Sachin Tendulkar walking at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium without waiting for umpire Steve Davis’ decision remained the talking point on Sunday.
Nearly 40,000 fans watched in utter dismay as the icon took a trek back to the dressing room after nicking the sixth delivery of the day.
The Master Blaster was caught behind for two in his 450th ODI.
He glanced round to check whether wicketkeeper Devon Thomas had held on to the edge off Ravi Rampaul and once satisfied he headed off.
“It was brilliant on his part,” West Indies captain Darren Sammy said.
“It shows the measure of the man… A true gentleman,” he added.
In a lighter vein, Sammy quipped, “I’m sure it won’t affect him after 17,000 runs…”
Man of the Match Yuvraj Singh felt it was a personal decision. “I wasn’t surprised… He felt he needed to walk and so he walked… It’s best left to the person to decide… It’s a personal decision,” Yuvraj said.
On Saturday, Ricky Ponting had refused to walk in Colombo despite having sent a nick to ’keeper Kamran Akmal.
The Australian captain, though, had every reason to stay put and leave it to the umpire to make the decision.
Everyone except umpire Marais Erasmus realised Ponting had nicked it, but the Aussie skipper would not walk unless the umpire raised his finger.
Ponting later admitted he knew he was out but waited for the umpire’s decision. “That’s the way I’ve always played the game,” he was quoted as saying.
Walking is more of a personal choice and it is best left to the individual to decide.
Legendary W.G. Grace once told an umpire, who dared to give him out, that the crowd had come to see him play, not to see an umpire in action.
Gundappa Viswanath, Adam Gilchrist and Brian Lara obviously belong to a different league.
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