Chennai, Mar 20: A day after Ricky Ponting refused to walk, Sachin Tendulkar didn't let the fact that he was playing his 450th one-day international affect his decision-making and gracefully conceded he was out in the first over against West Indies.
Tendulkar walked after getting the thinnest of edges and was caught behind for just two off the sixth ball of his milestone ODI game at the World Cup on Sunday.
His sporting decision silenced a boisterous crowd at a packed MA Chidambrama Stadium which was hoping India's favorite batsman might make an incredible 100th international century in the Group B match.
Instead, the world's most celebrated player glanced round to check wicketkeeper Devon Thomas had held onto the edge off Ravi Rampaul's final delivery of the first over, and once he was satisfied he headed off.
Umpire Steve Davis had ruled Tendulkar not out, but that didn't stop Tendulkar from walking off after admitting he'd edged the ball.
On Saturday, in direct contrast, Australia captain Ponting refused to walk despite clearly getting an edge to the wicketkeeper in a Group A game against Pakistan. He later admitted he knew he was out, but always waited for the umpire's decision. Ponting's unsporting behavior sparked angry confrontations between Pakistan's fielders and the Australian batsmen.
Everyone except umpire Marais Erasmus realized Ponting had been caught behind, but the Aussie would not walk unless Erasmus raised his finger.
"There were no doubts about the nick," said a brazen Ponting. "I knew I hit it, but as always I wait for the umpire to give me out. That's the way I've always played the game."
Asked by pundits shocked at Ponting's admission that he openly breached one of the game's unwritten rules, Ponting replied: "That's right, the umpire gave me not out."
The decision was reviewed by the TV umpire and overturned, finally forcing Ponting to depart as Australia lost the match and its 34-game unbeaten streak at the World Cup.
There was no need for a review at Chennai on Sunday, with Tendulkar turning for the dressing room without needing the umpire to get involved.
The decision was all the more impressive because Tendulkar was playing in his 450th one-day game, extending his ODI appearance record to six more than Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya, who is second on the list of most capped players and the only other man to have played more than 400 ODIs.
Tendulkar is one short of an incredible 100 centuries in international cricket. The world's most prodigious run scorer has a record 51 test centuries and 48 ODI hundreds for India and needs another century for a milestone that may never be matched.
The 37-year-old righthander made his ODI debut in 1989 and is playing at his sixth World Cup. AP
