Of the many constituents of greatness, longevity is the first to be cast aside. The connoisseurs will talk of grace and beauty and finesse; the fans will talk of numbers, Test runs, majors, grand slams, Olympic medals; the storytellers will regale you with legendary battles won and the romantics might slip in a word for brave efforts that just fell short.
Sachin has scored the highest number of centuries in both Test and ODI cricket.
But longevity? That's for machines, isn't it? Surely you can't say Sachin Tendulkar is great because he played for 20 years, can you? How boring!
And yet that is my thesis. That longevity assumes all the qualities that everyone else finds dear. If you are good enough to play at the highest level for 20 years you must possess virtually every quality in a sportsman.
So you can look back at all of Tendulkar's great innings, you can recall all the snapshots you have stored in your mind, you can trawl through his statistics but the fact that he has put body and mind together and existed as one of the brightest in our pantheon for 20 years is, quite simply, staggering.
Of the many constituents of greatness, longevity is the first to be cast aside. The connoisseurs will talk of grace and beauty and finesse; the fans will talk of numbers, Test runs, majors, grand slams, Olympic medals; the storytellers will regale you with legendary battles won and the romantics might slip in a word for brave efforts that just fell short.
Sachin has scored the highest number of centuries in both Test and ODI cricket.
But longevity? That's for machines, isn't it? Surely you can't say Sachin Tendulkar is great because he played for 20 years, can you? How boring!
And yet that is my thesis. That longevity assumes all the qualities that everyone else finds dear. If you are good enough to play at the highest level for 20 years you must possess virtually every quality in a sportsman.
So you can look back at all of Tendulkar's great innings, you can recall all the snapshots you have stored in your mind, you can trawl through his statistics but the fact that he has put body and mind together and existed as one of the brightest in our pantheon for 20 years is, quite simply, staggering.
It means he has competed against the best in the world across different eras; against grizzly pros when he was a kid and brash, irreverent young men now; he has played on feverishly seaming pitches and on raging turners, on cold, cloudy days and blazingly hot ones; at home surrounded by family and fans and away amidst loneliness; when the body is obeying all commands and when pain and fatigue bring you to your knees.
And he hasn't just survived, he's left his imprint on every situation. It is a colossal achievement. On his first tour of England he batted against Eddie Hemmings who had made his first class debut seven years before Tendulkar was born. He now shares a dressing room with kids who were having their umbilical cord cut when he was scoring his first century.
Along the way he has had to live with irrational expectations; with people who could find no faults in him to others going round with a magnifying glass searching for them. He has walked out to bat amidst deafening cheers and yet had to learn not to hear them. He has had people offering him everything under the sun; wealth, reverence, gratitude but all he has ever wanted is to play cricket for that to him was the destination, not the rewards that lay beyond.
In that, he is like Sir Garfield Sobers, the only other man to play international cricket for 20 years. Sobers too played the game for the thrill it afforded him. Is that the secret of longevity then? To enjoy the ride? Every morning?
Beneath the child-like enthusiasm though lies a man who knows his game better than almost anybody else. Tendulkar thinks very deeply about the game, his mind simplifying its nuances so astonishingly as to enable him to walk out to bat with his mind absolutely calm and ready; so that he faces neither the bowler, nor the conditions but merely the ball on its way to him. Tendulkar is very much an instinct player but it is an instinct that has been sharpened by intense preparation.
And on days when the mind is calm and free of all thought, he enters a zone that bowlers around the world would instantly recognise. "It's just a level of concentration when you forget everything else," he says in the interview in this issue. In fact he has often talked about a cluttered mind giving him, or indeed any batsman, less time to play shots.
"Against the same bowler, under the same conditions, at the same pace, when your mind is free you have time to play your shots; when you have too many thoughts in your mind, you are late." It is something all great sportsmen have talked about; the quality of the mind influencing the quality of the stroke. His ability to stay focussed has often separated him from the rest.
Maybe that is why he has rarely lost his composure on a cricket ground. He has shown disappointment, but rarely anger. I have often marvelled at this ability to stay calm amidst extreme provocation. Maybe that is the secret of his ability and indeed, of his longevity, for a calm cricketer is a more dangerous cricketer with the mind uncluttered by thoughts of vengeance and anger. Maybe that is what separates him from Brian Lara, the other genuinely great cricketer of his era.
Lara was an astonishingly skilled sportsman and like Tendulkar took on the opposition and vanquished it with extraordinary strokeplay. But occasionally Lara's mind would wander away into a dangerous zone and he could be his own enemy. In the art of batsmanship, they were equals; indeed Lara sometimes took the art to more sublime levels, but it was Tendulkar's composure that gave him greater consistency.
Only once in the years that I have known him have I sensed a weariness, have I seen Tendulkar contemplating life outside cricket. Plagued by one injury after another he was very keen to play in the IPL but a persistent groin injury kept troubling him. The recovery was painful but just as agonising was the fact that he was around the game but unable to play it.
Constant injury meant mind and body weren't walking in step, that he was fighting on two fronts. "I'm sick of this rehab," he suddenly announced, and in doing so allowed those around him a rare exposure to the frustrations that were dogging him.
But he fought injury, did his rehab routine diligently and when he returned he was like a gleaming new automobile. "At last I am injury free," he said when I met him. He was back to fighting on one front, back to playing the kind of shots only he can.
Indeed, it is his strokeplay that makes him the bridge between two generations of Indian cricketers. One, that subjugated natural desires and played a conservative game in keeping with the times; and the other that bats like there is no tomorrow.
In between something remarkable happened to India. As we emerged from the economic backwaters, we grew into a proud nation that learnt to stand up for itself, that cast aside the shadow of pessimism. Tendulkar was the hero that symbolised this transition.
A nation that had its roots in non-violence had produced an aggressor in keeping with the times. A generation found its style in Tendulkar and rejoiced in adding up the numbers he produced for it was like adding their own.
Inevitably the captaincy would come to him; not once but twice and even a third had he so willed. It remains a strange aberration in his career, crystal in a crown of diamonds. Unlike everything else in the game, even leg break bowling, captaincy never seemed to sit lightly on him.
Maybe it was about the lack of control, the inability to come to terms with the fact that he didn't hold all the cards. Maybe it was about having to understand people who didn't think like him; maybe it was about getting into the minds of people who tried hard but had to live with insecurity.
Maybe, just maybe, he understood cricket better than he did cricketers. If so, he wasn't the first and he certainly won't be the last. It is a fate that tends to befall those that nature gives in grand measure.
Yet, he has been the finest cricketer of his era. You cannot say more and comparisons across eras are at best academic and inevitably futile. It can be said of very few that they have achieved what was ordained of them!
And one day the time will come when he will bid goodbye to cricket. Will he then retire to a world of children, food and cars? Will he still, on his travels around the world, charm chefs into giving him their recipes for use in his fine restaurant?
Will he have the space to drive his Ferrari? I don't know. I suspect, like his many fans around the world, I don't want to know.
Showing posts with label India Today. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India Today. Show all posts
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
I admire Sachin's humility: Vengsarkar
Sachin Tendulkar has cemented his greatness with truckload of runs but what former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar admires most about the batting great is his humility, manners and the unabashed love for the game that he has maintained for nearly two decades.
"What I admire about Sachin is his humility, respect for elders and the passion for the game that he has retained even after so many years and after achieving so much in cricket. He has not changed at all," Vengsarkar said in praise of the master batsman who made his international debut on November 15, 1989 .
The former chief selector told PTI that he had his first look at Tendulkar's precocious talent during the 1988-89 series against New Zealand when he invited the prodigiously talented schoolboy to the Indian team's net session here.
"I had heard about his exploits (in schools and juniors cricket) in 1988-89 when I was India captain and Vasu Paranjpe (former Mumbai cricketer) told me I must make it a point and see him play. We were in the middle of the series against New Zealand and I invited Sachin for the nets," Vengsarkar recalled.
"I was very impressed after seeing the way he batted against Kapil Dev, Chetan Sharma, Maninder Singh and Arshad Ayub at the nets and the same evening the Mumbai selectors met and picked him to play his first Ranji Trophy tie against Gujarat. He played very well and went on to make a hundred (100 not out) in his first game," the former middle-order stylist said.
"Then he got picked for India. At that time we never thought he would score so many thousands of runs or play for 20 years for the country," Vengsarkar said.
Vengsarkar was emphatic that the 36-year-old batting genius, scorer of 12,773 runs in Tests and over 17,000 runs in ODIs, is the best batsman ever to play for India.
"I can definitely say he has been the best batsman produced by India not only for the sheer number of runs he has scored but also for the pace at which he has got those runs which has given the bowlers enough time to bowl out the opposition," said the 53-year-old former captain.
Vengsarkar remembers very well the brilliant hundreds scored by Tendulkar as his India teammate in England and Australia at Manchester, Sydney and Perth and said even at that age he had a very mature head on his shoulders.
"As a teammate, I have seen him score his first 100 that saved the Test for India against England (119 not out at Manchester in 1989-90 series) and the hundreds he scored against Australia (on his first tour in 1991-92) at Sydney (148 not out) and Perth (114 out of 272)," he said.
"They were amazing innings and even at that young age he showed a lot of maturity. He was also physically strong. We knew then that he would go on to achieve bigger things in cricket," he said.
One of Tendulkar's best innings in domestic cricket was a blistering near-ton he scored against Haryana in the Ranji Trophy final in 1990-91 at the Wankhede Stadium when Vengsarkar was the team captain.
"I can also never forget his blistering innings of 96 against Haryana (led by Kapil) in the 1990-91 final at the Wankhede Stadium when we chased 350-plus runs in 65 overs and were down to 30-odd for three. It was an amazing knock, one of the best I have seen," he gushed.
Mumbai lost that match by a heart-stopping two runs after they made a great effort to chase the target (355) by riding on Tendulkar's early pyrotechnics and Vengsarkar's brilliant unbeaten knock of 139 on virtually one leg.
"What I admire about Sachin is his humility, respect for elders and the passion for the game that he has retained even after so many years and after achieving so much in cricket. He has not changed at all," Vengsarkar said in praise of the master batsman who made his international debut on November 15, 1989 .
The former chief selector told PTI that he had his first look at Tendulkar's precocious talent during the 1988-89 series against New Zealand when he invited the prodigiously talented schoolboy to the Indian team's net session here.
"I had heard about his exploits (in schools and juniors cricket) in 1988-89 when I was India captain and Vasu Paranjpe (former Mumbai cricketer) told me I must make it a point and see him play. We were in the middle of the series against New Zealand and I invited Sachin for the nets," Vengsarkar recalled.
"I was very impressed after seeing the way he batted against Kapil Dev, Chetan Sharma, Maninder Singh and Arshad Ayub at the nets and the same evening the Mumbai selectors met and picked him to play his first Ranji Trophy tie against Gujarat. He played very well and went on to make a hundred (100 not out) in his first game," the former middle-order stylist said.
