Greg Chappell sings paeans on record-breaking Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar did not have many detractors. The few who had expressed doubts too have been won over by his brilliant run in the two Test series against Australia.

Greg Chappell, who is believed to be only India coach who didn’t share a healthy relationship with him, is singing paeans on the master batsman.

The Australia batting legend on Saturday anointed Tendulkar as the best after Bradman, a title for which he himself was a contender during his brilliant international career.

Replying to the question on Tendulkar’s status as the second-best ever, Chappell told the Herald Sun: “He’s had his lulls, and there have been others who could lay claim to that mantle. Lara and Ponting have out-performed him at times. As a teenager I played with and against Sobers, who was probably the most dominant over a long period and was also an allrounder and a captain. But yes, it’s hard to argue against Tendulkar.”

Chappell’s relation with Tendulkar soured towards the end of his three-year coaching tenure, especially after India’s debacle in the 2007 World Cup. Those close to the former Australia captain revealed that he believed Tendulkar should consider calling it a day.

On Saturday, Chappell said that Tendulkar should be able to play on beyond 40. He believes the secret of Tendulkar’s second coming is that he still thinks like a younger man. “We had a number of chats about batting early on and, like anyone, he had his doubts and uncertainties,” said Chappell.

“He was in his 30s then, and batting doesn’t become easier as you get older and more aware of how difficult it is. You need the mental energy, as well as the physical energy. The danger as you get older is that you think like an older player, become more conservative, more aware of things that can go wrong such as wickets playing tricks. The only way to survive is to think like a younger player, and that’s been helpful to him. It’s easy to devote 100 per cent of yourself when you’re young, but then you get married, have a family, develop other interests,” he added.

Chappell also found Tendulkar to be a much more complex thinker than most good cricketers. “Nobody thinks like he does,” he says. “Most good cricketers in my experience simplify batting, but he thinks about a lot more things. He’ll change his stance or his gloves depending on how he feels, and will concern himself with things like the sightscreen or the background behind it. I was surprised by the sort of things he worries about.”