Sachin in 2003 WC.
Superbly edited video 8-) :notworthy:
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Sachin in 2003 WC.
Superbly edited video 8-) :notworthy:
http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatim...ow/3613689.cms
'Sachin was quite a prankster'
19 Oct 2008, 0047 hrs IST, Jaideep Marar, TNN
MUMBAI: For most of them, Sachin Tendulkar remains the boy-next-door. Only that they lead different lives. They are members of Sachin Tendulkar's
first playing eleven who got together every evening in the serene settings of Sahitya Sahwas — also known as the abode of Maharashtra's famous literatures — to put bat to ball much before he became a cult figure. The boys, who obviously are among his biggest admirers, remember him as much for his cricketing feats as they do for his childhood antics. "He loved to pick up a fight," says Sunil Harshe, Sachin's senior in school.
"Every time I introduced him to somebody in school, his first reaction was, will I be able to beat him? Invariably, if one entered the class during the recess, he would be fighting."
He also had a weakness for spinning yarns, remembers another friend Satyajit Anekar. "Once when he had cut his finger he said it was because he tried to touch a helicopter that had flown over his terrace, which had emerged between two adjacent buildings. And he went on to tell us how he had bled buckets!"
Harshe says he was equally good at tennis and was a big fan of John McEnroe. "We started off playing without racquets. I still remember how happy we were when we brought our first racquets. In fact, there was a time when I believed he would turn out to be a good tennis player. But look what he has turned out to be," muses Harshe, who incidentally was the first captain Sachin played under during the inter-colony soft-ball matches. Academics was never his cup of tea. He loved the outdoors so much his maid Laxmibai had to run around to feed him. But Little Sachin never forgot to share his meals with the colony watchman's son, Ramesh Pardhe, who was a regular companion.
Pardhe distinctly remembers Sachins cricketing acumen. "We used to often play on the terrace. One day I saw him carry a bucket of water to the terrace. He asked me to dip the rubber ball in water and then hurl the ball at him. He would then see the marks the wet ball made on the bat and know whether he had middled the ball correctly.."
Another fascination for Sachin were band-aids. Any semblance of a wound would make him rush for the band-aid strip, says Pardhe. He was an expert at sticking it with one hand.
The cricketing turnaround happened soon. Everything started to change once he joined Shardashram High School. Once he began representing Shardashram he had this immense self-belief that he could make it in cricket, says Anekar.
Much has changed since, but Sachhu continues to be the same for the entire neighbourhood, even though he no longer lives there.
http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite...3?OpenDocument
Laxman overshadowed in-form Tendulkar in Sydney Test: Symonds
Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Nov 11 (PTI) It's not always that players admire their opponents on field but Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds has disclosed how he was unusually enamoured by the rare sight of VVS Laxman overshadowing an in-form Sachin Tendulkar during the Sydney Test.
Apart from the many unpleasant stories related to the spiteful Sydney match, Symonds also had a pleasant observation about Indians which he narrated in his newly published autobiography 'Roy on the rise - A year of living dangerously'.
"So much for the diamond days, but even the stony days had a bit to recommend them during the Sydney Test," he said.
"It's rare to see Sachin Tendulkar in from yet being overshadowed by another batsman, but VVS in my book did exactly that during his first innings knock of 109," Symonds said.
He was, however, quick to add that the two batsmen were at par but it was just a matter of one's perspective.
"In saying that, it was like holding a Rolex watch and a Patek Phillipe watch and saying which one looks best? Depending upon your taste, you'll opt for one while acknowledging the other is pretty sharp as well," he said.
Symonds said he felt privileged to watch Laxman, who has been a nemesis for Australian bowlers, and Tendulkar, when duo's shots were just "flowing". PTI
Sachin does it again!
Sachin has set another record - has scored most centuries in both the versions of cricket. The celebrated Sir Richard Hadlee says Sachin stands apart from most in the business. Technically, he is better than every player and is extraordinary..
THE 35-YEAR-old Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has surpassed all the cricketers in the world, past and present, by scoring most centuries in Test cricket. With his 40th Test century in the fourth and final Test against Australia at Nagpur, Sachin eclipsed all records concerning Test centuries. He completed 12,000 runs in Test cricket at the Mohali test against Australia. Tendulkar has scored the most centuries in the ODI version too. He is the leading run-getter in both the forms of the game.
