As Sachin Tendulkar edged past Saeed Anwar's record-breaking score of 194 and become the first man to score a double hundred in one-day internationals, observing the enthusiasm of people watching the match on television in offices, tea shops or pan stalls, one got the impression that this was not an Indian but a Pakistani in action.
As Sachin Tendulkar edged past Saeed Anwar's record-breaking score of 194 and become the first man to score a double hundred in one-day internationals, observing the enthusiasm of people watching the match on television in offices, tea shops or pan stalls, one got the impression that this was not an Indian but a Pakistani in action.
If one needed any proof that cricket transcended all barriers in the subcontinent, it came yesterday evening as Tendulkar played his record-breaking innings.
Even after the match, the talk of the town was the brilliant knock by the Indian maestro. "Aaj dekha Tendulkar ko, South Africa ki band baaja diya" (Did you watch Tendulkar's batting, he thrashed South Africa) was the common comment one got to hear in the crowded mobile market of Karachi.
If any Indian player has really won the admiration of the Pakistani cricket fans, there is no doubt it is Tendulkar.
"He is a magician with the bat and at his age, he takes so much pride in playing for his country," was the view of Abdullah, a tea stall owner in Karachi's fleet street on the busy I I Chundrigar road.
Even as Tendulkar went past Saeed Anwar's 194 one could see no tinge of regret on any face.
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