Sachin Tendulkar goes over his epic battle with Dale Steyn and Co in Cape Town in 2011, the winner of ESPNcricinfo's Test Batting award for the year.

You've played for so long and seen a lot. After so many long years, what does it mean to be honoured by some of the most respected cricket pundits in the world?

It's always a great feeling. Doesn't matter how long you have played. When you are appreciated for something you have been able to achieve, it is a satisfying feeling.

I remember the match in Cape Town. That morning session was an eventful one. I remember, I went in to bat on the second afternoon. I think just before tea I played an on-drive to Dale Steyn, and the way I positioned myself to play that shot, I knew I was moving well. That one shot gave me a lot of - you know, you need that kickstart for a big innings. That was the one which sort of put me in a frame of mind that I was seeing the ball well and getting a lot of time to react. From there on I built that innings.

That eventful session on the third morning was one of the best sessions of my life in Test cricket. Morne Morkel was bowling to Gautam (Gambhir) at one end and at the other, Dale Steyn was bowling to me, and for 56 minutes or so the strike was not rotated at all. We scored runs in boundaries. It was quality fast bowling, and we had to give due respect to the seam movement and play out the session. That first hour was really enjoyable and challenging - something I will always remember.

In terms of the challenge of conditions and bowling, Dale Steyn on that pitch, in that form - is that some of the toughest bowling you have faced?

It is definitely one of the best spells I have faced. There was good movement off the seam, in the air. Dale Steyn moves the ball consistently. Also something that was alarming was the off-the-wicket movement. Even if you felt the ball was coming straight to you, off the wicket it was moving significantly. That was something one had to be aware of.

Can you tell us a bit about the adjustments you had to make to get through the spell?

I don't know. There is no one particular formula as such. I am a batsman who goes by the feel. If I feel like doing certain things, I just do them. In that particular innings, in the middle of my innings I felt I could stand outside the crease, and I did that. Just to cut the movement and bounce. And I felt comfortable doing that. Against any good, high-class seam or swing bowling, one needs to stay as still as possible and play as late as possible. Whatever the movements are, they need to be precise. Sometimes too many movements can complicate things, sometimes not moving enough can also get you in trouble. Whatever is needed to play the ball, only that much movement is important. That is what I was focusing on.

One thing we noticed, looking on from the outside, was that you were standing outside the crease, and you had just made up your mind that you were not going to play at anything outside the line of your head. I have covered for the ball that is coming in, and I am going to play just under what is my head.

It is to do with sessions. There were certain shots which I felt I should not be playing in the first hour, and there were certain shots which I felt, maybe after that, I could go ahead and play them. If you observe that innings, there are certain shots I played around lunch time, and the same length deliveries I let them go in the morning. It is the freshness of the wicket in the morning. Just the first spell, as you expect, at that stage I felt that first spell was going to be decisive in which direction the Test match goes. Both of us survived that first spell. The important hour, as we say, we won that, I felt.

It was an eventful one. We were beaten on occasions, but to actually be there and play out that spell was really important, which put us in a decent position.

You were beaten on occasion, as you said. How important is to forget those balls? You are made to look a little ungainly, which you are not used to as a batsman.

It's not one-way traffic. It's not that only the batsmen are supposed to go out and score runs. The bowlers are also supposed to get wickets. Sometimes we end up hitting brilliant shots, sometimes bowlers bowl brilliant balls. We have to respect that and forget about it and focus on the next ball. But also remember what the wicket has done, or what the ball has done off the wicket or in the air. Keep that in mind and focus on the next ball.

Those two Dale Steyn spells. The morning spell and the one soon after lunch. Out of those ten overs - 60 balls - you faced 48. In the other 12 balls he caused havoc all around. He got Cheteshwar Pujara out, he got Dhoni out, and he could have got Harbhajan Singh out (the bail didn't fall). Was it a conscious thing to take most of the strike when Steyn bowled?

Not really. Because I had batsmen on the other end. There is no conscious effort to do that when you have a proper batter at the other end.