"Then he got picked for India. At that time we never thought he would score so many thousands of runs or play for 20 years for the country," Vengsarkar said.
Vengsarkar was emphatic that the 36-year-old batting genius, scorer of 12,773 runs in Tests and over 17,000 runs in ODIs, is the best batsman ever to play for India.
"I can definitely say he has been the best batsman produced by India not only for the sheer number of runs he has scored but also for the pace at which he has got those runs which has given the bowlers enough time to bowl out the opposition," said the 53-year-old former captain.
Vengsarkar remembers very well the brilliant hundreds scored by Tendulkar as his India teammate in England and Australia at Manchester, Sydney and Perth and said even at that age he had a very mature head on his shoulders.
"As a teammate, I have seen him score his first 100 that saved the Test for India against England (119 not out at Manchester in 1989-90 series) and the hundreds he scored against Australia (on his first tour in 1991-92) at Sydney (148 not out) and Perth (114 out of 272)," he said.
"They were amazing innings and even at that young age he showed a lot of maturity. He was also physically strong. We knew then that he would go on to achieve bigger things in cricket," he said.
One of Tendulkar's best innings in domestic cricket was a blistering near-ton he scored against Haryana in the Ranji Trophy final in 1990-91 at the Wankhede Stadium when Vengsarkar was the team captain.
"I can also never forget his blistering innings of 96 against Haryana (led by Kapil) in the 1990-91 final at the Wankhede Stadium when we chased 350-plus runs in 65 overs and were down to 30-odd for three. It was an amazing knock, one of the best I have seen," he gushed.
Mumbai lost that match by a heart-stopping two runs after they made a great effort to chase the target (355) by riding on Tendulkar's early pyrotechnics and Vengsarkar's brilliant unbeaten knock of 139 on virtually one leg.
Time to stop talking Tendulkar By Sharda Ugra
New Delhi, November 14, 2009
All around us today all of India is talking a language called 'Tendulkar'.
His twenty years has led to actors delivering lines, singers hitting notes, academics offering profundities, colleagues offering praises over partnership, coaches delivering theories, friends telling their tales.
Yet, most of his admirers remain unknown. They climb trees to look into a stadium, push the one ahead of them to grab a cheap seat, stand on the street shifting from one foot to another, duck down security barriers, run along the team bus to catch sight of him. When they see him, they become the single biggest sound in cricket.
Today, it is they who are smiling silently. If they are merely distant fringes of his life, flecks seen from behind his sunglasses, he is at the centre of theirs. Because every time Tendulkar sets off to the crease, he takes with him the only thing they own - their pride. And today, that is bursting. Twenty years on, the batsman of their dreams is still there - and he remains real.
In his twentieth year, Tendulkar has of course been turned into a monument, a deity. As India stretched itself through the 1990s and into the new millennium he went from Cherub-Face to Funky-Haircut, prodigy to big brand. He owns the Ferrari and a Mike Knopfler guitar hangs on a wall in his house. He is thought of as so valuable now they will cut trees to produce some 35kg piece of furniture about him and call it a book.
But Tendulkar is where he is because when it comes to what he does, he has hung onto the most ordinary of descriptions. He is truly precious because he has remained the working man. Sure, his work happens to be visible and public. Sure, it attracts and seduces India, sending a country's blood pumping. Yet to him, it has remained his craft, his trade, his soul and he has given it his complete absorbtion. It is the quality that has made him the batsman he is. Not his eye, his timing, not even his gleaming, polished talent. Skills and gift could take him a distance, but only his mind in cricket and his heart towards it, could have lasted twenty years.
When he bats, everyone watches. He reaches a demographic which the movie star and the politician would envy but will not ever possess. Male and female, young, middle-aged and old, business mogul and the man who polishes his shoes, students, teachers and drop outs, Indians in every corner of the country and the nooks and crannies of the world. When he had his tennis elbow injury, a room in his house piled up with medicines, oils, plasters, bandages, supports, sent by his fans from everywhere.
In the time Tendulkar wrote the story of his career, he has given us ours. Pradeep Ramarathnam, a multinational executive in Bangalore today, thinks that Tendulkar brought sons and mothers closer. And in a way, God as well. In the 1990s, Ramarathnam's mother who never followed cricket, watched Tendulkar with him, amazed by the young batsman's age and mastery. Whenever Tendulkar arrived at the crease, Ramarathnam was told to rush off and pray for him. It was his mother's way of teaching him the prayers, but the son believed it was his way of ensuring Tendulkar didn't get out early. Well, he hasn't.
Every fan has a personal Tendulkar story about the man's presence that has nothing to do with chance meetings.
The twenty-year anniversary has led to a wild outbreak of festivities in the media with Tendulkar probably sitting through more interviews in the space of a few weeks than he has done in two decades. It is his twentieth year, but actually his 21st season.
Think about it, it is in those seasons he has made his name, reputation and those towering records and he's already crossed twenty. The meticulous man would probably have noted 2008-09 as No. 20 passing by. That slipped out of the rest of our thinking and even statisticians didn't send out alerts. It didn't matter. Tendulkar turned up from South Africa and sent out his: 175 in Hyderabad that sent TV ratings and India's pulse racing.
So never mind talking Tendulkar. As season 21 continues after the celebrations of Year 20, all that must be felt is contentment. All that must be experienced is enjoyment, all that must be appreciated is presence. It is what Sachin Tendulkar has given us all.
All around us today all of India is talking a language called 'Tendulkar'.
His twenty years has led to actors delivering lines, singers hitting notes, academics offering profundities, colleagues offering praises over partnership, coaches delivering theories, friends telling their tales.
Yet, most of his admirers remain unknown. They climb trees to look into a stadium, push the one ahead of them to grab a cheap seat, stand on the street shifting from one foot to another, duck down security barriers, run along the team bus to catch sight of him. When they see him, they become the single biggest sound in cricket.
Today, it is they who are smiling silently. If they are merely distant fringes of his life, flecks seen from behind his sunglasses, he is at the centre of theirs. Because every time Tendulkar sets off to the crease, he takes with him the only thing they own - their pride. And today, that is bursting. Twenty years on, the batsman of their dreams is still there - and he remains real.
In his twentieth year, Tendulkar has of course been turned into a monument, a deity. As India stretched itself through the 1990s and into the new millennium he went from Cherub-Face to Funky-Haircut, prodigy to big brand. He owns the Ferrari and a Mike Knopfler guitar hangs on a wall in his house. He is thought of as so valuable now they will cut trees to produce some 35kg piece of furniture about him and call it a book.
But Tendulkar is where he is because when it comes to what he does, he has hung onto the most ordinary of descriptions. He is truly precious because he has remained the working man. Sure, his work happens to be visible and public. Sure, it attracts and seduces India, sending a country's blood pumping. Yet to him, it has remained his craft, his trade, his soul and he has given it his complete absorbtion. It is the quality that has made him the batsman he is. Not his eye, his timing, not even his gleaming, polished talent. Skills and gift could take him a distance, but only his mind in cricket and his heart towards it, could have lasted twenty years.
When he bats, everyone watches. He reaches a demographic which the movie star and the politician would envy but will not ever possess. Male and female, young, middle-aged and old, business mogul and the man who polishes his shoes, students, teachers and drop outs, Indians in every corner of the country and the nooks and crannies of the world. When he had his tennis elbow injury, a room in his house piled up with medicines, oils, plasters, bandages, supports, sent by his fans from everywhere.
In the time Tendulkar wrote the story of his career, he has given us ours. Pradeep Ramarathnam, a multinational executive in Bangalore today, thinks that Tendulkar brought sons and mothers closer. And in a way, God as well. In the 1990s, Ramarathnam's mother who never followed cricket, watched Tendulkar with him, amazed by the young batsman's age and mastery. Whenever Tendulkar arrived at the crease, Ramarathnam was told to rush off and pray for him. It was his mother's way of teaching him the prayers, but the son believed it was his way of ensuring Tendulkar didn't get out early. Well, he hasn't.
Every fan has a personal Tendulkar story about the man's presence that has nothing to do with chance meetings.
The twenty-year anniversary has led to a wild outbreak of festivities in the media with Tendulkar probably sitting through more interviews in the space of a few weeks than he has done in two decades. It is his twentieth year, but actually his 21st season.
Think about it, it is in those seasons he has made his name, reputation and those towering records and he's already crossed twenty. The meticulous man would probably have noted 2008-09 as No. 20 passing by. That slipped out of the rest of our thinking and even statisticians didn't send out alerts. It didn't matter. Tendulkar turned up from South Africa and sent out his: 175 in Hyderabad that sent TV ratings and India's pulse racing.
So never mind talking Tendulkar. As season 21 continues after the celebrations of Year 20, all that must be felt is contentment. All that must be experienced is enjoyment, all that must be appreciated is presence. It is what Sachin Tendulkar has given us all.
"It Is Not Possible To Please Everyone" - Seedhi Baat with Prabhu Chawla
JANUARY 02, 2006
Back after a niggling injury, Sachin Tendulkar talks about his game and his life
Q. Who are your role models in cricket?
A. Sunil Gavaskar and Vivian Richards. I have always wanted to bat like them.
Q. As a young player, were you afraid of playing with big names like Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar?
A. I was not afraid of them but I had lot of respect for them. They were my heroes. I used to watch how they prepared for a match and wanted to emulate them. Unfortunately, I never played with Gavaskar. But he congratulated me after my hundred in my debut Ranji match and presented me with leg guards. Vengsarkar gifted me a Moore's bat.
Q. What is the difference between the 18-year-old Tendulkar and the 32-year-old Tendulkar?
A. I am more mature now and yesteryears' josh (exuberance) has given way to hosh (rationality). I have realised it is impossible to please all.
Q. Do you think the Indian team lacks team spirit?
A. The team doesn't lack team spirit. The players' morale changes according to its performance.
Q. The impact of one-day matches is seen on Test matches. Is there a commercial reason or is cricket becoming a fast game?
A. Both cricket and people's preferences are changing. Everyone wants action. Look at how popular the twenty-over matches have been.
Q. Do you prefer one-days or Tests?
A. I would prefer Tests. These matches are more challenging.
Q. At what age do you plan to retire?
A. I have not thought about this yet. When I feel that I am not able to perform at my 100 per cent, I'll step down.
Q. That means you do not consider age as a factor for retirement.
A. It all depends on mental preparation. Steve Waugh played till 39.
Q. Amitabh Bachchan says he will work till he can walk.
A. Actors can say such things. But in sports, maintaining physical fitness at a certain level is must. It is quite impossible to come back when someone stays out of the game. Actors can act even when they are in their 50s. Dev Anand is still charismatic.
