Crowd jeered Ravi Rampaul after he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar

Rampaul has said he was jeered a bit by the crowd after he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar six short of his 100th international century, but he added he was not worried by the incident.

Rampaul had Tendulkar caught by captain Darren Sammy at second slip for 94 -- six runs short of the landmark in the morning session on Friday.

"Yeah, I got that (jeers) as soon as Sachin went. I went back to the boundary and all that time, I was heckled. That's life, you know. A lot of fans had their hearts broken but we can't just let him (Tendulkar) go there and let him live freely. It's a Test match and we are fighting hard to win. We have a job to do."

Rampaul also outlined how he and West Indies Head Coach Ottis Gibson planned the move and worked on it in the morning warm-up before play started on the fourth day of the third and final Test match at the Wankhede Stadium.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy said he was delighted with Rampaul's effort, not just on Friday, but throughout the year.

"Ravi bowled with great heart and kept us in the game. He had a good plan of how to get Sachin's wicket and it worked superbly. He was patient and tried to make sure he got the ball in the right areas. When he hit the edge and I saw ball coming there was just one thing on my mind -- that I had to hold on to it.

"That was just part of the overall picture. We wanted to get as big a lead as possible so we could stay on top in this Test match. We have worked hard as a team. Nothing comes easy at this level. We just want to stay focussed and take our chances when they come our way -- with bat, ball and in the field."

Will 24th be lucky for Sachin Tendulkar again

 Will Sachin Tendulkar get his 100th international century on Thursday (24-11-2011) considering the figure 24 on the calendar has special significance for him? A look at how the number has played a role in Sachin's career.

24 November, 1989
His maiden Test half-century (59) at Faisalabad was a hard-earned one against the likes of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Abdul Qadir as India posted 288 in the first innings. 

24 November, 1993
The last over against South Africa in the Hero Cup semi-final has gone down in cricketing folklore especially at Eden Gardens. Needing six runs to win, SA could score only three and India ended up winning a thriller.

24 April, 1998
His 134 not out on his 25th birthday against Australia in the 1998 Coca-Cola Cup final at Sharjah is regarded as one of his best ODI innings. He single-handedly led India to victory chasing 272 with six wickets in hand.

24 February, 2000
India collapsed to 225 against South Africa in the first innings at Wankhede Stadium, but Tendulkar was the only shinning star with 97 runs. The Proteas won by four wickets as the Test ended in three days.

24 October, 2001
He dominated the Kenyans from the start, scoring 146 to put a mammoth stand of 258 runs for the first wicket with Sourav Ganguly (111). India posted 351 runs to win by 186 runs in the triangular series at Paarl in
South Africa.

24 February, 2002
Tendulkar top-scored with 176 as India gave a fitting reply to Zimbabwe's 287 runs in the first innings at Nagpur. SS Das and Sanjay Bangar too got centuries as India posted a mammoth 570. The hosts won by an innings and 101 runs.

24 August, 2007

Tendulkar's 99 was the driving force in India's nine-run win against England at Bristol. Munaf Patel and Piyush Chawla claimed three wickets each to restrict the hosts to 320-8 in 50 overs.

24 January, 2008
A masterful 124 not out on Day One against Australia at Adelaide saved India the blushes. He went to score to 153 to help the visitors post 526 in the first innings. The match ended as a draw and Australia claimed the series 2-1

24 February, 2010
The batting genius achieved the unimaginable by scoring ODI cricket's first double century. Tendulkar remained unbeaten on 200 as India posted 401 against South Africa at Gwalior. The Proteas were all out for 248.

24 March, 2011
Though Yuvraj's 57 was the standout feature in India's win over Australia in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final at Ahmedabad, Tendulkar's contribution of 53 was significant in that win.

Sachin’s the best: Lara

Participating in a panel discussion at Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's "East Meets West" Gala Dinner at the Hilton Park Lane in London on Monday, Lara said, "Sachin started playing (Test cricket) at the age of 16. And at 38 now, we have not seen a better player. Sachin is the best batsman in the world."

"I am going to the Lord's to see Sachin make his 100th century," he said.

Stewart, who also participated in the discussion, described Tendulkar as the "modern day Bradman".

India's veteran batsman Rahul Dravid added to the praise, saying, "In India we have many gods and he is one of them."

Answering questions from cricket commentator Henry Blofeld, Lara said, "While Sachin is special, Dravid is the wall."

"Dravid is always going to be there -- he is a tremendous player," he said.Stewart described Dravid as a "great player".

"Dravid is India's most technically gifted player," he said.

About Lara, Stewart said, "he was the best player in the 90s. But in modern day, Sachin is a better player than Lara -- a modern day Bradman."

Asked to forecast on the outcome of the India-England series, Stewart gave it 2-1 to England.