While breaking Sunil Gavaskar’s record for most Test centuries in India, the master blaster scored his 17th Test hundred in India and the 40th overall in the fourth and final Test against Australia at Nagpur. Tendulkar is the second batsman to record 10 Test hundreds against Australia. England’s Jack Hobbs made 12. Sachin also crossed Allan Border’ tally of 90 fifty-plus (27 centuries and 63 fifties). He now has 91 fifty-plus innings (40 centuries + 51 fifties).
Sir Richard Hadlee, while praising Tendulkar, said that the Indian maestro stood apart from most in the business and added that his statistics were a reflection of his stature as a player.
Other Articles by Navneet
’’The greatness of a player depends on how he adapts to situations, conditions and wickets. In modern-day cricket, Sachin’s statistics speak volumes about him,’’ Hadlee said. ’’Technically, he is better than every player and yes, you need to be an extraordinary to be a Sachin,’’ he added.
’’With the kind of record that Sir Don Bradman has, he was arguably the best batsman in the game. But Sachin definitely is a magnificent player who has served not only India but world cricket as well,’’ Hadlee said. The 57-year-old Hadlee recalled that the first time he saw Tendulkar, he was very impressed with the young boy who had just arrived in international cricket. He said Tendulkar scored 70-80 runs against New Zealand in that innings and that was enough to indicate what kind of player he would become in future. ’’I myself have played against him and he was a young boy of 17 years. He got 80 odd runs and I was sure that he would become a great player one day,’’ he recalled.
http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=147942
http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.a...20678390805157
GOD'S AMAZING RECORD WHEN PUNTER IS TEST CAPTAIN
Have yoy noticed friends that sachin tendulkar has amazing record vs ricky ponting's team in test cricket
in 9 test matches ponting has captained vs sachin
* sachin has a 50 or 100 in in every game barring the one at bengalure this year where he made 49 in second innings
* in 9 of those tessts sachin has 946 runs at average of almost 64 with 3 100's and 5 50's with 2 very important second innings 40's in delhi,bengaluru in this year
no-wonder ponting rates sachin so highly and also will continue to do so
also other thing is that in both last 2 series vs india ..ricky came as trhe reputation as the best batsman of the world ..................sachin has outscored him by a huge distance in both series
Sachin Tendulkar - 40th Test Ton - 10th Ton Against Australia - Nagpur - Nov 2008.
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http://i38.tinypic.com/28wjjav.jpg
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Maams, :clap: But please put the caption as
Sachin Tendilkar - 40th Test Ton - 10th Ton Against Australia - Nagpur - Nov 2008.
P.S: hereafter we would upload a pic per 50 or zenjuree :mrgreen:
http://www.ameinfo.com/175560.html
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) in the UAE is proud to announce that Sachin Tendulkar has become a RBS Global Ambassador. This marks RBS's first major sponsorship in the Middle East which is identified as a key market for Sachin's representation.
The record breaking batsman joins an elite team of RBS ambassadors that includes golfing great Jack Nicklaus, Formula One champion Sir Jackie Stewart, as well as some of today's brightest stars such as golfers Luke Donald and Paula Creamer.
Their association with RBS raises awareness of the bank's commitment to sport around the world. As an RBS ambassador Sachin will help raise awareness of the RBS brand across the Middle East region through a series of corporate advertising campaigns.
Sachin has been rewriting the record books since making his Test debut for India at the tender age of 16. The 35 year old batsman and national hero is recognised and admired by cricket fans and sports enthusiasts throughout the world. He hit the first of his 40 Test centuries against England in 1990 and in October 2008 surpassed Brian Lara's 11,953 runs to become the highest runs scorer in Test Cricket History.
Colin Macdonald, Country Executive, United Arab Emirates said:
'Here in the UAE, we are extremely excited that Sachin Tendulkar has agreed to become a Global RBS ambassador. There is much interest in the sport and in Sachin Tendulkar, making this sponsorship highly relevant to Middle East audiences. As one of the world's true sporting legends Sachin is the perfect ambassador because he represents everything we admire in sport and business - focus, determination and achievement.'
