Essay
Candid about captaincy, helpless when injured, firm with a ‘no’....This is a smattering of Sachinspeak as the years ran by.

Sachin Tendulkar is not known to play to the gallery when it comes to dealing with the media. He may be the most sought-after cricketing personality for an interview, but he’s really not a headliner’s delight. It’s said that most of the time he adopts a straight and narrow approach, and unlike his batting, chooses to play safe. However, during my professional interactions with him over two decades, Tendulkar has surprised me with some of his responses—a few were angry, others showed he was only human. The rest, to every journalist’s pure joy, grabbed eyeballs. Some snatches of those conversations:

No protection

Before he made his debut for Mumbai in 1988-89, the Mumbai team played a series of matches amongst themselves. In one of those games, Tendulkar faced the pacy Raju Kulkarni on a damp track without a helmet. “Raju must have thought I was being smart by facing him without a helmet, but in fact I had no helmet,” Sachin admitted in a chat about his early days in Mumbai cricket.

“Ask the Board”

In the third and final Test against the West Indies at Mohali, India were bowled out for 114; Tendulkar played a poor shot and was caught by Keith Arthurton off Kenny Benjamin for 10. When I asked him about his dismissal in Mohali, he admitted his fault. “Yes, it was bad on my part. But I must say that being caught in a tight position boosted my confidence to play my shot,” he said, thus revealing his approach to batting.

However, he seemed annoyed with my next question: “Do you think you and Azhar deserved to be punished for not playing in the interests of the game?” “No comment. Whoever is interested to know can ask the cricket board,” Tendulkar shot back.

Ready to lead

Mohammed Azharuddin gave enough indication to the pundits that he was to be replaced as captain after the series loss in England in 1996.

 
 
The tennis elbow was frustrating for Sachin. “I went for drives alone at 3 am. ‘Just let me play,’ I told god,” he said.
 
 
Azhar did not return with the team; he flew to New York for an operation. Tendulkar, the vice-captain, did not address the media at the airport. I traced him at a car park, all set to drive home himself (despite a long flight in the early hours of the morning). The crowd did not allow us to have a conversation, so he asked me to sit in his car. We chatted as he drove to his Bandra East residence.

After a few ‘looseners’, I popped in the question: “Are you ready for the captaincy?” I expected a straight bat of an answer, but here’s what he said: “I am prepared for the captaincy because I have led Mumbai for two-and-a-half years and also the West Zone. Whenever the country needs me, I am there. I am quite okay with that.” The following month, in August, he got the captaincy.


Sachin, Laxman, other Indian and English cricketers observe a minute’s silence in memory of 26/11 victims in Chennai. (INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/ AFP)

Why should I quit?

Tendulkar’s troubles as skipper were well-documented through the Indian team’s results. On the eve of the team’s departure to Canada for the 1997 Sahara Cup, I got him on the phone for an interview. One of the questions was: “Are you willing to step down in case of  failure?” Answer: “Why should I? They have made me captain.” Another question: “Do you take the blame for this slump in Indian cricket?” A: “Not at all. I’ve tried my best.” As it turned out, India went on to win the one-day series against Pakistan in Toronto and the triumph made it to his list of career highs.

All on Board? Not quite

In November 1997, Tendulkar was leading Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy against Gujarat at Valsad. On the eve of an important bcci meeting, I decided to ask the India captain what cricketing decisions he expected from his bosses. Again, I expected him to toe a diplomatic, if not a ‘no comments’ line. But he said he wanted the board to appoint a foreigner as consultant and that did not mean sacking then coach, Madan Lal. He must be retained, Sachin said, for he has done a good job. Madan Lal didn’t keep his job, although the board later appointed Australian Bob Simpson as consultant.

Helping hands by the ton

During his tennis elbow injury, even his fans wanted to play a part in his recovery. In 2004, Tendulkar revealed that his well-wishers sent elbow braces, medication and ointment that were all piled up in his home. Some even offered to treat and massage him. “My family and I would like to thank them all. It has been really touching,” said Tendulkar.

Those lonely drives

The tennis elbow challenged him thoroughly. Reflecting on the ups and downs of his career when he completed 20 years in international cricket, Tendulkar recalled: “Even after surgery, I couldn’t play. I tried everything. I started to get impatient. It was tough to accept and I started getting frustrated. I went for drives alone at 3 am. I prayed to God to let me get back to playing; because I cannot stop playing cricket. ‘Just let me play,’ I pleaded everyday, every minute.”

