Tendulkar credits win to team effort

Sydney, Mar 2 (UNI) Despite hitting a match-winning century against Australia in the first match of the best-of-three CB Series finals here today, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar remained modest and put down the success to team effort.

''It was a great effort by the whole team,'' Tendulkar told Sky Sports.

''Having restricted them to 239 it was important that we played well in the second half of the game - that's what we did. I'm extremely pleased,'' he added.

Tendulkar's 120-ball innings was his first hundred on Australian soil and 34-year-old, who now has 42 one-day hundreds from 416 matches, admitted he was glad to have finally ended his century drought Down Under.

''I've been wanting to get hundreds here (for a long time) but somehow I have missed a few,'' he said.

The experienced opener heaped praise on his fourth-wicket partner Rohit Sharma, who contributed 66 runs in a crucial stand of 123 that helped India survive a potenitally tricky run chase.

''Rohit Sharma really batted well, that partnership was crucial, full marks to him,'' Tendulkar said. ''He has a terrific head on his shoulders. Today was the first time I have batted with him for a long time and it was terrific. He has a big future.'' Tendulkar, who suffered a minor groin strain during his innings, is expected to be fit to play in the next final at Brisbane on Tuesday.

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