Q. Sachin is seen more on the television than on the ground. Do you think it is good?
A. I never spend more than five hours for a TV ad. It is a misconception that cricketers are always busy in shoots. Life as a cricketer is limited. Money is not important, runs are.
Q. You also like music...
A. Yes, I like to listen to good music. I wanted to learn to play the guitar.
Q. What was your happiest moment?
A. Every victory has been memorable, especially during the World Cup.
Q. Who would you rate as the two best cricket captains?
A. Ravi Shastri and Sandip Patil from India. I rate Nasser Hussain of England as the best international captain.
Q. Who is your best bowler?
A. I rate Shane Warne, Muthiah Muralidharan and Courtney Walsh highly.
Q. And who is your best batsman?
A. Vivian Richards
Q. Which was your best innings?
A. In 1992, in Perth I scored 100 against Australia.
Q. Which is your favourite movie?
A. Sholay and Lagaan
Q. Who is your dream girl other than your wife and daughter?
A. You will create a big problem for me. I love my family. You will not hear of another woman's name in my life.
Back after a niggling injury, Sachin Tendulkar talks about his game and his life
Q. Who are your role models in cricket?
A. Sunil Gavaskar and Vivian Richards. I have always wanted to bat like them.
Q. As a young player, were you afraid of playing with big names like Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar?
A. I was not afraid of them but I had lot of respect for them. They were my heroes. I used to watch how they prepared for a match and wanted to emulate them. Unfortunately, I never played with Gavaskar. But he congratulated me after my hundred in my debut Ranji match and presented me with leg guards. Vengsarkar gifted me a Moore's bat.
Q. What is the difference between the 18-year-old Tendulkar and the 32-year-old Tendulkar?
A. I am more mature now and yesteryears' josh (exuberance) has given way to hosh (rationality). I have realised it is impossible to please all.
Q. Do you think the Indian team lacks team spirit?
A. The team doesn't lack team spirit. The players' morale changes according to its performance.
Q. The impact of one-day matches is seen on Test matches. Is there a commercial reason or is cricket becoming a fast game?
A. Both cricket and people's preferences are changing. Everyone wants action. Look at how popular the twenty-over matches have been.
Q. Do you prefer one-days or Tests?
A. I would prefer Tests. These matches are more challenging.
Q. At what age do you plan to retire?
A. I have not thought about this yet. When I feel that I am not able to perform at my 100 per cent, I'll step down.
Q. That means you do not consider age as a factor for retirement.
A. It all depends on mental preparation. Steve Waugh played till 39.
Q. Amitabh Bachchan says he will work till he can walk.
A. Actors can say such things. But in sports, maintaining physical fitness at a certain level is must. It is quite impossible to come back when someone stays out of the game. Actors can act even when they are in their 50s. Dev Anand is still charismatic.
Q. Sachin is seen more on the television than on the ground. Do you think it is good?
A. I never spend more than five hours for a TV ad. It is a misconception that cricketers are always busy in shoots. Life as a cricketer is limited. Money is not important, runs are.
Q. You also like music...
A. Yes, I like to listen to good music. I wanted to learn to play the guitar.
Q. What was your happiest moment?
A. Every victory has been memorable, especially during the World Cup.
Q. Who would you rate as the two best cricket captains?
A. Ravi Shastri and Sandip Patil from India. I rate Nasser Hussain of England as the best international captain.
Q. Who is your best bowler?
A. I rate Shane Warne, Muthiah Muralidharan and Courtney Walsh highly.
Q. And who is your best batsman?
A. Vivian Richards
Q. Which was your best innings?
A. In 1992, in Perth I scored 100 against Australia.
Q. Which is your favourite movie?
A. Sholay and Lagaan
Q. Who is your dream girl other than your wife and daughter?
A. You will create a big problem for me. I love my family. You will not hear of another woman's name in my life.
The Money Machine By Rohit Brijnath
September 7,1998
Bradman was limited to accumulating runs. Sachin scores on and off the field.
Game is delightful. But not always. sometimes recognition is tiresome, like having one's name on a MOST WANTED poster. Bradman, renowned for an Arctic aloofness, remained confined in his hotel room. Tendulkar plays the hermit too at times, preferring to hitch on his headphones and tune out the baying world. Bradman would approve: "Music," he wrote, "is tonic for the jaded nerves."
It is here, at the altar of worship, that their paths diverge. Bradman had to settle, in the main, for sheer adulation; Tendulkar has found his bank balance grows in proportion to his halo. Ironically, it is the very technology that Bradman feared that nurtures Tendulkar. As Bradman wrote in his Farewell to Cricket, published in 1950: "The men who invented the (movie) camera ... created weapons of publicity which are almost frightening to a team of international cricketers."
With moving pictures in their infancy, the clarity of Bradman's genius is to be found only in books and the diminishing memory of those who saw him play. Tendulkar's celebrity has been enhanced by television. "Part of Tendulkar's existence is linked to the medium," explains Sankar Rajan of Hindustan Thompson Associates. In this age of the live cricket telecast, everyone gets to be part of his miracle. Including sponsors.
The result is that Tendulkar endorses Visa, Action Shoes, Adidas, Pepsi, Colgate, Boost, Philips and MRF. He is a walking advertisement hoarding. It is as much an acknowledgement of Tendulkar's uniqueness as it is of a changing world. In the late '60s, that languorous Nawab of Pataudi Jr recalls being paid Rs 2,000 for having his signature stamped on bats. Two decades on, Kapil Dev was earning Rs 30 lakh for a three-year deal. Tendulkar now commands Rs 1-2 crore a year for an endorsement.
As world cricket's most precious corporate pitchman, Tendulkar is a recent phenomenon. Till some years ago his deals were insignificant: his Action Shoes contract, still running, is worth a mere Rs 2 lakh a year apparently. The bustling, aggressive Mark Mascarenhas, head of WorldTel, altered that. When he acquired the rights to Tendulkar in 1996 for the guaranteed payment of $7.5 million (Rs 31.5 crore) over five years, it appeared an uncalculated risk. But, says Mascarenhas: "Earlier it was a case of not marketing him properly. We raised the stakes." Indeed, it did. In just under three years, WorldTel has raised $10 million (Rs 42 crore) in Tendulkar's name.
Details of Bradman's sponsorship figures are hazy, yet his legend did not go unrewarded. A professional in an amateur age, he once received a car from General Motors, and by 1929 had a deal with Sykes, the bat manufacturer. He wrote newspaper columns as well, though when administrators objected to his writing, media baron Sir Frank Packer (Kerry's grandfather) had to release him from the contract. As a stockbroker he was known to play the market, yet those were the Depression years and times were hard.
Tendulkar's timing has been better. His rise has coincided with the subcontinent's emergence as the commercial hub of world cricket. In 1992, the India rights for the World Cup were bought for Rs 25 lakh; for the 1996 World Cup it cost Rs 42 crore. Cricket became the national opiate. It meant that if Adidas pays Leander Paes Rs 12 lakh plus hefty bonuses, for Tendulkar it does not baulk at a crore and more per year in a six-year deal worth a couple of million dollars. Says G. Kannan, general manager, marketing, "At first glance it is a huge figure. But on analysis, if you look at his value, it appears reasonable." This is not a man to waste time bargaining over. During the 1996 World Cup, MRF representatives walked into Mascarenhas' room and said they wanted the rights to Tendulkar's bat. A deal was done in seconds.
Tendulkar fills a vacuum in a nation bereft of role models, in and beyond sport. He has an appeal that is seductive to the entire Indian universe. "Audiences are fragmented, but he's one of the few big unifying symbols," says Rajan. It is an aura so compelling that one sponsor admits: "If you put him on one side and the team on the other, he is still the meatier proposition." A recent TNT/Cartoon Network poll among 600 children in the 7-18 age-group endorses that. When they were asked to name India's top sportsperson, Sachin received 51 per cent of the vote; Mohammed Azharuddin was a distant second at 10 per cent. Predictably, no Indian cricketer is paid close to Rs 1 crore a year; only Australia's Shane Warne, signed on by Nike and Channel Nine, is endorsed so heavily.
Tendulkar's earnings do not end with endorsements. Indian players earn match fees of Rs 1.25 lakh for Tests and Rs 90,000 for one-day internationals; so in 1997 alone, by playing all 12 Tests and 39 one-day internationals, Tendulkar earned over Rs 50 lakh. In 1989, when his career began, the fees were less generous, but the 196 one-day internationals and 61 Tests he has played since then are worth a few crores at least. A final income, directly related to his genius, is the prize money he earns, 25 per cent of which, says Mascarenhas, is his share. The sums are not weighty but they add up for he wins them with astonishing regularity. Take just part of his winnings this season:
* India vs Australia Test series: once Man of the Match (Rs 35,000) and Man of the Series (Rs 50,000).
* Pepsi Tri-series: twice Man of the Match (Rs 70,000).
* Coca Cola Cup in Sharjah: twice Man of the Match (Rs 42,000 each), Man of the Final (Rs 63,000), Man of the Tournament (Rs 1.05 lakh and an Opel car), Fastest Hundred (Rs 42,000), Most Sixes (Rs 21,000) and Best Batsman (Rs 42,000). Plus a Rs 14 lakh bonus from Coke.
Off the pitch, Tendulkar has cultivated his image sensibly. Unafraid of interviews, careful not to court controversy, he is, says sports entrepreneur Lokesh Sharma, "a winner with the boy-next-door face". He will never earn what basketball icon Michael Jordan does (Rs 330 crore in 1997), yet he escapes the censure Jordan faces. As the American writer Frank Deford put it, "This Jordan is a conglomerate, they say, too greedy, lacking social responsibility."
Tendulkar is a mini-conglomerate. More comfortably, social consciousness is not a required part of his agenda. Quietly, one hears, he does his part, like assisting a programme that helps Mumbai slum children. But Indians, interested only in what he does at the wicket, do not quibble over how much he earns. Why should they? When last could one man alone lift national morale?
Bradman was limited to accumulating runs. Sachin scores on and off the field.
Game is delightful. But not always. sometimes recognition is tiresome, like having one's name on a MOST WANTED poster. Bradman, renowned for an Arctic aloofness, remained confined in his hotel room. Tendulkar plays the hermit too at times, preferring to hitch on his headphones and tune out the baying world. Bradman would approve: "Music," he wrote, "is tonic for the jaded nerves."
It is here, at the altar of worship, that their paths diverge. Bradman had to settle, in the main, for sheer adulation; Tendulkar has found his bank balance grows in proportion to his halo. Ironically, it is the very technology that Bradman feared that nurtures Tendulkar. As Bradman wrote in his Farewell to Cricket, published in 1950: "The men who invented the (movie) camera ... created weapons of publicity which are almost frightening to a team of international cricketers."
