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| July 29, 2003 | Tuesday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 28, 1424 |
Tendulkar denies rivalry for centuries with Steve
NEW DELHI, July 28: India’s star batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Monday saluted Steve Waugh for scoring a 32nd Test century, saying there was no rivalry with the evergreen Australian captain to score more.
Waugh’s back-to-back hundreds against Bangladesh helped him surpass Tendulkar’s tally of 31 centuries and left the Aussie just two short of former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 34.
But Tendulkar, eight years younger than the 38-year-old Waugh, dismissed suggestions a race was on to see who emulated Gavaskar’s feat first.
“Am I itching to get No. 32? No. There’s no race between Steve and me, nor is there a rivalry over centuries,” Tendulkar told the Kolkata-based Telegraph newspaper.
“Steve’s a great cricketer and batsman. He deserves the success that comes his way.
“Of course, I would like to score more. But at the same time, whatever runs I get will be runs for Team India.
“As I’ve said in the past, being able to contribute towards victories is what gives the maximum satisfaction.
“A strictly personal milestone can never get a higher billing.”
Waugh himself played down any hint of a race with Tendulkar.
“It doesn’t really matter what I set,” Waugh said last week. “Sachin is going to waltz past it anyway.”
Waugh and Tendulkar, who have a common bat sponsor, are expected to face off later this year when India tour Australia to play four Test matches.—AFP
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