Sachin Tendulkar said: 'It is indeed a great honour to join a select and prestigious group of sporting stars like Sir Jackie Stewart, Jack Nicklaus and the other sports personalities who are RBS ambassadors. Cricket is my absolute passion and I am looking forward to an exciting home season of cricket against England.'
RBS also announced that it will extend its support for the game in India through a series of associate sponsorships for the seven upcoming England One Day Internationals. The culmination of RBS's support for international cricket in India in 2008 will be the two Test series matches against England with the winners picking up the inaugural RBS Quaich.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/70ac58ec-b...0779fd18c.html
Lunch with the FT: Sachin Tendulkar
By Joe Leahy
Published: November 14 2008 17:34 | Last updated: November 14 2008 17:34
When I arrive at the Pride Hotel in Nagpur, in the dead centre of India, I wonder whether I’ve come to the right place. This slightly rundown but friendly establishment, opposite the airport, seems an odd place to be meeting one of cricket’s all-time great batsmen, Sachin Tendulkar, a former captain of his country and, since he overtook the West Indies’ Brian Lara last month, the man with the most runs in Test history – 12,273 and counting.
In India, where cricket is worshipped by people of every caste, colour and creed, Tendulkar is the symbol of something more than a game. Nine years ago in Mysore, southern India, one female fan was reportedly so distressed at the news that Tendulkar had a back injury and would not be able to play any more that she set herself on fire. “The way crowds respond to him, when he bats, when he scores, when he gets out – it’s close to deification,” says Indian historian and cricket writer Ramachandra Guha.
In fact, it is impossible for the 5ft 6in “Little Master” (aka “The Genius” and “Master Blaster”) to dine unmolested in public in India. Which is why, when he finishes training for India’s Test match against Australia in Nagpur the following day, I am ushered by two agents into the privacy of his hotel room.
Tendulkar greets me at the door looking tanned and fresh, wearing training shorts and a blue and white T-shirt with the name of the Indian team’s sponsor, Sahara, emblazoned on the chest. I step over the exercise ball and dumbbells on the floor and sit on a couch while he orders room service for us.
He asks for one portion of butter chicken and, as a vegetarian option, one dish of creamy corn and spinach, or “palak with some plain roti or naan bread and a portion of rice. Concerned that, as a foreigner, I might not share his taste for hot food, he reassures me that the chicken is “not that spicy”. “I ate this last night,” he explains.
Tendulkar’s familiar, slightly high-pitched voice is a constant presence on Indian television, endorsing everything from Royal Bank of Scotland to Aviva insurance. Some advertising industry insiders estimate he makes about $1.5m for each contract each year.
Yet despite this ubiquity and his status as a living deity, relatively little is known about this quiet 35-year-old from Mumbai, who, except when it involves standing on a cricket field, shuns the limelight. And, as he politely bats away my opening, rather gentle conversational deliveries, I can see why.
The supreme modern batsman
There are more flamboyant batsmen. Batsmen with marginally higher batting averages, writes Ludovic HunterTilney. Batsmen who are more destructive or harder to dislodge. Yet Sachin Tendulkar stands alone as the supreme modern batsman.
Tendulkar is widely considered the heir to Don Bradman, the best ever batsman. The flame was handed down by Bradman himself who, observing the Indian in 1996, was struck by an uncanny similarity of styles. “His compactness, technique, stroke production, it all seemed to gel,” Bradman said.
Another Australian legend, the leg-spinner Shane Warne, confirmed Tendulkar’s coronation when he judged the “Little Master” to be the best batsman he had bowled against. The next best, Brian Lara, came a distant second in Warne’s view.
Tendulkar has less flair than Lara, whom he last month overhauled as the leading run scorer in Test history, but a stronger all-round game. Short and squat, he has extraordinary balance and is nimble on his feet – Warne joked that he suffered nightmares of Tendulkar skipping down the pitch towards him to clatter the ball back over the bowler’s head.
The Indian has scored runs against all forms of bowling on all types of pitches. He can bat aggressively or defensively as the situation demands; his range of strokeplay is unequalled.