With moving pictures in their infancy, the clarity of Bradman's genius is to be found only in books and the diminishing memory of those who saw him play. Tendulkar's celebrity has been enhanced by television. "Part of Tendulkar's existence is linked to the medium," explains Sankar Rajan of Hindustan Thompson Associates. In this age of the live cricket telecast, everyone gets to be part of his miracle. Including sponsors.
The result is that Tendulkar endorses Visa, Action Shoes, Adidas, Pepsi, Colgate, Boost, Philips and MRF. He is a walking advertisement hoarding. It is as much an acknowledgement of Tendulkar's uniqueness as it is of a changing world. In the late '60s, that languorous Nawab of Pataudi Jr recalls being paid Rs 2,000 for having his signature stamped on bats. Two decades on, Kapil Dev was earning Rs 30 lakh for a three-year deal. Tendulkar now commands Rs 1-2 crore a year for an endorsement.
As world cricket's most precious corporate pitchman, Tendulkar is a recent phenomenon. Till some years ago his deals were insignificant: his Action Shoes contract, still running, is worth a mere Rs 2 lakh a year apparently. The bustling, aggressive Mark Mascarenhas, head of WorldTel, altered that. When he acquired the rights to Tendulkar in 1996 for the guaranteed payment of $7.5 million (Rs 31.5 crore) over five years, it appeared an uncalculated risk. But, says Mascarenhas: "Earlier it was a case of not marketing him properly. We raised the stakes." Indeed, it did. In just under three years, WorldTel has raised $10 million (Rs 42 crore) in Tendulkar's name.
Details of Bradman's sponsorship figures are hazy, yet his legend did not go unrewarded. A professional in an amateur age, he once received a car from General Motors, and by 1929 had a deal with Sykes, the bat manufacturer. He wrote newspaper columns as well, though when administrators objected to his writing, media baron Sir Frank Packer (Kerry's grandfather) had to release him from the contract. As a stockbroker he was known to play the market, yet those were the Depression years and times were hard.
Tendulkar's timing has been better. His rise has coincided with the subcontinent's emergence as the commercial hub of world cricket. In 1992, the India rights for the World Cup were bought for Rs 25 lakh; for the 1996 World Cup it cost Rs 42 crore. Cricket became the national opiate. It meant that if Adidas pays Leander Paes Rs 12 lakh plus hefty bonuses, for Tendulkar it does not baulk at a crore and more per year in a six-year deal worth a couple of million dollars. Says G. Kannan, general manager, marketing, "At first glance it is a huge figure. But on analysis, if you look at his value, it appears reasonable." This is not a man to waste time bargaining over. During the 1996 World Cup, MRF representatives walked into Mascarenhas' room and said they wanted the rights to Tendulkar's bat. A deal was done in seconds.
Tendulkar fills a vacuum in a nation bereft of role models, in and beyond sport. He has an appeal that is seductive to the entire Indian universe. "Audiences are fragmented, but he's one of the few big unifying symbols," says Rajan. It is an aura so compelling that one sponsor admits: "If you put him on one side and the team on the other, he is still the meatier proposition." A recent TNT/Cartoon Network poll among 600 children in the 7-18 age-group endorses that. When they were asked to name India's top sportsperson, Sachin received 51 per cent of the vote; Mohammed Azharuddin was a distant second at 10 per cent. Predictably, no Indian cricketer is paid close to Rs 1 crore a year; only Australia's Shane Warne, signed on by Nike and Channel Nine, is endorsed so heavily.
Tendulkar's earnings do not end with endorsements. Indian players earn match fees of Rs 1.25 lakh for Tests and Rs 90,000 for one-day internationals; so in 1997 alone, by playing all 12 Tests and 39 one-day internationals, Tendulkar earned over Rs 50 lakh. In 1989, when his career began, the fees were less generous, but the 196 one-day internationals and 61 Tests he has played since then are worth a few crores at least. A final income, directly related to his genius, is the prize money he earns, 25 per cent of which, says Mascarenhas, is his share. The sums are not weighty but they add up for he wins them with astonishing regularity. Take just part of his winnings this season:
* India vs Australia Test series: once Man of the Match (Rs 35,000) and Man of the Series (Rs 50,000).
* Pepsi Tri-series: twice Man of the Match (Rs 70,000).
* Coca Cola Cup in Sharjah: twice Man of the Match (Rs 42,000 each), Man of the Final (Rs 63,000), Man of the Tournament (Rs 1.05 lakh and an Opel car), Fastest Hundred (Rs 42,000), Most Sixes (Rs 21,000) and Best Batsman (Rs 42,000). Plus a Rs 14 lakh bonus from Coke.
Off the pitch, Tendulkar has cultivated his image sensibly. Unafraid of interviews, careful not to court controversy, he is, says sports entrepreneur Lokesh Sharma, "a winner with the boy-next-door face". He will never earn what basketball icon Michael Jordan does (Rs 330 crore in 1997), yet he escapes the censure Jordan faces. As the American writer Frank Deford put it, "This Jordan is a conglomerate, they say, too greedy, lacking social responsibility."
Tendulkar is a mini-conglomerate. More comfortably, social consciousness is not a required part of his agenda. Quietly, one hears, he does his part, like assisting a programme that helps Mumbai slum children. But Indians, interested only in what he does at the wicket, do not quibble over how much he earns. Why should they? When last could one man alone lift national morale?
The Don and the New Master By Ramachandra Guha
A cricket historian and columnist, Ramachandra Guha's books include Spin and Other Turns and Wickets in the East.
September 7,1998
As Tendulkar returns from Bradman's 90th birthday bash, it is a fitting moment to analyse the comparative skills to cricket's King and his heir-apparent.
On the 28th of June 1930 Jawaharlal Nehru was arrested by the police in Allahabad; on the same day Don Bradman scored 254 against England at Lord's. The coincidence was grimly noted by K.N. Prabhu, future cricket correspondent of the Times of India. From then until he became prime minister of free India in August 1947, Nehru was in and out of jail, while Bradman was flaying English bowlers all over the place. For Prabhu, young and patriotic, the Australian became a kind of avenging angel, his bat answering the slights accumulated over the years.
Generations of Indians waited for Bradman as they wait for Vishnu's Viswaroopa, that is, for a sight of their idol in the flesh. Despite several invitations the Don did not play in India; indeed, he set foot on our soil only once, en route to England in 1953. This too was not by choice, for his plane had stopped in Calcutta merely to refuel. When Bradman went to the Dum Dum waiting room to stretch his legs he found a thousand people there to greet him. Furious, he got into an army jeep and fled to a barricaded building. He later sent the airline a rocket for "breach of confidentiality".
Bradman has subsequently made amends for these discourtesies by the interest he has shown in young Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin flew to Australia for the Don's 90th birthday, the only foreign cricketer to be asked to do so. And some time ago the Don even said that of all batsmen who have come since it was Tendulkar who resembled him the most. Cryptic as ever, he refused to elaborate.Where then does the similarity lie? Let us rush in where the greatest of cricketers fears to tread.
The Don and Sachin are akin, first of all, in their physique. Bradman stood 5 ft 7 inches in his socks; Tendulkar is littler still. Like other vertically challenged batsmen they have moved easily about the crease. The lack of inches is compensated by speed of foot. Sachin, like Bradman, seizes the length of a ball earlier than his contemporaries. Given a choice he plays back rather than forward, allowing himself the extra millisecond to decide his stroke.
The back-foot force through the off-side and the pull are Sachin's bread-and-butter shots, as they were the Don's. On this base the jam is spread in abundance. The great Australian googly bowler Bill O'Reilly claimed that Bradman had "the greatest repertoire of aggressive and damaging strokes that ever a batsman carried". But then he did not watch Tendulkar bat. Sachin plays all the shots that the Don knew, and at least two others. These are the reverse-sweep and the inside-out drive over extra-cover, both post-modern inventions unknown to the Don. Bradman also rarely played the ball in the air; he hit less than 10 sixes in his Test career. Having been brought up on one-day cricket Tendulkar likes to play the lofted drive. With his heavier bat he clears the fence more readily than the Don did, but then he gets caught more often too.
In the evidence the Australian was a better player of spin bowling. His footwork was phenomenal. If Tendulkar has a weakness it is against the slower stuff: consider how often the Pakistani off-break bowler Saqlain Mushtaq has had him stumped by balls that bounced and turned past his flailing bat (the part-timer Mark Waugh had him that way too, in the 1996 World Cup). Bradman, one thinks, would not have let Saqlain's balls hit the turf.
To compare two batsmen so widely separated in time is a risky business. More so as I have watched Sachin bat for dozens of hours, whereas my visual experience of the Don is restricted to some clips stolen from here and there, shot in the primitive technology of pre-Channel Nine days. But I have dipped richly into the eyewitness accounts of his batsmanship. And when I see, in a film of Bradman's 304 at Leeds in 1934, the manner in which he runs his first run, I see an anticipation of Tendulkar, of his determined, indeed single-minded athleticism. This man loved to bat, and loved the strike more. The only time he would stroll between the wickets was on the last ball of an over, so that he could face the first ball of the next one. For all Saurav Ganguly's talent, I cannot imagine Bradman agreeing to open the batting with such an indifferent runner.
Tendulkar can bat as straight as Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Merchant, his great Mumbai predecessors, but he would never bat as slowly. Before him Indians had known two types of batsmen -- the accumulator, who took two, sometimes three days to reach three figures, and the hitter, who thrashed about for 15 minutes before being out for 20 or 30. Sachin not only makes hundreds but makes them fast. Bradman likewise scored at a rate of knots against the best attacks. He once made 300 runs in a day in a Test match.
Like Sachin, the Don rarely, if ever, hit a full-blooded drive or cut straight to a fielder. His strokes also went where the fielders were not, an ability which, in batting terms, really marks out the men from the boys. In between the boundaries he energetically ran his twos and threes -- like Sachin, again.
Tendulkar and Bradman are alike in physical appearance, in style of stroke play, and in their overall attitude to the game. For neither does cricket begin or end with the art of batsmanship. The Don, who was less ample round the waist, was a magnificent cover point. Sachin lacks his pace over the grass but is nonetheless a handy field. Both could (or can) roll a leg break. Tendulkar's feats here are fresh in the memory, but how many know that Bradman once dismissed Walter Hammond at a crucial stage of a Test match?
A cricketer is known by the respect he commands among his peers. Bradman's own colleagues thought him a phenomenon with the bat, but didn't exactly warm to his personality. Both Keith Miller and Jack Fingleton have written of him as selfish and self-absorbed, pursuing his interests above those of the team. Tendulkar, by all accounts, is more liked by those he plays with. He has also shown an endearing loyalty to his home state, Mumbai. Bradman, on the other hand, threw over his native New South Wales to move to South Australia.
