On debut, Edwards made a sparkling century, becoming only the 14th West Indian to achieve that feat and putting himself alongside such legends as George Headley, Lawrence Rowe and Gordon Greenidge. He quickly followed it up with 121 in his third Test, against Bangladesh last month, and after five Tests, has 492 runs at 54.66.
Advancing years have done nothing to curb his exuberance off the field, as he proved on Sunday afternoon when he spoke glowingly of Sachin Tendulkar. “Sometimes, I find myself focussing on him so much (when he is batting) that I am not focussing on my fielding!” Edwards said with a shy smile. “Playing a game with Sachin is something special. It’s a memory that will stay with me forever. I think it’s the same thing for yourself as it is for me. The guy is a legend, so we are all in awe of him, to see him batting.”
Edwards has made the number three spot his very own with his early exploits in the longer version and has had several interactions with Rahul Dravid, who has made more Test runs in that position than anyone else in the history of the game. “Actually, I get along very well with Dravid,” Edwards revealed. “I admire Dravid. I admire Laxman. My role at number three is pretty straightforward -- lay a solid platform for my team-mates. Everytime I go out, that’s what I try to do for the team.”
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