I walked because I was out: Tendulkar

Batting maestro speaks to MiD DAY about his caught-behind dismissal against the West Indies

I walked because I was out: Tendulkar

Batting maestro speaks to MiD DAY about his caught-behind dismissal against the West Indies

Sachin Tendulkar yesterday explained what prompted him to walk in the Group 'B' game against the West Indies on Sunday: He was out. Full stop!

The Little Master is surprised by the debate his walking, after faintly nicking a delivery from seamer Ravi Rampaul in the first over of the match, has triggered.

Tendulkar didn't wait for a decision by umpire Steve Davis who actually turned down the appeal. "You think I am mad (to walk if he was not out)? Yes, I was out. That's why I walked to the pavilion. Of course, I was out," Tendulkar told MiD DAY after the Indian team's practice session in Motera yesterday.

"The ball first kissed my bat. That was like a feather touch, and then it kissed my gloves and went to the 'keeper. It was a genuine dismissal," the batting superstar described his dismissal.

Tendulkar's walk came a day after Australian captain Ricky Ponting stood his crease despite clearly edging offie Mohammad Hafeez in the tie against Pakistan in Colombo.

But the world's leading run-getter was untouched by all the talk about his walk.

MiD DAY has learnt that Tendulkar has told people close to him that there was no point in standing his crease because the Decision Review System would have revealed the nick. And that's what happened in Ponting's case! The early dismissal meant that Tendulkar had to wait another day to get to the milestone
of 100 international centuries.

However, the 37-year-old Mumbaikar reached another landmark in his more than 21-year-long career: The match was against the West Indies was his 450th ODI appearance.

"I was not aware of that figure. Later on, I came to know that I had played in 450 one-day matches. It feels good," Tendulkar said.

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