Kolkata: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is disappointed
at Sachin Tendulkar missing out on his 100th international ton and feels
that Mumbai was the most ideal place for him to reach the coveted
landmark.
Tendulkar was out on 94 off Ravi Rampaul's bowling on
the fourth day of the third and final Test between India and West Indies
on Friday.
AP Photo
As
Tendulkar was inching towards the milestone, Ganguly, who is now
playing the Ranji Trophy for Bengal, stopped the nets session at
Jadavpur University ground in Salt Lake to catch the action on TV but
only to return disappointed, like millions of fans all over the world.
"It's
really disappointing. Mumbai would have been the best place for him to
get to that 100th international century," Ganguly said.
"It's
just a matter of time. It will happen the way he has reached to 99
(international) centuries. It's just a number. Maybe next time..."
Meanwhile,
former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram also expressed his disappointment,
saying reaching the historic mark would have been "great achievement."
"I
was disappointed. Everybody wanted Sachin to get 100. I personally
wanted Sachin to get his 100th hundred. It would have been a great
achievement. In fact, an achievement others would find difficult to
emulate," Akram told reporters on Friday.
Akram, however, congratulated R Ashwin, who scored his maiden Test century.
"But again, Ashwin got his 100. I congratulate him as well," he said.
Asked whether the off-spinner has the makings of an all-rounder, he said it was too early to predict.
"Any
cricketer who has scored a hundred in a Test means he can bat. It means
he has got the talent. Ashwin should know he has got the talent to
score at high levels, but for that he has to work hard. Generally, we
all know how talented a bowler he is," said Akram.
To a question
about the Indian team's chances in Australia, Akram said, "The Indian
team has been consistently improving. The big test will be in Australia
in December. The confidence is high and it is looking like the team is
in good shape, and I think they don't have any fitness problems."
