'Cricket lives in my heart':Sachin Tendulkar

Two decades of incandescent career — almost 30,000 runs and 87 centuries — and yet his feet never leave terra firma, that’s the greatness of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Just like cricket, humility flows in his blood. “My family made sure my feet was planted on the ground. I enjoy success, who doesn’t but I don’t get carried away. There is an unwritten rule at home — let others talk about the last game and you (Sachin) focus on the next. I must say, without my elder brother Ajit and other members of the family I wouldn’t have reached this far.”From a curly-haired 16-year old who took on the might of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis in his debut Test series, to the man who recently tore into the Aussie attack with a superlative 175 at Hyderabad, one thing has remained a constant — his batting genius. One wondered what has gone into the making of it.

“Batting for hours and hours under the ever-so-watchful eyes of my coach Ramakant Achrekar has gone into making of what I am today. Those three to four years with Achrekar sir were the most crucial period of my life. He used to make us play matches almost everyday and that helped me to build my match temperament. I must thank my sir who taught me how to read a match situation and bat accordingly,” Sachin demystified himself.A few more constants are his child-like enthusiasm and passion for the game. Or else how does one explain his greed for growth as a batsman even after scoring 12,773 runs in 159 Tests and 17,178 runs in 436 ODIs. “Cricket is in my heart. I continue to enjoy cricket; perhaps, the 16-year-old is still hidden inside.”The glimpse of that teenager, lurking in him, is evident again when he recalled his debut series against Pakistan in Nov-Dec 1989.

“The day I wore my India cap, I was on cloud nine. The dream was to play for India and I was fortunate that I was living that dream. The first day when I was walking into the ground (National Stadium, Karachi) as part of the playing XI was the greatest moment of my career.”The 16-year-old Sachin was grappling with his fears after scoring a disappointing 15 in his first Test. He was not sure if he’d get another chance to play for India. The seniors had felt he should spend some time at the middle before going for his shots. He did just that. A half-century (59) in the second Test at Faisalabad transformed a skeptical teenager into a confident young man knocking at the door of international cricket.“That knock of 58 or 59 gave me a lot of self belief. It made me feel that I belong here and I can hold on to myself against these cricketers. It was the turning point of my life.”

Another incident that showed the world this lad had nerves of steel was when he got struck on the n ose by Waqar Younis’s bouncer.“I clearly remember that incident. India were struggling at 39 for four (actually 38 for four) and a day and a half was still left when I was hit on the nose. Since I was earlier hit on the nose during school cricket I knew the extent to which a season ball (leather ball) could hurt. The earlier experience had got rid of the fear. So, when Waqar’s delivery hit me, it made me more competitive and determined to continue,” he reminisced. Sachin had gone on to bat for over three hours in that fourth innings of Sialkot Test and scored a fighting 57 to help India save the match.

The four-game Test series had ended in a draw but a few important lessons were picked up along the way. “In school cricket I could hit every ball but not here. After going to Pakistan, Australia, England and South Africa in the first few series, I learnt to be more selective and to build innings. I learnt to respect bowlers. I realized that to respect bowlers, especially when they were bowling well, is a wise thing,” a faint smile crossed his lips.Another cracking contest against Pakistan is very dear to the batting maestro. “The knock against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup was  truly special. There were a lot of expectations and pressure and the knock helped the team win the game. It was the biggest match of my life.”

What goes through his mind when he’s ‘in-the-zone’? “When you are in that state of mind, your body is completely relaxed and mind is very calm. The entire stadium becomes a blur and all you see is the ball. The innings (103 not out) I played against England at Chennai in 2008 was one such in-the-zone experience.” Team India had gone on to win the Test by six wickets.And then there have been a few heartbreaks when Sachin’s magnificent knocks were involved in a losing cause. “There have been many occasions when it has hurt badly as my knock couldn’t win the game for India. On occasions I have even wept. The 136 against Pakistan (Chennai Test, Jan ’99) and the recent 175 against Australia in the Hyderabad ODI  were the two knocks that had hurt a lot. I had done well but the team hadn’t. In such a situation, the special effort loses its significance. The team at the dressing room is downcast and so are you and you don’t feel like celebrating or sharing your wonderful moment.”However, there is one person with whom Sachin shares his cricket a lot — his brother, Ajit. “I discuss a lot of cricket and he knows my batting possibly better than any other person in the world. He understands my mindset as well. After all it was he who noticed that I had something special in me as a kid and took me to Achrekar sir for coaching. So, I talk a lot with him about my batting.

Then there are others with whom I discuss cricket. Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri travel with us whenever we're out there playing, it's good to have them there to share an opinion or get their views on how we are playing as a team and an individual. That has helped over the years,” he said.For the degree of difficulty and challenges it offers, Test cricket continues to figure on top of Sachin’s list of priority. And just like his signature straight drive, he chose to talk straight. “We should play more Test cricket for sure. It is obviously not great news that we are only playing five Tests this season. Ideally for any team to progress you need to play more Test cricket as that is where the real cricket is according to me. Test cricket is cricket of the highest level and since it is played across five days at the end of each day it allows you to regroup, re-think, come up with fresh ideas and plan for the next day,” he said.

Australia is one opposition that has always brought out the best in Sachin. On most occasions, he has won his battles against them and yet he has always accorded the highest regard for the Aussies. “There’s something about them. A crisis always brings out the best in the players and that’s why they are such a champion side.” In his black T-shirt and a pair of denims, Sachin looked fitter than ever and the passion and patience he showed in negotiating a select group of journalists was exemplary — a session that was scheduled for three hours almost lasted six. Even after two decades of illustrious career, he clearly didn’t have to do it but he wore his smile and sincerity till the last question. And that’s what makes Sachin so special.