Tendulkar rides amazing luck against Pak, but misses 100th ton

Mohali, Mar 30 (PTI) Senior Indian batsman Sachin
Tendulkar on Wednesday enjoyed an incredible run of luck as he
got six lives during the cricket World Cup semifinal against
Pakistan but could not cash in on the chances to complete his
100th international century.
After being dropped four times, getting a referral in his
favour and surviving a stumping chance, Tendulkar finally
started his walk back to the pavilion after scoring 85 runs
when he was caught by Shahid Afridi off Saeed Ajmal.
Afridi's teammates denied him Tendulkar's wicket as the
Indian opener was dropped thrice off his bowling but the
Pakistan skipper finally helped his team's cause by holding on
to a chance off Ajmal in the 37th over.
The great escape story started in the 11th over when
Tendulkar was ruled out leg before by on-field umpire Ian
Gould off Ajmal in the fourth ball of the over but the
decision was overturned following a review.
The review showed that the ball would have missed leg
stump.
Batting at a score of 23, he survived a close stumping
chance the next ball and Ajmal was left frustrated.
Eight balls later, Tendulkar was dropped by Misbah-ul Haq
off Afridi. He was on 27 then and Afridi was left red-faced
when Younis Khan spilled a chance at mid-off in the third ball
of the 20th over. He was five short of his half-century at
that time.
Another frustrating moment came for Afridi in the third
ball of the 30th over as stumper Kamram Akmal dropped
Tendulkar. It was a tough chance behind the wicket but it was
the third that Afridi had created off his bowling.
It was turn of Kamran's brother Umar to drop Tendulkar as
he failed to latch on to a pull at wide midwicket. He was on
81 then.
Tendulkar finally ran out of luck when Afridi caught an
uppish drive at extra cover.
Tendulkar's knock came off 115 balls and included 11
boundaries.