Striking feature of Bradman's career is that he was never coached. He sharpened his skills, stick in hand, with a golf ball thrown against the railing of his family's modest ranch in Bowral. Nature has showered its favour on Tendulkar, but culture has helped too. Unlike Bradman he was born not in the boondocks but in the heart of the cricketing capital of the world. If, dear lady reader, you wish your baby to be a Test cricketer get yourself admitted into the maternity ward of the Shivaji Park Hospital in Mumbai, having bought or rented a nearby apartment beforehand. Your boy might then have the headstart Tendulkar enjoyed. He can walk across when able to the Shivaji Park Gymkhana, to be schooled there by Ramakant Achrekar.
The lack of coaching might explain the Australian's unsurpassed hunger for runs. For where Bradman leaves the competition, Tendulkar included, stranded is in his penchant for converting hundreds into twos. Of the 29 centuries he scored 12 were double hundreds. He remains the only batsman to have scored two triple centuries in Test cricket. Tendulkar has a highest score of 179 despite having hit 16 hundreds. One can perhaps explain this away by blaming one-day cricket. I am not so sure.
Bradman played his first Test in November 1928, his last in August 1948. His record is staggering enough, but what might it have been if he had not been shut out of cricket for six years due to World War II. The British commentator John Arlott once remarked that when Bradman retired "no more were bowlers faced with an apparently insoluble problem". There have been moments in recent months when some bowlers must have thought likewise of Tendulkar. But until he crosses that Lakshman Rekha of 200 runs, and crosses it again, we cannot speak of him as a second Bradman. Consider here the story of the 1938 Oval Test, which was to be played to a finish. When England batted first Bradman twisted his ankle while bowling and was taken to hospital. The England captain, Walter Hammond, batted on, and on. Late on the third day news came that Bradman's ankle had been fractured and he would take no further part in the match. Now Hammond could safely apply the declaration, at 903 for 7.
This, surely, is the greatest compliment ever paid to one cricketer by another. In it we find marked the distance that remains between their Don and our Master. Sachin is to Bradman as Krishna was to Vishnu, as close to the real thing as exists in this imperfect world. But those who will never see the Lord can do worse than follow his avatar.
September 7,1998
As Tendulkar returns from Bradman's 90th birthday bash, it is a fitting moment to analyse the comparative skills to cricket's King and his heir-apparent.
On the 28th of June 1930 Jawaharlal Nehru was arrested by the police in Allahabad; on the same day Don Bradman scored 254 against England at Lord's. The coincidence was grimly noted by K.N. Prabhu, future cricket correspondent of the Times of India. From then until he became prime minister of free India in August 1947, Nehru was in and out of jail, while Bradman was flaying English bowlers all over the place. For Prabhu, young and patriotic, the Australian became a kind of avenging angel, his bat answering the slights accumulated over the years.
Generations of Indians waited for Bradman as they wait for Vishnu's Viswaroopa, that is, for a sight of their idol in the flesh. Despite several invitations the Don did not play in India; indeed, he set foot on our soil only once, en route to England in 1953. This too was not by choice, for his plane had stopped in Calcutta merely to refuel. When Bradman went to the Dum Dum waiting room to stretch his legs he found a thousand people there to greet him. Furious, he got into an army jeep and fled to a barricaded building. He later sent the airline a rocket for "breach of confidentiality".
Bradman has subsequently made amends for these discourtesies by the interest he has shown in young Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin flew to Australia for the Don's 90th birthday, the only foreign cricketer to be asked to do so. And some time ago the Don even said that of all batsmen who have come since it was Tendulkar who resembled him the most. Cryptic as ever, he refused to elaborate.Where then does the similarity lie? Let us rush in where the greatest of cricketers fears to tread.
The Don and Sachin are akin, first of all, in their physique. Bradman stood 5 ft 7 inches in his socks; Tendulkar is littler still. Like other vertically challenged batsmen they have moved easily about the crease. The lack of inches is compensated by speed of foot. Sachin, like Bradman, seizes the length of a ball earlier than his contemporaries. Given a choice he plays back rather than forward, allowing himself the extra millisecond to decide his stroke.
The back-foot force through the off-side and the pull are Sachin's bread-and-butter shots, as they were the Don's. On this base the jam is spread in abundance. The great Australian googly bowler Bill O'Reilly claimed that Bradman had "the greatest repertoire of aggressive and damaging strokes that ever a batsman carried". But then he did not watch Tendulkar bat. Sachin plays all the shots that the Don knew, and at least two others. These are the reverse-sweep and the inside-out drive over extra-cover, both post-modern inventions unknown to the Don. Bradman also rarely played the ball in the air; he hit less than 10 sixes in his Test career. Having been brought up on one-day cricket Tendulkar likes to play the lofted drive. With his heavier bat he clears the fence more readily than the Don did, but then he gets caught more often too.
In the evidence the Australian was a better player of spin bowling. His footwork was phenomenal. If Tendulkar has a weakness it is against the slower stuff: consider how often the Pakistani off-break bowler Saqlain Mushtaq has had him stumped by balls that bounced and turned past his flailing bat (the part-timer Mark Waugh had him that way too, in the 1996 World Cup). Bradman, one thinks, would not have let Saqlain's balls hit the turf.
To compare two batsmen so widely separated in time is a risky business. More so as I have watched Sachin bat for dozens of hours, whereas my visual experience of the Don is restricted to some clips stolen from here and there, shot in the primitive technology of pre-Channel Nine days. But I have dipped richly into the eyewitness accounts of his batsmanship. And when I see, in a film of Bradman's 304 at Leeds in 1934, the manner in which he runs his first run, I see an anticipation of Tendulkar, of his determined, indeed single-minded athleticism. This man loved to bat, and loved the strike more. The only time he would stroll between the wickets was on the last ball of an over, so that he could face the first ball of the next one. For all Saurav Ganguly's talent, I cannot imagine Bradman agreeing to open the batting with such an indifferent runner.
Tendulkar can bat as straight as Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Merchant, his great Mumbai predecessors, but he would never bat as slowly. Before him Indians had known two types of batsmen -- the accumulator, who took two, sometimes three days to reach three figures, and the hitter, who thrashed about for 15 minutes before being out for 20 or 30. Sachin not only makes hundreds but makes them fast. Bradman likewise scored at a rate of knots against the best attacks. He once made 300 runs in a day in a Test match.
Like Sachin, the Don rarely, if ever, hit a full-blooded drive or cut straight to a fielder. His strokes also went where the fielders were not, an ability which, in batting terms, really marks out the men from the boys. In between the boundaries he energetically ran his twos and threes -- like Sachin, again.
Tendulkar and Bradman are alike in physical appearance, in style of stroke play, and in their overall attitude to the game. For neither does cricket begin or end with the art of batsmanship. The Don, who was less ample round the waist, was a magnificent cover point. Sachin lacks his pace over the grass but is nonetheless a handy field. Both could (or can) roll a leg break. Tendulkar's feats here are fresh in the memory, but how many know that Bradman once dismissed Walter Hammond at a crucial stage of a Test match?
A cricketer is known by the respect he commands among his peers. Bradman's own colleagues thought him a phenomenon with the bat, but didn't exactly warm to his personality. Both Keith Miller and Jack Fingleton have written of him as selfish and self-absorbed, pursuing his interests above those of the team. Tendulkar, by all accounts, is more liked by those he plays with. He has also shown an endearing loyalty to his home state, Mumbai. Bradman, on the other hand, threw over his native New South Wales to move to South Australia.
Striking feature of Bradman's career is that he was never coached. He sharpened his skills, stick in hand, with a golf ball thrown against the railing of his family's modest ranch in Bowral. Nature has showered its favour on Tendulkar, but culture has helped too. Unlike Bradman he was born not in the boondocks but in the heart of the cricketing capital of the world. If, dear lady reader, you wish your baby to be a Test cricketer get yourself admitted into the maternity ward of the Shivaji Park Hospital in Mumbai, having bought or rented a nearby apartment beforehand. Your boy might then have the headstart Tendulkar enjoyed. He can walk across when able to the Shivaji Park Gymkhana, to be schooled there by Ramakant Achrekar.
The lack of coaching might explain the Australian's unsurpassed hunger for runs. For where Bradman leaves the competition, Tendulkar included, stranded is in his penchant for converting hundreds into twos. Of the 29 centuries he scored 12 were double hundreds. He remains the only batsman to have scored two triple centuries in Test cricket. Tendulkar has a highest score of 179 despite having hit 16 hundreds. One can perhaps explain this away by blaming one-day cricket. I am not so sure.
Bradman played his first Test in November 1928, his last in August 1948. His record is staggering enough, but what might it have been if he had not been shut out of cricket for six years due to World War II. The British commentator John Arlott once remarked that when Bradman retired "no more were bowlers faced with an apparently insoluble problem". There have been moments in recent months when some bowlers must have thought likewise of Tendulkar. But until he crosses that Lakshman Rekha of 200 runs, and crosses it again, we cannot speak of him as a second Bradman. Consider here the story of the 1938 Oval Test, which was to be played to a finish. When England batted first Bradman twisted his ankle while bowling and was taken to hospital. The England captain, Walter Hammond, batted on, and on. Late on the third day news came that Bradman's ankle had been fractured and he would take no further part in the match. Now Hammond could safely apply the declaration, at 903 for 7.
This, surely, is the greatest compliment ever paid to one cricketer by another. In it we find marked the distance that remains between their Don and our Master. Sachin is to Bradman as Krishna was to Vishnu, as close to the real thing as exists in this imperfect world. But those who will never see the Lord can do worse than follow his avatar.
India Today | Receiving Test cap his greatest moment, says Tendulkar
New Delhi, November 13, 2009
Just a couple of days away from completing 20 years in international cricket, Sachin Tendulkar on Friday said his first India cap in a Test series against Pakistan in 1989 was the most cherished moment in his illustrious career.
"Twenty years is a long time and I have many special moments and it would be difficult to count them. But the first one (Test), the first day walking out in the playing XI in Pakistan probably was the greatest moment," Tendulkar, who made his international debut in a Test match against Pakistan in Karachi on November 15, 1989, said.
"It was a long journey and what I did after that was a reflection of my contribution to the game in the country. Playing for the country was my childhood dream and I have fulfilled my dream. I am fortunate to have played for my country for so many years," he added.
Asked what changes have occurred in the game in the 20 years of his career, Tendulkar picked the advent of Twenty20, television assistance for umpiring decisions and batting innovations as the major changes that have taken place.
"From 1989, the game has changed a lot from the introduction of third umpire and Hot Spot system to the introduction of Twenty20 and so many things", he said.
"The most significant is that lot of innovative shots which were earlier occasionally used are being played by the batsmen now," Tendulkar said.
"There is a lot more risk taking by the players now. Because of this, the total in the one-dayers have increased. Nowadays, 275 on a good pitch is not a great score."
"The same is the case in Test also. There are a lot more results now than in the past. Earlier, people used to get bored of Test cricket because there were few results but nowadays there has been more results and that has made it more entertaining," said the 36-year-old champion batsman.
