Sachin returns to the batting crease

SACHIN TENDULKAR has taken up a ‘challenge’ to face an over from the Australia women’s team during Sunday’s Big Appeal double-header at Melbourne’s Junction Oval.

Sachin is in Australia for the Bushfire Cricket Bash charity match that would include other cricket icons such as Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Brian Lara, Wasim Akram, Courtney Walsh, Yuvraj Singh, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson, Brett Lee and Matthew Hayden.

On Saturday (8), all-rounder Ellyse Perry, who was named the Women’s Cricketer of the Year for 2019, tossed an interesting proposition:

“Hey Sachin, it’s awesome to have you out here in Australia supporting the Bushfire match,” she said.

“I know you’re coaching one of the teams but a few of us were sitting around last night chatting and we thought it would be absolutely amazing to see you potentially come out of retirement for one over in the innings break out here at Junction Oval.

“We’d love to have a bowl to you and obviously fetch a few balls from over the boundary that you’ve hit.

“We thought it would be an awesome way to raise a bit more money for the Bushfire Appeal, which I know you’re already doing so much for.

“If you’re at all up for it, we’d love to have you out here—I know there’d be some girls very keen to field some balls that you hit. So let us know, and thanks again for everything.”

Sachin, who’s coaching the Ponting-led side against Gilchrist’s team, responded in a jiffy:

“Sounds great Ellyse,” said the 46-year-old cricket legend. “I would love to go out there and bat an over (much against the advice of my doctor due to my shoulder injury).

“Hope we can generate enough money for this cause, and to get me out there in the middle.”