He has scored more Test centuries (40) and more one-day international centuries (42) than anyone else.
He plays shots with surgical precision, not so much demolishing a bowling attack as dismantling it with deft flicks and powerful strikes. The calculated violence that gained him the nickname “Master Blaster” has faded as age and injuries take their toll.
Tendulkar is highly methodical – in 2003 he entered a Test match against Australia after a run of innings in which he had repeatedly been dismissed playing an off-side shot. He resolved to eradicate the shot from his repertoire and proceeded to score 241 not out, mostly on the legside, against one of the best bowling attacks ever assembled.
The sole criticism levelled against him as a cricketer is his supposed failure to play match-winning innings. Former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev complained last year: “Sachin has big records to his name but until he wins matches for India .... people will raise fingers at him.”
It is a contentious viewpoint, bitterly contested by Tendulkar’s hundreds of millions of fans. It also overlooks the extent to which he has transformed the identity of cricket in India, bringing professionalism and focus to a game still bearing the fusty stamp of amateurism. He channels a nation’s resurgent ambitions into a remorseless appetite for runs.
I congratulate him on India’s recent performances against world champions Australia (particularly a 320-run victory in the second test in Mohali) and he simply replies that “it’s been quite good”. He is unassuming in person and earnest, always keeping eye contact. “How you end is what matters, so we’d like to end on a high note,” he adds, referring to the fourth and final Test the following day (which India went on to win).
He becomes more animated when asked how it felt to become Test cricket’s greatest run scorer. The moment arrived after tea on a mid-October day during the first innings in Mohali, when he glided a ball off his bat to take three runs, then looked to the heavens and pumped his fists.
“It was a bit emotional,” he says, leaning forward, alluding to the fact that his father Ramesh Tendulkar, who died in 1999, was not there to see it. “I’m sure he would have been a proud man and the initial years of international cricket that I spent with my father were very important years for me. His support, his guidance, nothing to do with cricket but just in general the support and the direction that I got from him was extremely important.”
The late great Australian cricketer Don Bradman said that the modern player he most saw himself in was Tendulkar, like Bradman a methodical batsman. But cricket may be even more dominant in Tendulkar’s life than it was for Bradman, whom he met in 1998 on the occasion of “the Don’s” 90th birthday at his house in Adelaide. Outside, the world is absorbed in the news that Barack Obama has won the US presidential election but Tendulkar says he has been too busy preparing for tomorrow’s match and has not heard about it yet. Such focus goes with the territory for top-class sportsmen but with Tendulkar the immersion is possibly deeper.
He was born in Mumbai (then Bombay) on April 24 1973, the youngest of four children. His father, a novelist, aware that his son had prodigious talent as a cricketer, put him in a Mumbai high school known for its emphasis on cricket. It was also around this time that the boy met his coach and mentor Ramakant Achrekar, who believed that “match practice” – training by playing full games – was the best way to forge a young cricketer. He had the young Tendulkar play more than 200 matches a year. He would finish school then go to the Shivaji Park ground in central Mumbai in time to play the second innings of a match. After that he would move on to the nets to practise batting until he was ready to drop.
Sometimes, the coach would load the area with more than 30 fielders and then give Tendulkar one rupee if he could survive the session without being caught out. Once that was over, he had to run around Shivaji Park – about five times the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground – in full gear with bat and pads. “I was always up for batting but I didn’t enjoy running in particular,” Tendulkar recalls.
The training paid off. He made his first appearance for India against Pakistan in Karachi in November 1989, aged 16, and the following summer struck his first Test century against England. He quickly became a hero round the world but particularly at home. According to Ramachandra Guha, Tendulkar’s extreme popularity was in part due to the fact that India was undergoing an internal crisis in the 1990s, with communal strife at home between Muslims and Hindus and enduring economic difficulties. “Tendulkar became a sort of one-man band aid for the Indian psyche,” Guha says. It was around this time that there was an explosion in the number of infant “Sachins” born in the country.