Asked how much has changed in his game in the 20 years, Tendulkar said, "I have changed a lot. I am trying to improve myself every game. It is a never ending process as everyday is a fresh challenge. So it is hard job to be on your toes everytime."
"A combination of factors made me remain focussed on the game. My parents, brothers, sisters and wife supported me all through. My mother does not know cricket but will pray for my success and for the country. I discussed cricket with my elder brother a lot. The other brother and the sister also supported me. With my wife, I talk about cricket to her also and that is the main reason why I was able to last such a long time," he said.
"Above all, the affection and support from the cricket fans of the country was immense. You need people to share your success and I have more than a billion people. That is more than enough for me," Tendulkar said.
Since his debut Test against Pakistan in 1989, Tendulkar has played 159 Tests, scoring 12,773 runs with 42 centuries at an average of 54.58. From the 436 ODI matches he played since December 19, 1989 against Pakistan in Gujranwala, he had amassed 17,178 runs at an average of 44.50 with 45 hundreds.
Tendulkar thanked the millions of cricket fans in the country for showering him with love which was also a huge factor in him going strong for so many years.
"Above all, the affection and support from the cricket fans of the country was immense. You need people to share your success and I have more than a billion people. That is more than enough for me," the ace batsman said.
Asked about absence of any aggressive postures from him like some other cricketers worldwide, the master batsman replied that he was aggressive inside and did not need to show it with his body language.
"Aggression should be inside. It has to benefit you and not benefit your opponent. You can see aggression in the eyes of players," he said.
Tendulkar recalled how former Cricket Board president, the late Raj Singh Dungarpur, had walked up to him before the team for the 1988-89 tour to the West Indies was to be announced and told him he would not be on the visit as they felt he was not yet ready.
"There was talk when we (Mumbai) were to play the Ranji Trophy semifinal that I could be on the West Indies tour for which the team was to be announced. Rajbhai, the chairman (of selectors) came to me during nets and said I would not be going as it was too early.
"He told me to concentrate on preparing for my SSC exam and said there was the Irani tie coming up and good things will happen. His guidance meant a lot," he recalled.
Just a couple of days away from completing 20 years in international cricket, Sachin Tendulkar on Friday said his first India cap in a Test series against Pakistan in 1989 was the most cherished moment in his illustrious career.
"Twenty years is a long time and I have many special moments and it would be difficult to count them. But the first one (Test), the first day walking out in the playing XI in Pakistan probably was the greatest moment," Tendulkar, who made his international debut in a Test match against Pakistan in Karachi on November 15, 1989, said.
"It was a long journey and what I did after that was a reflection of my contribution to the game in the country. Playing for the country was my childhood dream and I have fulfilled my dream. I am fortunate to have played for my country for so many years," he added.
Asked what changes have occurred in the game in the 20 years of his career, Tendulkar picked the advent of Twenty20, television assistance for umpiring decisions and batting innovations as the major changes that have taken place.
"From 1989, the game has changed a lot from the introduction of third umpire and Hot Spot system to the introduction of Twenty20 and so many things", he said.
"The most significant is that lot of innovative shots which were earlier occasionally used are being played by the batsmen now," Tendulkar said.
"There is a lot more risk taking by the players now. Because of this, the total in the one-dayers have increased. Nowadays, 275 on a good pitch is not a great score."
"The same is the case in Test also. There are a lot more results now than in the past. Earlier, people used to get bored of Test cricket because there were few results but nowadays there has been more results and that has made it more entertaining," said the 36-year-old champion batsman.
Asked how much has changed in his game in the 20 years, Tendulkar said, "I have changed a lot. I am trying to improve myself every game. It is a never ending process as everyday is a fresh challenge. So it is hard job to be on your toes everytime."
"A combination of factors made me remain focussed on the game. My parents, brothers, sisters and wife supported me all through. My mother does not know cricket but will pray for my success and for the country. I discussed cricket with my elder brother a lot. The other brother and the sister also supported me. With my wife, I talk about cricket to her also and that is the main reason why I was able to last such a long time," he said.
"Above all, the affection and support from the cricket fans of the country was immense. You need people to share your success and I have more than a billion people. That is more than enough for me," Tendulkar said.
Since his debut Test against Pakistan in 1989, Tendulkar has played 159 Tests, scoring 12,773 runs with 42 centuries at an average of 54.58. From the 436 ODI matches he played since December 19, 1989 against Pakistan in Gujranwala, he had amassed 17,178 runs at an average of 44.50 with 45 hundreds.
Tendulkar thanked the millions of cricket fans in the country for showering him with love which was also a huge factor in him going strong for so many years.
"Above all, the affection and support from the cricket fans of the country was immense. You need people to share your success and I have more than a billion people. That is more than enough for me," the ace batsman said.
Asked about absence of any aggressive postures from him like some other cricketers worldwide, the master batsman replied that he was aggressive inside and did not need to show it with his body language.
"Aggression should be inside. It has to benefit you and not benefit your opponent. You can see aggression in the eyes of players," he said.
Tendulkar recalled how former Cricket Board president, the late Raj Singh Dungarpur, had walked up to him before the team for the 1988-89 tour to the West Indies was to be announced and told him he would not be on the visit as they felt he was not yet ready.
"There was talk when we (Mumbai) were to play the Ranji Trophy semifinal that I could be on the West Indies tour for which the team was to be announced. Rajbhai, the chairman (of selectors) came to me during nets and said I would not be going as it was too early.
"He told me to concentrate on preparing for my SSC exam and said there was the Irani tie coming up and good things will happen. His guidance meant a lot," he recalled.
'Competitive spirit has played a huge role in making me what I am' - Interview By Sharda Ugra
September 24, 2009
On the eve of his departure for South Africa for the Champions Trophy, Sachin Tendulkar took time off for an exclusive interview with Deputy Editor Sharda Ugra. Excerpts:
Q. You're embarking on your 20th year in international cricket, the only player after Gary Sobers to do so. Does it feel that long? Do you remember it all?
A. I remember on my first tour Kapil Dev challenged me. He said: "You play for ten years". When I completed ten years, Kapil Dev was the coach so I caught him and said I've won our bet. I'm glad today I'm almost very close to doubling that. I remember things clearly. I remember most of my dismissals and I don't think any cricketer forgets that… I remember the great shots too.
Q. What part of your 16 or 20 year old self would you like to have in your game today?
A. Mentally, it's different, now. When I was younger, there have been times when I've gone out thinking of attacking from ball one, that wherever the ball is I'm going to hit a six. That kind of thought process. But I'm glad that doesn't happen today. You think differently in various stages in life and you react accordingly.
Q. What is the single biggest lesson cricket has taught you, that would save a lot of younger guys a lot of trouble if they knew?
A. I think to respect the game and to respect fellow cricketers. I was made to realise that very early on. In the early years of cricket, you have done every possible thing under the sun to achieve your target. All of a sudden you have the India cap and India T-shirt and you start thinking, oh I'm somebody special. I remember just after I started to play for India, a close friend conveyed a message through another person: "Just tell him that I've noticed that he is probably starting to think differently. The sooner he realises that, the better it is." And I sat back and I realised that, yes it was true.and that really helped me. I normally tell the youngsters who just got in the team that it's good that you are here but learn to respect the cricketers who played with you before. That would help you to stay on the ground more than anything else.
Q. More than the runs or records, the consistency of your performance stands out in your career-what's the secret?
A. I don't know how to answer this. I wish I knew the answer, I've just gone out and played with a lot of passion and I spent a lot of time preparing myself, not only physically but mentally. I spent time preparing. There have been ups and downs but when there are disappointments, I would much rather convert that negative energy into positive energy, in training harder or spending more time at the nets. The setbacks have motivated me. My thinking is simple, I want to convert those disappointments into positive energy and use it to get even more determined. That's what I've done, nothing else.
Q. They say as athletes get older their body starts to break down, give them trouble but their mind gets sharper about their game, they find out new things. What are the kind of things you have learnt?
A. You discover a lot of new things and I've been able to do that. If earlier obviously there were just a couple of ways to deal with a particular bowler, then today there would be four ways. You just know how to use what and when. It's about not accepting every little challenge thrown at you and going after that. Sometimes you hold back and when it's needed you go for it. You just calculate better and it comes with age and experience.
Q. How much was opening the batting in one-day cricket a big factor in your success?
A. Yes, it was an important phase. I remember in 1994, when Sidhu was not fit for an ODI game in New Zealand, I walked up to Azhar and Ajit Wadekar and told them 'give me one chance. I know I can hit the fast bowlers and if I fail, I will not come and ask you again.' They agreed and I scored 82 runs of 48 balls. From there on things started looking different for me.
Q. How?
A. Because I was consistently facing the new ball and playing the first spells. Also had to play shots, there was that freedom too. And while doing that, I thought I developed a few shots batting up the order, like the punch off the backfoot and the shortarm pull. I used to play those but opening the batting, there was more opportunity to do that so I did and I started using that in Test cricket more than what I would earlier. The switch worked for me. To go out there and face the first spell and look to play shots… It was good for my game because I was always thinking positively.
Q. You say that you express yourself when you're batting, but you're not really an aggressive person?
A. I've always been competitive. It's extremely important for a sportsman to be highly competitive, one should not be able to take defeat just like that… I don't believe in that 'just another game'. When I'm out competing, I want to go all the way to the end. I compete hard but compete hard in the right spirit.
Q. Do you think you changed the way Indians bat?
A. I don't know about that and I honestly didn't think much about the other players; whenever I was made to take up the challenge, I felt that I could easily go and play a particular shot against a bowler- what's the big deal. I would do it. I backed my natural instincts and I just went ahead and played my game. It wasn't like I was out there to prove something to someone. I was there to take the opposition on and put my team in a comfortable position.
Q. Do you think about your place in history?
A. I don't honestly… I haven't thought about that at all… I've not thought about it...
Q. You've said elsewhere that batting to you was finding comfort.
A. I've always believed in that. In changing my stance for example, I've always thought more about my comfort level rather than what looks good. Even if technically something people said: "You shouldn't be doing this", but if I'm comfortable and can adjust, then I would go ahead and do it. My stance depends on the wicket, it has lot to do with feel. It has nothing to do with the way I've been taught, or how I've practiced. It changes in between innings also. One over I would be batting with a different stance the next over if I feel if another particular stance would suit me better, I would change.
Q. A lot of other players say that you can get into the perfect state of mind when you are batting at will, into the zone...
A. I wish I could but I'm glad I give that impression to the opposition! But it doesn't come so easily-I would have definitely liked to be in that zone more often than not... But on various occasions I've been able to do that. It's just a level of concentration where you forget about everything else… it happened to me in the Chennai Test match against England. I didn't know we had won the game. When the opposition came towards me to shake hands, that's when I realised that yes, we've won the match because I was not looking at the scoreboard. That's when I realised I was in that zone...
