“424 runs scored, fantastic effort by all the 22 men” - Sachin Tendulkar on Road Safety World Series semis
India Legends captain Sachin Tendulkar has hailed both the teams who featured in a blockbuster first semi-final of the Road Safety World Series on Wednesday.
India Legends defeated Brian Lara’s West Indies Legends by 12 runs in a high-scoring thriller to progress to the final of the event. After India Legends posted a mammoth 218 for 3 on the board, West Indies Legends came close but couldn't get over the line, as they were restricted to 206 for 6.
Taking to his Instagram account after the match, Sachin Tendulkar posted a picture of himself with West Indies Legends captain Brian Lara. Praising both the sides he wrote:
“More than the 424 runs scored in this match, I feel it was the competitive spirit with which the teams played today that stood out. Fantastic effort by all the 22 men!”
West Indies got off to a poor start in their tall chase of 219, losing opener William Perkins for nine. However, a scintillating second-wicket stand of 99 between Dwayne Smith (63 off 36) and Narsingh Deonarine (59 off 44) kept West Indies in the hunt.
After Smith was sent back by Irfan Pathan, Kirk Edwards was stumped first ball off Pragyan Ojha. Lara (46 off 28), however, came out and turned back the clock in a dazzling display of stroke-making.
The left-hander was eventually bowled by Vinay Kumar in the penultimate over, at the score of 200. Kumar also had Tino Best caught behind in the same over to put India Legends on top. By the time Deonarine was run out in the last over, the match had slipped out of West Indies Legends’ grasp.
Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh sizzle with the bat for India Legends
After being sent into bat, India Legends got off to a rollicking start as Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar added 56 runs for the opening wicket in 5.3 overs. Sehwag raced away to 35 off 17 balls, hitting five fours and a six.
Sachin Tendulkar, on the other hand, went on to play a captain’s knock, smashing a belligerent 65 off 42 balls. His quality knock included six fours and three sixes.
While Mohammad Kaif (27 off 21) and Yusuf Pathan (37* off 20) made decent contributions,
Yuvraj Singh gave the innings the final flourish with a splendid 49 not out off 20 balls. Like against South Africa Legends, the left-hander again hit four sixes in an over, this time off leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo. He was on ten off nine balls at the end of the 18th over, after which he went completely berserk.