Cricket: Ton-up Tendulkar and Ganguly crush Namibia

7.30am

PIETERMARITZBURG, South Africa - Indian century-makers Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly brushed World Cup debutants Namibia aside by 181 runs on Sunday in one of the tournament's biggest mis-matches.

Tendulkar's 152 gave him a fourth World Cup century, equalling Australian Mark Waugh's record mark, as well as extending his one-day international record to 34 hundreds.

The left-handed Ganguly, second on that list of centurions, reached three figures for the 20th time with 112 not out as the pair thrashed 244 in 40 overs out of India's 311 for two.

Namibia, in reply, were dismissed for a dour and colourless 130 off 42.3 overs.

The result equalled the fifth biggest victory by runs in World Cup history.

It was also the fourth cup game in a row that Tendulkar, restored to the opening slot for the tournament, has top-scored for India.

For statisticians, India fans and Tendulkar and Ganguly's immediate family, the Group A victory probably held some charm.

For the neutral, however, Sunday's game soon became as diverting as watching paint dry, particularly after Namibia's top-order, so feisty against England in their last game, melted away in the Pietermaritzburg heat and humidity.

From 47 for five after 15 overs, with the belligerent Jan-Berry Burger back in the pavilion after a 30-ball 29 including a six off Javagal Srinath, the game died a very slow death.

Ganguly's side still seemed on course to better the biggest World Cup win in history -- England's 202-run victory over India in the inaugural tournament in 1975.

But the India captain turned to part-time spinners Dinesh Mongia, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh and the crowd duly dozed off.

By the end, around two hours and just over 26 overs later, Yuvraj Singh, India's seventh bowler, had claimed career-best figures of four for six.

The win gave India 12 points, alongside Australia and England. Australia, though, have played three games to their rivals' four.

The traffic had all been one way in the morning as well, after Virender Sehwag was dismissed for 24, pulling Rudi van Vuuren's round-armed medium pace straight to short midwicket.

Tendulkar's century, and his highest World Cup score, was no real consolation, despite a few fine drives and clips to leg. It was a functional innings at best, on a slow, banal wicket.

The only drama came when, on 32, he attempted a cut at Louis Burger's seamers and was dropped off a routine chance at gully by Jan-Berry Burger. That error cost Namibia 120 runs.

Tendulkar's 151-ball innings contained 18 boundaries. Ganguly at least offered four sixes, hoisting Burton van Rooi over long off for the first and off spinner Deon Kotze over long on for the second.

Tendulkar has now scored 321 in four innings, more than any other batsman in the tournament, at an average of 80.25.

India

V Sehwag c Keulder b van Vuuren 24

S Tendulkar b van Vuuren 152

S Ganguly not out 112

Y Singh not out 7

Extras (2lb, 13w, 1nb) 16

Total (for two wickets, 50 overs) 311

Fall of wickets: 1-46 2-290

Did not bat: Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Kaif, Dinesh Mongia,

Harbhajan Singh, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.

Bowling: Snyman 10 overs, 0 maidens, 57 runs, 0 wickets, Vuuren 10-1-53-2, Burger 6-0-49-0, Rooi 6-0-36-0, B.Kotze 10-0-64-0, D.Kotze 8-0-50-0



Namibia

S Swanepoel lbw b Zaheer Khan 9

J Burger b Mongia 29

L Burger lbw b Zaheer Khan 0

D Keulder c Mongia b Harbajahn Singh 4

G Murgatroyd lbw b Harbajann Singh 0

D Kotze c & b Mongia 27

M van Schoor c Dravid b Yuvraj Singh 24

B.van Rooi c Mongia b Yuvraj Singh 17

B.Kotze c Dravid b Yuvraj Singh 3

G Snyman C Srinath b Yuvraj Singh 5

R van Vuuren not out 0

Extras (1lb, 8w, 3nb) 12

Total (all out, 42.3 overs) 130

Fall of wickets: 1-19 2-21 3-43 4-47 5-47 6-98 7-99 8-124

9-124

Bowling: Srinath 6 overs, 0 maidens, 25 runs, 0 wickets, Nehra 0.1-0-0-0, Khan 7.5-0-24-2, Harbhajan Singh 10-1-34-2, Mongia 10-1-24-2, Sehwag 4-0-16-0, Yuvraj Singh 4.3-2-6-4



Result: India won by 181 runs.

- REUTERS

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