Q. That was quite an emotional innings for you, given what had happened in Mumbai on November 26. Can you talk us through that?
A. We obviously wanted to win because a cricket match is virtually non-existent to what had happened. It wouldn't be right to compare the two things. At the end of the match, I saw that the groundsmen were jumping and the lady who sweeps the wicket came and shook hands. I've never experienced that before and I thought maybe that has to be because of what had happened. I felt strongly about it and I felt that for those people who lost their loved ones and dear ones… if we were able to divert their minds somewhere else even for a fraction of a second then, that would be our achievement.
Q. Did you try to understand why you had been able to enter that mental state for that game?
A. It just happened. The concentration level was very high. There's no particular formula to that. Actually, when you start making the effort then your mind is conscious about that particular thing and it doesn't happen. But in Chennai, the concentration level was such that it just happened.
Q. Have there ever been times in your career when you've thought, this is too tough, I cannot cope, I can't do this?
A. There have been tough times but at no stage I felt that I can't do it, the only stage I've felt that I don't belong here probably was after my first Test. There have been situations where there was no hope but you still go out and do what you can, you still try. If the spirit of competitiveness is not there, you are going to struggle. I feel that the competitive spirit has played a huge role in making me what I am. There have been tough situations but you still go out and you want to do something which may not have an impact on that game but it may have an impact on the series. You look at the bigger picture. If you do that, then you start approaching tough times differently.
Q. Have you ever doubted yourself, known fear or insecurity?
A. Whenever I'm injured… those phases were quite difficult. All the injuries I had were related to my batting style or batting grip… Whether it was tennis elbow or a finger injury, or bicep and shoulder, all of that is needed for you to have the right batswing and things like that. Even during recovery time I worked very hard. I had to be patient and take things as they came. That was tough.
Q. What is the toughest thing you've done on a cricket field? That you're most proud of?
A. Well, I'm proud that on my first tour to Pakistan I continued batting after being hit on the nose by Waqar. When I came back, I realised that I'd broken my nose and we managed to save that Test match. We were 34 for 4 with almost a-day-and-a-half to go. Before that we'd drawn three test matches and this was the last Test and Pakistan was in a good position. I think that has to be it.
Q. A lot has changed in Indian cricket since you made your debut. What about Indian cricket has not changed in all these years which disappoints you?
A. Most things have changed now, and I don't think that at this stage I have any complaints. Right now if I have to say then maybe the only thing which needs to be looked into is providing facilities to players who are in rural areas to spread the game as much as possible and provide equal opportunity to everyone playing it.
Q. Twenty20 has caught everyone's fancy. Do you worry that kids won't want to learn basic skills because those are not going to be used in T20…
A. Well I'd say probably even Test cricket is changing. It's just progression; the game has changed and that's fine, I feel it's fine as long as Test cricket doesn't get neglected. The innovations are going to be there. Now in one-day cricket people play over the keeper's head and and play reverse sweep to fast bowlers. It makes the game exciting, it's fast. For Test cricket you get a different crowd. For T20 there are so many who come because it is exciting. They don't understand the game, but the atmosphere is such that they want to be part of it and it is fantastic for the game.
Q. Take your son-is he going to take to Tests when there's the glamour of T20 around?
A. Arjun actually likes both, he wants to wear whites and hit sixes. So it's a combination of both. I keep telling him that when you wear coloured clothing you can hit the ball up into the air and when you wear whites you have to keep the ball on the ground. I basically want him to enjoy the game more than anything else-if he enjoys the game then he is willing to go to any extents to achieving his target.
Q. Do you think coaches of the future will really want to teach Test skills to kids who are going to come to the game in the next 10 years?
A. I think it's extremely important for coaches to be teaching kids the right techniques, the right fundamentals. There are different kind of skills - to leave a ball outside the off-stump and to know where your off stump is, is an art. As long as we respect formats and just keep our thoughts and expectations for that particular format, we should be okay. Its good to be multi-dimensional, you earn money out of it and you live your passion.
On the eve of his departure for South Africa for the Champions Trophy, Sachin Tendulkar took time off for an exclusive interview with Deputy Editor Sharda Ugra. Excerpts:
Q. You're embarking on your 20th year in international cricket, the only player after Gary Sobers to do so. Does it feel that long? Do you remember it all?
A. I remember on my first tour Kapil Dev challenged me. He said: "You play for ten years". When I completed ten years, Kapil Dev was the coach so I caught him and said I've won our bet. I'm glad today I'm almost very close to doubling that. I remember things clearly. I remember most of my dismissals and I don't think any cricketer forgets that… I remember the great shots too.
Q. What part of your 16 or 20 year old self would you like to have in your game today?
A. Mentally, it's different, now. When I was younger, there have been times when I've gone out thinking of attacking from ball one, that wherever the ball is I'm going to hit a six. That kind of thought process. But I'm glad that doesn't happen today. You think differently in various stages in life and you react accordingly.
Q. What is the single biggest lesson cricket has taught you, that would save a lot of younger guys a lot of trouble if they knew?
A. I think to respect the game and to respect fellow cricketers. I was made to realise that very early on. In the early years of cricket, you have done every possible thing under the sun to achieve your target. All of a sudden you have the India cap and India T-shirt and you start thinking, oh I'm somebody special. I remember just after I started to play for India, a close friend conveyed a message through another person: "Just tell him that I've noticed that he is probably starting to think differently. The sooner he realises that, the better it is." And I sat back and I realised that, yes it was true.and that really helped me. I normally tell the youngsters who just got in the team that it's good that you are here but learn to respect the cricketers who played with you before. That would help you to stay on the ground more than anything else.
Q. More than the runs or records, the consistency of your performance stands out in your career-what's the secret?
A. I don't know how to answer this. I wish I knew the answer, I've just gone out and played with a lot of passion and I spent a lot of time preparing myself, not only physically but mentally. I spent time preparing. There have been ups and downs but when there are disappointments, I would much rather convert that negative energy into positive energy, in training harder or spending more time at the nets. The setbacks have motivated me. My thinking is simple, I want to convert those disappointments into positive energy and use it to get even more determined. That's what I've done, nothing else.
Q. They say as athletes get older their body starts to break down, give them trouble but their mind gets sharper about their game, they find out new things. What are the kind of things you have learnt?
A. You discover a lot of new things and I've been able to do that. If earlier obviously there were just a couple of ways to deal with a particular bowler, then today there would be four ways. You just know how to use what and when. It's about not accepting every little challenge thrown at you and going after that. Sometimes you hold back and when it's needed you go for it. You just calculate better and it comes with age and experience.
Q. How much was opening the batting in one-day cricket a big factor in your success?
A. Yes, it was an important phase. I remember in 1994, when Sidhu was not fit for an ODI game in New Zealand, I walked up to Azhar and Ajit Wadekar and told them 'give me one chance. I know I can hit the fast bowlers and if I fail, I will not come and ask you again.' They agreed and I scored 82 runs of 48 balls. From there on things started looking different for me.
Q. How?
A. Because I was consistently facing the new ball and playing the first spells. Also had to play shots, there was that freedom too. And while doing that, I thought I developed a few shots batting up the order, like the punch off the backfoot and the shortarm pull. I used to play those but opening the batting, there was more opportunity to do that so I did and I started using that in Test cricket more than what I would earlier. The switch worked for me. To go out there and face the first spell and look to play shots… It was good for my game because I was always thinking positively.
Q. You say that you express yourself when you're batting, but you're not really an aggressive person?
A. I've always been competitive. It's extremely important for a sportsman to be highly competitive, one should not be able to take defeat just like that… I don't believe in that 'just another game'. When I'm out competing, I want to go all the way to the end. I compete hard but compete hard in the right spirit.
Q. Do you think you changed the way Indians bat?
A. I don't know about that and I honestly didn't think much about the other players; whenever I was made to take up the challenge, I felt that I could easily go and play a particular shot against a bowler- what's the big deal. I would do it. I backed my natural instincts and I just went ahead and played my game. It wasn't like I was out there to prove something to someone. I was there to take the opposition on and put my team in a comfortable position.
Q. Do you think about your place in history?
A. I don't honestly… I haven't thought about that at all… I've not thought about it...
Q. You've said elsewhere that batting to you was finding comfort.
A. I've always believed in that. In changing my stance for example, I've always thought more about my comfort level rather than what looks good. Even if technically something people said: "You shouldn't be doing this", but if I'm comfortable and can adjust, then I would go ahead and do it. My stance depends on the wicket, it has lot to do with feel. It has nothing to do with the way I've been taught, or how I've practiced. It changes in between innings also. One over I would be batting with a different stance the next over if I feel if another particular stance would suit me better, I would change.
Q. A lot of other players say that you can get into the perfect state of mind when you are batting at will, into the zone...
A. I wish I could but I'm glad I give that impression to the opposition! But it doesn't come so easily-I would have definitely liked to be in that zone more often than not... But on various occasions I've been able to do that. It's just a level of concentration where you forget about everything else… it happened to me in the Chennai Test match against England. I didn't know we had won the game. When the opposition came towards me to shake hands, that's when I realised that yes, we've won the match because I was not looking at the scoreboard. That's when I realised I was in that zone...
Q. That was quite an emotional innings for you, given what had happened in Mumbai on November 26. Can you talk us through that?
A. We obviously wanted to win because a cricket match is virtually non-existent to what had happened. It wouldn't be right to compare the two things. At the end of the match, I saw that the groundsmen were jumping and the lady who sweeps the wicket came and shook hands. I've never experienced that before and I thought maybe that has to be because of what had happened. I felt strongly about it and I felt that for those people who lost their loved ones and dear ones… if we were able to divert their minds somewhere else even for a fraction of a second then, that would be our achievement.
Q. Did you try to understand why you had been able to enter that mental state for that game?
A. It just happened. The concentration level was very high. There's no particular formula to that. Actually, when you start making the effort then your mind is conscious about that particular thing and it doesn't happen. But in Chennai, the concentration level was such that it just happened.
Q. Have there ever been times in your career when you've thought, this is too tough, I cannot cope, I can't do this?
A. There have been tough times but at no stage I felt that I can't do it, the only stage I've felt that I don't belong here probably was after my first Test. There have been situations where there was no hope but you still go out and do what you can, you still try. If the spirit of competitiveness is not there, you are going to struggle. I feel that the competitive spirit has played a huge role in making me what I am. There have been tough situations but you still go out and you want to do something which may not have an impact on that game but it may have an impact on the series. You look at the bigger picture. If you do that, then you start approaching tough times differently.
Q. Have you ever doubted yourself, known fear or insecurity?
A. Whenever I'm injured… those phases were quite difficult. All the injuries I had were related to my batting style or batting grip… Whether it was tennis elbow or a finger injury, or bicep and shoulder, all of that is needed for you to have the right batswing and things like that. Even during recovery time I worked very hard. I had to be patient and take things as they came. That was tough.
