MCG pitch not a fast, bouncy one, says Tendulkar

MELBOURNE: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday joined the debate over the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pitch, stating that the wicket here is much slower and has less bounce than usual Australian pitches.

"The wicket here is not a faster one. The ball is coming slow of the deck and even the bounce is also not good enough. Batting is getting tougher as the match progresses," said Tendulkar after the second day's play. He was at his natural best Thursday scoring 62 off just 77 balls,

The 36-year-old right-hander also attributed his dismissal to the slow nature of the wicket. He played on a Stuart Clarke delivery while trying to cut.

"The ball on which I got out came much slower than I expected. When I saw the length, I picked it up, but it did not come quick enough," he said.

Tendulkar also said that his aggressive attitude on the crease was a pre-planned tactic aimed to dismantle the Australian bowling attack.

"When I went out to the crease today, I had a plan in mind. I just decided to go out there and play my natural game.

"If I see the ball in my in my corridor, I will hit it regardless of who the bowler is.

Asked why he did not go for the hook shot against the likes of Lee, Clarke and Johnson, he said, "I decide what shots I need to play when I am at the crease. In India, I wanted to hook so I did, but here I didn't feel like doing so."