DURBAN, South Africa, CMC – Despite the disappointment of Guyana’s loss to Mumbai Indians in the Champions League Twenty20 on Thursday, leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo had one reason to smile to smile amidst the gloom at Kingsmead.
The 24-year-old claimed the prized scalp of batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, stumped for 48 as he finished with three for 34 in Mumbai’s innings of 184 for four.
After the match, Tendulkar presented Bishoo with a signed match ball as a gift, a gesture that left the young player elated.
“It is something I will cherish. I will keep it in a very special place. It was totally unexpected. It caught me by surprise,” he stressed.
The right-handed Tendulkar is the most prolific batsman to have played the game, amassing 13 837 from 169 Tests and 17 598 in 442 One-Day Internationals in a career that has so far spanned 21 years.
On Thursday, he gave the Mumbai innings a flying start, pummeling six fours in an opening stand of 82 with Shikar Dhawan who made 39.
He was dismissed when he advanced down the track to Bishoo, missed a big shot and was stumped by Derwin Christian.
“It was really great to get the wicket of the ‘big man’. So far, that’s my biggest wicket by a long, long way,” Bishoo noted.
“Before the match I was talking to some of the guys in the team and they were telling me what a major challenge it would be to bowl to Sachin. They told me to be confident and to stick to my plans. They gave me the confidence.
“I was not nervous … I had the self-belief that I could get his wicket. Before I got the wicket I could see he wanted to come after me. He started to come down the pitch and I knew I had a chance.”
He added: “All along I was thinking I had to contain him … the first two balls he was going after me. I had to try to contain him. When I got him stumped it felt really, really good. Christian did a very good job behind [the stumps].”
Guyana went down by 31 runs to slide to their second defeat of the tournament, following their nine-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore last Sunday.
With two games remaining, Bishoo said Guyana would try to win both and reach the final four.
“I will continue to try my best … I will continue to give my all for my country. We have two more matches in the first round and we are looking to win both,” Bishoo said.
“We believe we can win and we still have an outside chance of making the semi-finals.”