In today’s more confident India, Guha believes the player is more like an elder statesman. Though Tendulkar is typically rather more low-key when asked about his national status or celebrity. “If you do well people tend to put their hands together and appreciate what you’re doing whether that’s right or wrong or whatever,” he says, “so eventually you’ve got to judge for yourself what is right or wrong, then you [need to] have a solid team and in my case, my family’s played that role.”
The doorbell rings and lunch arrives on a wheeled table. One of the agents urges us to eat it straight away rather than letting it get cold. I load up my plate with the butter chicken and some naan, while Tendulkar scoops some rice, butter chicken and palak on to his plate. Despite training this morning, he doesn’t take a big helping. He talks more about the lessons he learnt from his father. These were not really about cricket but about the importance of being a decent person.
“People will obviously remember you as a cricketer but the ones who’ve actually interacted with you and spent some time with you, they will remember more about you as a person,” he says. “This is one thing that will be permanently with you – cricket at some stage is going to have to end.”
It is a rule he has tried to live by, keeping his personal life private and emerging with a clean name from troubles such as a match-fixing scandal that swept world cricket in the late 1990s (when he was Indian captain) and sullied the reputation of many other Indian players.
How has he managed to avoid more intense scrutiny? Partly by staying away from the parties and Bollywood lifestyle that attracts many younger Indian cricketers. “Wherever it’s noisy I don’t go there, it’s not my lifestyle,” he says, adding that he prefers to spend time with his wife Anjali and children Sara, 11 and Arjun, nine, who he says has already “picked up a bat and loves his cricket”. “I’m not a party person,” he adds rather needlessly.
It is a message he tries to pass on to junior members of the India team. In this celebrity-mad country, where people build shrines to their favourite actors, the pressure of fame is capable of quickly extinguishing a budding cricketing talent.
“It’s also up to an individual not to get carried away and not to forget why the rest of the things are happening,” he says, referring to the fame and glory. “They’re happening because of cricket. Once you start giving more importance to the other things, gradually cricket starts taking a back seat. That’s where the careers get stagnated.”
. . .
I suggest celebrity endorsements could also be distracting for players but unsurprisingly, given that he has eight contracts to endorse products, he disagrees, saying that these each only take a couple of days or even just a few hours of his time each year. “As long as it’s not affecting your game, I don’t see anything wrong in it,” he says, looking vaguely annoyed for the only time during lunch.
He also dismisses my suggestion that an innovation such as The Indian Premier League, a competition based on the shortened 20-over form of the game, which has attracted foreign stars, around $2bn in television rights, and provided a lucrative pay day for players – could erode cricketers’ enthusiasm for playing for their countries. He prefers to emphasise the opportunities the IPL has given young Indian players to play with greats such as Shane Warne, the Australian spin bowler who captained the Rajasthani Royals to victory in the inaugural IPL this year. Tendulkar himself leads the Mumbai Indians, the team of his home city.
We talk about returning to the table for second helpings but get distracted by the subject of his retirement. Or non-retirement. Tendulkar has had some trouble with injury this year. Does he think of retiring? “No I haven’t to be honest. I don’t need to think about that right now and if I start feeling like that I’d immediately know it’s time to move away from the game.”
Instead, he is ready to take part in another series, this time two Tests against England in December. Though the news that he will be rested from at least some of the seven preceding one-day internationals, which started on Friday, is a reminder that, at 35, it is wise for him to choose his battles a bit more selectively.
As we wrap up, I try to draw him one more time on issues outside sport. As the favourite son of the state of Maharashtra, what does he think of a growing political movement among rightwing Hindu activists there against immigrants from other parts of India settling in the state capital Mumbai?
He seems to start to answer the question before thinking better of it and retreating quickly back to familiar ground. “There are different people who’re actually based in Mumbai ... to be honest I’ve not followed politics much. It’s never been my interest. I’m more of a ... I follow different sports. I follow Formula One, tennis. I’ve always been a big fan of John McEnroe, after that Sampras and then Federer, Federer would probably top the list.”
Aware this is as far as he is ever likely to go, I have one final question. What, in his opinion, defines a great batsman?
Back on less tricky territory, he is a little more expansive. “I feel sometimes that calling someone great ... that terminology is used very loosely. According to me, when you call someone great, that guy should have spent more than 10 years at an international level,” he says.
