Sri Lanka’s media on Wednesday attributed their cricket team’s massive 152-run loss in the first limited-overs match against India to ”fireworks” from master batsman Sachin Tendulkar and Irfan Pathan, calling the former skipper’s performance ”Sachin’s magic”.
”Tendulkar-Pathan fireworks hit Lankans,” said the Daily Mirror about India’s batting display, which propelled the home side to 350 runs in 50 overs.
Tendulkar — returning to international cricket after a long layoff due to an elbow injury — slammed a 96-ball 93 and shared 164 runs for the second wicket with Pathan, who is renowned as a bowler but was promoted up in the batting order in an experiment.
Pathan made 87 runs in just 70 balls including four sixes and eight boundaries.
”Sachin’s magic return sends Sri Lanka packing,” read The Island‘s top sport headline.
Former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga said he thought Tendulkar to be the best of the current batsmen.
”On the basis of what I saw in the first cricket one-dayer in Nagpur, Tendulkar is still the very best in the business,” Ranatunga wrote in the Press Trust of India.
”The return of Sachin Tendulkar reconfirmed what I have always believed to be the difference between greats and merely good cricketers.”
”A good cricketer would take time to find his bearing after a long layoff while a great one would slip into his cast as if he had never ventured out of it,” said Ranatunga, who lead Sri Lanka to Word Cup victory in 1996.
Sri Lanka will play the second match of the seven-match limited-overs series on Friday. – Sapa-AP