Q. What is the toughest thing you've done on a cricket field? That you're most proud of?
A. Well, I'm proud that on my first tour to Pakistan I continued batting after being hit on the nose by Waqar. When I came back, I realised that I'd broken my nose and we managed to save that Test match. We were 34 for 4 with almost a-day-and-a-half to go. Before that we'd drawn three test matches and this was the last Test and Pakistan was in a good position. I think that has to be it.
Q. A lot has changed in Indian cricket since you made your debut. What about Indian cricket has not changed in all these years which disappoints you?
A. Most things have changed now, and I don't think that at this stage I have any complaints. Right now if I have to say then maybe the only thing which needs to be looked into is providing facilities to players who are in rural areas to spread the game as much as possible and provide equal opportunity to everyone playing it.
Q. Twenty20 has caught everyone's fancy. Do you worry that kids won't want to learn basic skills because those are not going to be used in T20…
A. Well I'd say probably even Test cricket is changing. It's just progression; the game has changed and that's fine, I feel it's fine as long as Test cricket doesn't get neglected. The innovations are going to be there. Now in one-day cricket people play over the keeper's head and and play reverse sweep to fast bowlers. It makes the game exciting, it's fast. For Test cricket you get a different crowd. For T20 there are so many who come because it is exciting. They don't understand the game, but the atmosphere is such that they want to be part of it and it is fantastic for the game.
Q. Take your son-is he going to take to Tests when there's the glamour of T20 around?
A. Arjun actually likes both, he wants to wear whites and hit sixes. So it's a combination of both. I keep telling him that when you wear coloured clothing you can hit the ball up into the air and when you wear whites you have to keep the ball on the ground. I basically want him to enjoy the game more than anything else-if he enjoys the game then he is willing to go to any extents to achieving his target.
Q. Do you think coaches of the future will really want to teach Test skills to kids who are going to come to the game in the next 10 years?
A. I think it's extremely important for coaches to be teaching kids the right techniques, the right fundamentals. There are different kind of skills - to leave a ball outside the off-stump and to know where your off stump is, is an art. As long as we respect formats and just keep our thoughts and expectations for that particular format, we should be okay. Its good to be multi-dimensional, you earn money out of it and you live your passion.
Sachin: A player who is the game itself By Qaiser Mohammad Ali
New Delhi, November 13, 2009
If you quiz the youngest, the oldest, the staunchest or even the latest cricket convert with the following statistics, chances are that they will take no time in guessing who they belong to: 29,951 runs in 595 Tests and ODIs, 87 centuries, 144 half-centuries, and 198 international wickets.
Simple. These figures belong to Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the most decorated cricketer the world has ever seen and one who has ruled the hearts, minds and bodies - remember the familiar flag-waving fan who paints his body in Indian flag colours with 'Tendulkar 10' emblazoned on his torso and who is present at all matches - of his millions of fans. That man is Muzaffarpur-based Sudhir Kumar, who sends him 1,000 litchis every year in gratitude for receiving match passes from the maestro.
Tendulkar, now into his 37th year, has achieved the mind blowing figures mentioned above through not just hard work, but also by keeping his focus firmly on his profession and feet firmly on the ground. He has gone about achieving his stated and undisclosed goals with perhaps the same zeal that he showed at Sharadashram Vidyamandir School in Mumbai. And he has now set his sights on perhaps his one last big wish:
holding the 50-over World Cup. He came close to achieving that in 2003 in South Africa - he tallied 673 runs to win the Player of the Tournament award - but India fell at the last hurdle. As the maestro from Mumbai completes 20 years in international cricket on Sunday - it was November 15, 1989, when he made his Test debut against Pakistan in Karachi -- he looks set to smash many more records in the upcoming months and years.
He has stated his desire to be part of a World Cup-winning team. And, luckily or not for him and the Indian team, the 2011 World Cup will be held in South Asia with the final slated in his home city. It is an advantage to play on familiar pitches and home conditions, but when you factor the fan pressure, it is perhaps not always desirable to attempt to win the most sought after title in front of highly optimistic and sentimental fans.
Timely break
Son of a professor and an extremely cultured mother, Tendulkar pursued cricket excellence from the very beginning with elder brother Ajit playing mentor. Tendulkar was also very fortunate that people who mattered in Indian cricket spotted him and appreciated his talent while others gave him the break at the right time. That's how he was able to make his Test debut as a 16-year-old prodigy. While announcing that squad, selection committee chairman Raj Singh Dungarpur had famously said that it was the "team of the 1990s". What even Raj Singh perhaps did not foresee was that Tendulkar would go on to play for an additional 10 years and more. In less than a year after his first-class debut - during which Tendulkar played just eight first-class matches and scored only two centuries - he was on the flight to Pakistan.
Although Tendulkar scored only 15 off 24 balls in his maiden Test innings in Karachi, his talent was abundantly clear in those 28 minutes that he spent at the crease at the National Stadium.
During his long journey, he has broken many records, won innumerable awards - he is the only cricketer to have won the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest Indian civil award - penned millions of signatures and spent more hours on the field than at home.
And now, Tendulkar is set to do what no other cricketer has ever done: give his blood and select bats for the most expensive cricket book ever published. The Tendulkar Opus will also contain his photographs with a tiger to be shot during a special session at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Tendulkar has also been affected by injuries, which are part and parcel of a sportsperson's career. In a long career that began with an unbeaten 100 for Mumbai against Gujarat at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on December 10, 1988, his toe, elbow, head, shoulder have all borne the brunt of the grind.
Heart of gold
Tendulkar has won as many hearts with his attitude, conduct, mannerisms and his down-to-earth demeanour as with his batting style. He has never been heard raising his voice; at least, it has not been recorded in print or on video. When he gets overly pestered by fans or the media, he only smiles.
His innovative fans approach Tendulkar in a variety of ways. The most amusing sight of his admirers reaching out for his autograph was witnessed by this reporter during a Lahore- Karachi flight on India's 2004 tour of Pakistan.
The fans - they were actually doctors - unashamedly but patiently queued up outside the toilet for him to come out. The moment Tendulkar emerged, they thrust their autograph books in his face. Although he was taken aback for a moment, he obliged them all.
Even when his excited fans exceed all limits, Tendulkar never loses his calm. On the Indian team's tour of Pakistan in 2006, a young couple at the Lahore airport wanted Tendulkar to hold their newborn baby so that they could click a photo with him. He politely declined to lift the baby, but agreed to pose with them. That is the cultured and principled Sachin Tendulkar for you.
(Source: India Today)
If you quiz the youngest, the oldest, the staunchest or even the latest cricket convert with the following statistics, chances are that they will take no time in guessing who they belong to: 29,951 runs in 595 Tests and ODIs, 87 centuries, 144 half-centuries, and 198 international wickets.
Simple. These figures belong to Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the most decorated cricketer the world has ever seen and one who has ruled the hearts, minds and bodies - remember the familiar flag-waving fan who paints his body in Indian flag colours with 'Tendulkar 10' emblazoned on his torso and who is present at all matches - of his millions of fans. That man is Muzaffarpur-based Sudhir Kumar, who sends him 1,000 litchis every year in gratitude for receiving match passes from the maestro.
Tendulkar, now into his 37th year, has achieved the mind blowing figures mentioned above through not just hard work, but also by keeping his focus firmly on his profession and feet firmly on the ground. He has gone about achieving his stated and undisclosed goals with perhaps the same zeal that he showed at Sharadashram Vidyamandir School in Mumbai. And he has now set his sights on perhaps his one last big wish:
holding the 50-over World Cup. He came close to achieving that in 2003 in South Africa - he tallied 673 runs to win the Player of the Tournament award - but India fell at the last hurdle. As the maestro from Mumbai completes 20 years in international cricket on Sunday - it was November 15, 1989, when he made his Test debut against Pakistan in Karachi -- he looks set to smash many more records in the upcoming months and years.
He has stated his desire to be part of a World Cup-winning team. And, luckily or not for him and the Indian team, the 2011 World Cup will be held in South Asia with the final slated in his home city. It is an advantage to play on familiar pitches and home conditions, but when you factor the fan pressure, it is perhaps not always desirable to attempt to win the most sought after title in front of highly optimistic and sentimental fans.
Timely break
Son of a professor and an extremely cultured mother, Tendulkar pursued cricket excellence from the very beginning with elder brother Ajit playing mentor. Tendulkar was also very fortunate that people who mattered in Indian cricket spotted him and appreciated his talent while others gave him the break at the right time. That's how he was able to make his Test debut as a 16-year-old prodigy. While announcing that squad, selection committee chairman Raj Singh Dungarpur had famously said that it was the "team of the 1990s". What even Raj Singh perhaps did not foresee was that Tendulkar would go on to play for an additional 10 years and more. In less than a year after his first-class debut - during which Tendulkar played just eight first-class matches and scored only two centuries - he was on the flight to Pakistan.
Although Tendulkar scored only 15 off 24 balls in his maiden Test innings in Karachi, his talent was abundantly clear in those 28 minutes that he spent at the crease at the National Stadium.
During his long journey, he has broken many records, won innumerable awards - he is the only cricketer to have won the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest Indian civil award - penned millions of signatures and spent more hours on the field than at home.
And now, Tendulkar is set to do what no other cricketer has ever done: give his blood and select bats for the most expensive cricket book ever published. The Tendulkar Opus will also contain his photographs with a tiger to be shot during a special session at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Tendulkar has also been affected by injuries, which are part and parcel of a sportsperson's career. In a long career that began with an unbeaten 100 for Mumbai against Gujarat at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on December 10, 1988, his toe, elbow, head, shoulder have all borne the brunt of the grind.
Heart of gold
Tendulkar has won as many hearts with his attitude, conduct, mannerisms and his down-to-earth demeanour as with his batting style. He has never been heard raising his voice; at least, it has not been recorded in print or on video. When he gets overly pestered by fans or the media, he only smiles.
His innovative fans approach Tendulkar in a variety of ways. The most amusing sight of his admirers reaching out for his autograph was witnessed by this reporter during a Lahore- Karachi flight on India's 2004 tour of Pakistan.
The fans - they were actually doctors - unashamedly but patiently queued up outside the toilet for him to come out. The moment Tendulkar emerged, they thrust their autograph books in his face. Although he was taken aback for a moment, he obliged them all.
Even when his excited fans exceed all limits, Tendulkar never loses his calm. On the Indian team's tour of Pakistan in 2006, a young couple at the Lahore airport wanted Tendulkar to hold their newborn baby so that they could click a photo with him. He politely declined to lift the baby, but agreed to pose with them. That is the cultured and principled Sachin Tendulkar for you.
(Source: India Today)
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