Sachin Tendulkar said his unbeaten 141 againstthe West Indies in the DLF Cup today showed he was not finished as abatsman as yet.
"Cricket has been my life, I am living a dream," the 33-year-oldIndian star said after hitting his 40th one-day hundred, which went in vain asthe West Indies were declared winners on the Duckworth-Lewis method following a raindisruption.
"If it is a burden, I would know when to step aside, step back and say itis the end.
"But I am still enjoying. Everytime I go out there, there is enthusiasm. Ijust want to continue with that."
Riding on Tendulkar's ton, which contained 13 fours and five sixes, India made309 for five in 50 overs.
West Indies were 141 for two in 20 overs when rains forced the play to be calledoff, and the Caribbean total was 29 runs more than the par score of 112 for twoat that stage.
Tendulkar rated his knock highly for a combination of reasons but said he wasdisappointed because the team did not win.
"It will be a special hundred because it came on a difficult surface andafter so many months (of being away from the game)," said the Mumbaibatsman who was playing in his first match since undergoing a shoulder surgeryin March.
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It was Tendulkar's 40th hundred but the batsman saidthe numbers did not matter to him.
"It was a very good innings but I am disappointedbecause we did not win. 40 is just a number," he said.
Tendulkar said the innings should silence all doubts about his fitness.
"I am absolutely fine. It is a challenge coming back after seriousinjuries, one has to be mentally strong."
Tendulkar admitted that the bowlers lacked discipline - conceding 26 extras -but also defended his teammates.
"Discipline is an extremely important factor which we lacked today. But itis not the first time nor is it going to be the last," he said.
"Bowlers are not machines. It is not easy to bowl at that level everyday.The body and the mind has to co-ordinate. We are always trying."
He said India could have been in a better position, vis-a-vis the D/L method,had the match gone beyond 20 overs.
"Field restrictions would have got over after 20 overs and runs would nothave come easily," he said.
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Tendulkar, however, did not blame the D/L formula.
"Rules always favour one team. These calculationsare done based on a well thought out formula, it is difficult to find a perfectformula," he said.
West Indies skipper Brian Lara said his team had their gameplan ready afterIndia put up a huge total.
"We always had an eye on the total. We still had 30 overs to go and Indiahad runs on the board.
"The match was well poised but unfortunately it was spoilt by rain."
Lara also paid rich tributes to Tendulkar.
"He has come back after six months and showed us what a genius he is,"Lara said.
"You just had to watch and appreciate it. It was a very specialinnings."
Indian skipper Rahul Dravid said it was pity thatTendulkar's "brilliant" knock went in vain.
"He was coming out after after 4-5 months. It wasa brilliant knock. It's a pity that a great knock ended up on the losingside," he said.
PTI
