say they are expecting Indians and Pakistanis to come down even from the neighbouring United States.

Last year, interested fans of both countries, settled in Canada and the US, had thronged the ground, encouraged by the fact that four of the five games took place over the two weekends. Such a situation is expected this time as well.

It all depends, though, on the weather.