The Master is at the pinnacle!

[Precambrian]

Tendulkar dedicates his acheivement to his family

Sounding a word of caution for those criticising him, Tendulkar said: "When I started playing cricket 19 years ago, no one told me how to play. No one needs to tell me now either. I have 19 years of contribution to Indian cricket. I have not played to prove anything to any XYZ. I just try to complete what the requirement of the team is. Getting the record is a wonderful and fascinating feeling. I am happy that the record is in the name of an Indian."

On his father

"He would have been a proud man today. Today, I miss him," Tendulkar said.

On the longetivity of his records

"All records are meant to be broken. I don't think about them. I cannot be running after everything. But if it comes my way, I will accept it. The beauty is to go out and play. But as the career progresses, the mind starts thinking of records."

He said that he was happy that some of his records had come against the world's top cricketing side, Australia. "It's a coincidence that it's happening against Australia," he said.

What a guy!

 

[Richard]

Akash Chopra on Tendulkar in the 2003 World Cup:

I asked him about how he prepares for a big match. He said that his preparation is always the same regardless of the importance of the occasion.

But sometimes even he gets carried away. On one such instance he did not sleep for 15 consecutive nights. That was before the India-Pakistan match in the 2003 World Cup.

The thoughts of how to handle every bowler, and working out strategies against the likes of Shoaib and co, kept him awake.

One must not forget that he was actively involved and scoring heavily in the games prior to that one, and all that without adequate sleep.

He went on to score 90-odd in that game, and many rate that knock off as one of his best ever.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7676509.stm

Sheesh, how's it possible to pick-up a cricket-bat having not slept for 15 nights?

If I have 1 night where I don't sleep I'm zombie-esque the following day. 15 in a row is surely medically as good as impossible?

 

[Richard]

BTW he "retired" many bowlers in that tournament, didnt he? Caddick comes into mind, esp how he was treated after his not so impressive comments before that match regarding Tendulkar.

Tendulkar didn't really "retire" Caddick (especially given he'll still be running in next season and still available, if exceptionally unlikely to be picked, for Test cricket). Caddick simply knew he wasn't going to be ODI-class come 2007 so did what I feel all cricketers should do under such circumstances and stepped aside from the ODI game-form.

His comments before that WC2003 game weren't the most well-advised you'll hear, but Tendulkar certainly didn't force him into retirement. Caddick's next game, his last ODI, was in fact an excellent performance.

 

[Precambrian]

Oh well then, not retirement but outster from being in the reckoning for ODI and test match.

 

[Precambrian]

Sheesh, how's it possible to pick-up a cricket-bat having not slept for 15 nights?

If I have 1 night where I don't sleep I'm zombie-esque the following day. 15 in a row is surely medically as good as impossible?

Maybe he exaggrerated that. But I have read lots of times that Tendulkar hardly sleeps the might before a matchday on which he is expected to bat.

 

[Shaggy Alfresco]

Sheesh, how's it possible to pick-up a cricket-bat having not slept for 15 nights?

If I have 1 night where I don't sleep I'm zombie-esque the following day. 15 in a row is surely medically as good as impossible?

Yeah, I think two weeks would be. Even if he did spend 15 days without sleep, I'd have backed myself to get him out in that stae.

 

[GIMH]

Congrats, Sachin

 

[Richard]

Oh well then, not retirement but outster from being in the reckoning for ODI and test match.

He retired from ODIs of his own volition (there were another 4 players in the same team for both the Australia and India games who did the exact same thing - it's just the way the English "system" tends to treat ODIs really, I don't think Tendulkar's batting made any impact on any of Knight, Hussain, Stewart, White or Caddick's decisions) and his Test departure was more a matter of circumstance than any withdrawl or axing - Caddick was injured throughout 2003 and would have played had he not been. The injury meant he was never quite the same bowler again and in any case by the time he'd recovered and was playing regularly again the likes of Hoggard, Harmison, Anderson and Jones were seen (rightly in some cases, wrongly in others) as essential parts of the team for years ahead who'd be continuing to perform with excellence.

As it is, Caddick might very possibly still be a better bowler than any of those four even despite the fact that he's nearly 40 while they are all in their late-20s or early-30s.

 

[Richard]

Maybe he exaggrerated that. But I have read lots of times that Tendulkar hardly sleeps the might before a matchday on which he is expected to bat.

Such a thing is not uncommon at all, among certain types of batsmen. Nasser Hussain, to pick one example, could never sleep well the day before he knew he was likely to bat.

 

[Manee]

15 in a row is surely medically as good as impossible?

Indeed, it is medically impossible, I am sure that it is meant in terms of getting a proper night's sleep.

 

[Cevno]

Sheesh, how's it possible to pick-up a cricket-bat having not slept for 15 nights?

If I have 1 night where I don't sleep I'm zombie-esque the following day. 15 in a row is surely medically as good as impossible?

What about not sleeping in the nights,but sleeping in the day?

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Well done Tendy, of batsman I've seen he rates behind only Viv and Barry Richards - and of course he's achieved more than either.

 

[PhoenixFire]

What a champion. Without doubt my favourite cricketer to watch and possibly my favourite player ever, such a great man is so many different ways.

 

[Precambrian]

Just a thought, will Tendulkar be considered for knighthood?

 

[PhoenixFire]

Just a thought, will Tendulkar be considered for knighthood?

Not sure what the status is on giving people from other countries knighthoods ect, but if he was English and had made the same achievements, I'd be certain that he would get one.

 

[silentstriker]

He's not a complete prick, which is an underrated quality in great players, and one that you can't attribute to all the other stars. Unlike guys like Yuvraj (who won't achieve in his lifetime what Sachin has achieves in a year in proper cricket) barely get something and let it go to their head.

Frankly, it is astonishing that everyone has treated him as a hero since he was 16 years old, and it hasn't gone to his head. I am not sure if I can say the same thing about myself.


Anyway, well done to him. I hope he gets his 40th century in the second innings en route to an Indian win - that would really cap the achievements.

 

[masterblaster]

Just a thought, will Tendulkar be considered for knighthood?

Gordon Brown has made it clear in interviews that he wishes to knight Sachin Tendulkar at some stage. I hope it happens

 

[Precambrian]

Not that I worry about it. But Sir Sachin sounds good,

 

[pasag]

Absolutely.

That was one of his finest innings. I think Sachin is batting as well as most of his career with just one basic difference. He does not go after 'domination' (to let the bowler know that he is going to put him in his place) as he did in the first two thirds of his career. He does not step out to the spinners and hit them over long on and long off as he used to. Its possible that with age and his many injuries, his body has imposed limitations on him which he realises and is playing within those.

He did it to Hogg earlier in the year actually, probably singlehandedly ended his career.

 

[Sanz]

Just amazing - watching this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra4veAS_r_I