Rhythm divine

That Tendulkar loves his music is no secret. From Dire Straits to U2, he loves them all. He sometimes listens to the same track for days on end. While talking about his passion for music in 2009, he revealed that he listened to Lucky Ali’s Jaane Kya Dhoondta Hai throughout the 2003 World Cup. And when he didn’t have his headphones on, Jaane Kya Dhoondta Hai was on his lips.


Sachin’s love for music is well-known. Here, he’s trying his hand at a video game. (Photograph by AMAN SHARMA/ AP)

Wonderful that night!

A few years ago, Tendulkar went to a Mark Knopfler concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He sat in Knopfler’s box, which he considered the “best view”. The thrill didn’t end there. After the show, he spent some quality time with the legendary guitarist. “Catching up with Mark backstage after the show capped a wonderful night,” Tendulkar said in a 2009 interview. A Knopfler guitar is now one of Tendulkar’s most valuable possessions.

Unbent Under Pain

Everyone remembers Sachin’s match-winning knock of 98 in 2003, which helped India beat Pakistan for the fourth consecutive time in the World Cup. But it is worth noting that he played that entire tournament in South Africa with a bent and painful finger. While talking about his 20 greatest moments in 2009, the year he completed 20 years of international cricket, he revealed: “I was playing with a finger injury and the finger wouldn’t straighten. I avoided fielding practice through the tournament because I was experiencing a lot of pain while catching. I gave fielding practice (to the team), though.”

 
 
We all recall Sachin’s 98 versus Pakistan at the ‘03 World Cup. Few know he played the WC with a bent, painful finger.
 
 
A lesson learnt

During his epic 103 against England at Chennai in 2008 (the one he dedicated to the victims of the Mumbai terror attack), he let a past failing enter his mind, but for a positive effect. At the same ground, nine years earlier, Tendulkar holed out to Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram off Saqlain Mushtaq for 136. India were very much in control of the Test, but the rest of the batsmen succumbed to the probing Pakistan attack and caved in 12 runs short of the target. Chasing 271 for victory, Tendulkar fell at 254 for six.

He was determined not to give England a whiff of a victory and played chanceless, tight cricket. However, at the other end, Yuvraj Singh played a shot which landed between short mid-wicket and long on. Tendulkar revealed from his hotel room on the night of the win: “I went down and told Yuvraj that it’s still not over; don’t think it’s over and I have experienced it (a close loss). He was confident, but some small thing can cause a soft dismissal and it only needs a wicket-taking ball to a new batsman to cause further damage.” There was no damage; India won by six wickets.

When’s Ton No. 35 coming, Sir?

Tendulkar doesn’t seem to like the build-up to a particular record. Before his 35th Test hundred (vs Sri Lanka in Delhi, 2005) which got him past Sunil Gavaskar’s world record 34-century tally, he was being asked by all as to when he thought that landmark would come. He revealed that even the room service and housekeeping people at hotels asked him about his 35th. “I was glad and relieved when it happened because I could then start enjoying the game again,” he said.

No bat chucker

What does Tendulkar do when he is cross with himself or with the umpire who may have given him out unjustifiably? “I never throw my bat; never—however disappointed I get. It (the bat) is something I respect.” No reason why we shouldn’t believe him.

Pak jayega!

There was a certain degree of suspense when it came to India’s tour to Pakistan in 2004. There were security concerns, but finally the Indians agreed to the tour. When I visited Tendulkar’s residence to do a pre-tour interview on a wintry day in February ’04, he surprised me by saying that a challenging part of the tour had nothing to do with bat and ball. “When we come back in the evening (after the day’s play), we will not be able to do things like going to restaurants, taking walks or feeling free to do anything we want. We will be confined to our hotel rooms and that is going to be difficult. It will be a different experience because we haven’t done that before,” he said. Now, that made some news!

“Some things are confidential”

The wounds of India’s 0-3 Test defeat to Steve Waugh’s world champs Down Under in 1999-2000 were still fresh when the one-day triangular series was ready to kick off in Brisbane. Captain Tendulkar agreed to be interviewed as his teammates trained at the Gabba. The conversation veered towards the omission of Mohammed Azharuddin, who was not in the tour party. “I don’t want to talk about it,” said Tendulkar, stressing the confidential aspect about the exclusion. He continued, “Some things are confidential between the board and players. I know there have been a few statements back home, but from our side, I would like to stick to what is meant to be. There are a few things which cannot be discussed in public.”


The writer is Mid Day Infomedia Ltd’s group sports editor

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