West Indies bowlers are having a little contest among themselves to get the prized wicket of retiring batting great Sachin Tendulkar in his last Test and have their names etched in history books, said visiting captain Darren Sammy.
“From the mom
ent we heard it is going to be his last Test in Mumbai, all the bowlers were quite motivated. There is a chance to go down in history. The last stroke he would play in any cricket match and your name could go down in there,” Sammy told reporters at the pre-match conference in Mumbai on Wednesday.
“We will see how it goes tomorrow and bringing down the curtains on a great career of a man who has been a great ambassador not only for India but world cricket,” Sammy added.
The iconic batsman will play his last Test match at his home ground, Wankhede Stadium, from Thursday.
Senior West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul would also be playing his 150th Test match and Sammy said his milestone will be overshadowed by Tendulkar’s 200th match.
“Tomorrow’s match our most experienced player would be playing his 150th game in Chanderpaul. That is a big milestone for him and for us. It will be overshadowed by Sachin’s 200. We, as a team, would go out and work hard for Shiv.”
The 29-year old Sammy wished that the Guyanese player should get 150 runs equivalent to the number of matches he has played.
“Like Sachin, everybody can see he has not changed. Shiv, when it comes to his batting, the way he prepares, he has been the same ever since I have known him. You could see the way it reflects on his game. I hope he goes on to score 150 in his 150th match. I don’t know if I could say the same for Sachin, that means he will get a double,” he said.
