By IANS
Sydney : Sachin Tendulkar played a gallant knock to nail down Australia but the little master reserved all his compliments for young Rohit Sharma, who batted with poise along with him to put India 1-0 in the first of the best-of-three finals of Commonwealth Bank series.
“Rohit played a fabulous knock. He was calm and composed in the field. Batting with him really helped me,” Tendulkar said after India beat Australia by six wickets.
Tendulkar remained unbeaten at 117, scripting his first ODI century in Australia, and combined with Rohit (66) he put on 123 runs after India were struggling at 87 for three at one stage.
“He (Rohit) was going for selective shots and so was I. It was a good combination and it worked for both of us,” Tendulkar said.
“I wanted to stay till the end because that would ease out the things. Rohit was going for shots which allowed me to take risks,” he said.
Tendulkar, who missed as many as six centuries last year getting out in the 90s, was happy to score his century No.42.
“I really enjoyed myself. It was a really important knock. It came at a right time during the first of finals.”
Tendulkar when in his nineties received a nasty blow on his shoulder off a Brett Lee beamer, but the little master chose to take it in his stride.
“I saw the ball coming. But I know that Brett didn’t do it intentionally. It slipped out of his hand,” he said.
Tendulkar refused to say his century was an answer to the critics who have held him under fire because of his failures with the bat in the ODI series last year.
“I am not here to prove anyone wrong. I play cricket because it is my passion. I have grown up dreaming playing for India,” he said.