Height no bar for Tendulkar
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Sachin Tendulkar gets what he wants. The world record holder had raised apprehensions on the sight screen at the scoreboard end and the authorities quickly added another five feet to the screen with white cloth. The SLC has lost some revenue as the space had reserved it for two popular brands, one of them, a corporate associated with the Tamil Union Club. But as popular hosts they are not complaining.
The final warm-up session before play on Day One of the third and final Test here brought out the samaritan in Rahul Dravid. The groundsmen who had also coupled as net bowlers are a friendly lot and with India touring Sri Lanka regularly, most of them are well known to the players. Dravid rewarded a few of them with brand new batting gloves for their effort over the last three days.
The media entourage have met the most hospitable men in the last two days. Packed water was not to be had and all it took was one request to Gautam Gambhir who ensured the reporters got an adequate supply. The left-hander also enquired whether a supply of orange juice was required. It was then the turn of flag-waving veteran Percy to raise the spirits of visiting journalists with a huge chocolate cake to relish.
Sri Lanka must be the only country in the world where prison inmates are used to fill in as groundsmen. Galle and Colombo (P. Sara Oval) saw a good number from detention centres help the organisers. The rules have changed now and an official order has stopped them from working in the grounds anymore. The Welikada central prison is situated just a block away from the Tamil Union Grounds.
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