“It’s natural to get excited,” he continues, “but I think there are two sides to a coin: on one side, somebody just showing promise and, on the other side, also delivering – and when they match, they can go hand in hand for a number of years. That’s when the player is remembered for years to come.”
Maams Nandri for the caption :clap:
Wouldn’t like to start thinking of 2011 in 2008: Tendulkar
- A TELEGRAPH EXCLUSIVE
- Legend on completing 19 years as an India cricketer today
LOKENDRA PRATAP SAHI
Sachin Tendulkar
Calcutta: Saturday will see Sachin Tendulkar complete 19 years as an India cricketer. In the lead-up, he spoke to The Telegraph for around half-an-hour.
The following are excerpts
Q Have there been stages in your awesome career (12,273 runs in Tests, 40x100; 16,361 runs in ODIs, 42x100)?
A Just two, I’d say... The first would be from my debut till the maiden tour of Australia, in 1991-92, and the second from there onwards... I was 18 then, but that tour made a man out of me... It was a defining moment in my career.
You’ve been in the India dressing room for two generations... From the time of the Dilip Vengsarkars to the Gautam Gambhirs... The Kid of 1989 has been the senior-most pro for some years now... What’s your own take on this?
I fool around, try to crack jokes... My seniority and experience is all on the field... I like the dressing room atmosphere to be light, for that’s the way it should be. I try and contribute towards that... Sure, I was the baby of the team 19 years ago, but I don’t think I’ve changed much in the dressing room... I mean, I won’t sit in a corner and be quiet because I’m the senior-most around. That’s not me.
Do the newcomers get intimidated by your presence?
(Laughs) It’s for them to answer, but I try and make them comfortable... We’re, after all, part of one team.
Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly are through with international cricket... Today, what does the future hold for Team India?
It’s difficult to predict... What I can tell you is that it will be difficult to fill the space left behind by Anil and Sourav... One played for over 18 years, the other for over 12... It’s a long time to be playing for your country... Talented players are there, but what has been left vacant can’t be filled in 12 or 18 months...
Like millions, Mahendra Singh Dhoni grew up idolising you. How is he as captain?
Dhoni has a mature head on his shoulders... He’s balanced... His peripheral awareness is very good... I remember having been impressed by him from very early on when, in between deliveries, I’d chat with him from the slips cordon... Dhoni wasn’t even the vice-captain then.
Much like you, Dhoni remains calm. You’ve been asked this before, but one can’t help asking once more — how do you handle such enormous pressure?
Look, the heat is on everyone... Pressure is always there... Some show they’re under pressure, others don’t... Focusing on the job at hand is probably the best way of not getting overwhelmed.
Have you gifted yourself anything after breaking Brian Lara’s record (in Mohali, last month)?
(Laughs) You’ve asked an interesting question... Nothing as yet... I’d, of course, gifted myself a BMW M5 after scoring the (record-authoring) 35th Test hundred, three years ago... Thought I deserved it!
What now?
I do get tempted by cars... Haven’t made up my mind, though...
Did Sara and Arjun present you something?
They congratulated me... They were quite shy, really, and gave what I’d describe a good gift... (After a pause) My mother blessed me, as usual... I was welcomed home with an aarti... We’re a traditional family and don’t like making a show of celebrations. You won’t find us going overboard.
What’s the future you’re looking at? Everybody wants you around till the 2011 World Cup... Come to think of it, 2009 is already at our doorstep...
I know that... I also know well-wishers have put 2011 as a target for me... However, what I’d like to do is remain fit and enjoy the game... That’s my goal, rather than being available for a particular series or a tournament... I’d rather look at the immediate future and be ready... As is my practice, I wouldn’t like to look too far ahead... You know I look at the next engagement, not an X number of years down the line...
Fine, but if you’re fit and enjoying your cricket, then it wouldn’t be unrealistic to say you could actually be available for the next World Cup...
I’d try to be fit... Work as hard as possible... Having said that, I wouldn’t like to start thinking of 2011 in 2008... But, yes, I’ll continue doing the things I’ve done for the last 19 years... I know fans would be happy (to see him in the 2011 showpiece)...
http://www.telegraphindia.com/108111...y_10114151.jsp