“I was ready to face all challenges” – Sachin Tendulkar recalls his first tour to Australia

Sachin Tendulkar

Any Test match between India and Australia is viewed as a key encounter in cricketing folklore and it is no surprise that the ongoing tour is getting all the attention of the cricketing world. For India, the first Test turned out to be nothing less than a horror show especially the second innings where they were skittled out for a paltry score of 36 – their lowest ever in a Test innings.
The Indian team are in desperate need for some source of inspiration to come back in the tour and they can take a lot of wisdom from cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar and how he came up against and dealt with a fiery Australian attack. While the tour, in 1991-92 was a forgettable one for India, Tendulkar came into his own and score two centuries to make heads turn before going on in the future to become the ‘God of Cricket’.
‘The tour changed me as a player’ – Sachin Tendulkar

On a video posted on his YouTube channel, Sachin Tendulkar recalled his first tour to Australia in 1991-92 and said, “They were top-class bowlers and I had grown up watching them. From being a ball boy in 1987-88, suddenly in 1991-92, I was playing against them. I knew that once I was out there competing, no one was going to look at my age. They were going to do all possible things to get me out, to send me back to the dressing room. And I was ready to face those challenges. That particular tour changed me as a player. It taught me a lot. Not just technically, but mentally how to approach a big game.”
“People talk about steep bounce and pace. Steep bounce and pace mean that the good length area for the bowler becomes small. It becomes that much tougher for the bowler to find that ideal spot. So if the batter goes out to bat with a positive approach looking to score runs and just keep blocking, there are many scoring opportunities,” the maestro said.
“I looked at it that way. Early on it was about getting on top of the ball, but as time went by, my thinking evolved. I thought why do you always have to get on tip off the ball. When there is no third man, you can get under the ball and use their pace. If they falter on the shorter side, I would go over slips, or gully, and even if I don’t get it right because of the pace and bounce, it was going to carry,” he added.
If the Indian batters can take some wisdom from Sachin Tendulkar’s experiences and show the sort of grit and determination the legend was known for, they could as well make a comeback in the series.
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Nevin Clinton
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