It was exactly what I was waiting for.. The moment the ball hit my bat, I knew it was going the distance - Sachin Tendulkar, in his autobiography, Playing It My Way
Sledging is a tactic that even the ruthless Australians use with a bit of caution. Some players perform better when they are verbally engaged, they reckon and prefer to go quiet against them. Sachin Tendulkar belonged to this category and by 2003, most of the world knew this. Hindsight only enhanced this fact. Ask Andrew Caddick. The England pacer had a lot to say ahead of India's group encounter against England at Durban.
Even Sachin did not bat well (against Namibia) even though he scored a century. Tendulkar is just like any other batsman in this Indian side. There are a lot of others in this Indian side.
Cut to match day.
There was quite anticipation all around before the match started. The Indians, and particularly, Sachin had taken note of Caddick's comments before the match. India batted first and Sachin came out to open, with Sehwag. The second ball he faced off Caddick was hit for four. He would hit two more fours off the next 7 deliveries he faced from the lanky Somerset pacer. Yet even then, the scores hadn't been settled.
The initial jousting was quite level until the third ball of the 8th over. Caddick had gone too full and was driven through cover. Next ball, Caddick went short, Tendulkar quickly shifted back and across and pulled, nay, smashed the ball over mid-wicket and outside the ground! That shot was the most emphaticWho's the boss? statement that one could ever come up with.
Its impact was crystal clear. Caddick's confidence had clearly dimmed. He was smashed for three more fours by Tendulkar in the next over and was promptly taken off the attack, not to return until Tendulkar had departed after scoring a sublime fifty - his 4th fifty-plus score in five innings.
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