After the final tea break -- when India had almost saved the match -- the only interest left was whether Sachin Tendulkar could get those 64 runs required to break Brian Lara’s record of most Test runs. It wasn’t to be and he got out to a soft dismissal after scoring 49, giving Craig White his first Test wicket.

After watching Tendulkar’s dismissal, many would wonder if it was really the bad light (he indicated it to the umpire before he got out) or the record-breaking moment at the back of his mind that cost him dearly. I won’t choose the latter one, as this is not the first record coming his way. The simple reason being that I can’t think of any other Indian in the recent past who has handled the amount of pressure the way he has and still delivered the goods. It will be disrespectful on our part if we point a finger at him. Can you imagine going out to face bowlers like Lee, McGrath, Donald, Akram, Shoaib, Waqar, Ambrose, Walsh hurling missiles at you and the public expecting a hundred every time. Gosh, even the thought is frightening!

Tendulkar is a man who has handled that pressure and gave what we asked for, time and again, without ever being big-headed. So then why we are making remarks like “can he get the monkey off his back”? I find this ridiculous, more so when I hear it coming from experienced quarters. Why do we keep thinking what more he can give us rather than being thankful for what he has already given? It’s a very valid question today, isn’t it?