I guess that's the only reason I say it was an eventful session. The strike wasn't rotated. Fielders were pretty tight. Those quick singles were not available. Also, one had to play a little bit outside the line, which we did not want to do. Many balls were left. We got beaten. A few balls we managed to put away.

What did you tell the batsmen at the other end?

We were enjoying it. Gautam was at the other end, and we just said, this is a beautiful session, enjoy this challenge. On not many occasions do these things happen in your career. I remember a similar thing happening to me in Mumbai, when we played Australia [in 2001]. I was batting with Rahul [Dravid]. From one end Jason Gillespie bowled, and from the other end Glenn McGrath. And I played all the overs of Glenn McGrath, and Rahul played all the overs of Jason Gillespie. We hardly must have rotated strike. Similar situation, but those are the moments you never forget in life. This is definitely one of them.

During this tense spell of play, there was a time when you shared a big laugh in the middle of the pitch with Harbhajan. What was that all about?

Harbhajan walked in and he started to play like a proper batsman - wanting to move his feet and all that. And I said, "Don't do that. You need to play your shots and play whatever you feel like. Whenever you pick the line and length early enough, play your shots." Because he was looking to play like a batsman and it wasn't working for him. The moment he got back to normal Harbhajan Singh, he was able to play some big shots. That sort of disturbed the field setting, and that is what we wanted. We needed to score those crucial runs.

Then, of course, he hit Steyn for a six

Yes. It was an important partnership in the Test. We scored about 50-60 runs. Those runs were really important.

There are different kinds of challenges in cricket. One is the occasion - for example, when playing Pakistan. Two is the match situation - you might down be four down for 30. But this was a pure cricketing conditions challenge. How different is the approach when you face these different challenges?

There are different challenges as you go. Different oppositions. Different strengths and different stages. In the last 20 years that I have played, I have had oppositions that have had different strengths. You have to plan your strategy accordingly. The challenge here was to deal with the steep bounce of the Cape Town wicket. That wicket had spongy bounce. I wouldn't call it a fast wicket as such, but it really had steep bounce and lateral movement. That was one challenge we had to deal with.

This was the first Test of the year. Until this year, for the last four years you have been getting centuries in the first Test innings of the year?

It's news to me. But I know that normally new years greet me well. Something nice. Good habit to get into.

There are grounds and there are grounds. Newlands is a different setting. Table Mountain in the background. What does that do to a player? Does it inspire or distract?

It helps when you have had a long day's fielding. You look at the mountain and appreciate the beauty. Nature has done something absolutely fabulous. Otherwise you are focused so much on the game you don't notice all those things. Only when you have long fielding days. That's when you look at these things.

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When batting through these tough sessions, do you not notice anything else? Are you in the zone?

Not really. No, no, you notice all that, but there is not much time. You are constantly focusing and thinking also, even when on the non-striker's end, thinking what the other batsman should be doing. As a non-striker, I like to make observations. If I feel that there are areas where he has to be cautious, or where he is really doing well, share that with him and tell him, "You have been batting brilliantly. Just continue." Sometimes you feel a player needs to change his game or tighten up a bit. As a non-striker you are making those observations. Sometimes in between overs, or after the over, you are constantly exchanging opinions. Your views. That becomes critical in a partnership.

Any interesting observations you remember from the innings, with, say, Gautam?

I thought we were really going well. All we needed that time was for the non-striker to come and say, "This is perfect. Continue. Keep it tight. Don't play loose shots." Which is normal in partnerships. Let the non-striker know what you think of that particular over. Or if he is in any doubt, or if I am in any doubt - we discuss all those things.

Of late we don't see such innings where the batsman goes through sessions with such disciplined cricket. Batsmen nowadays feel the need to find a release. A boundary from somewhere. How difficult has it become to bat through sessions without finding that release? As you said, the singles were not available, and the boundaries were few and far between.

There were boundaries. First over, Dale Steyn. Bowled brilliant balls but I managed to hit boundaries. It is about when you feel you should be able to press the pedal. And counterattack occasionally. Sometimes you need to respect that particular spell.

It's also to do with how well a batsman is moving. What is his frame of mind? It is not about repeating the same thing every day. There are times when a batsman feels he is not moving well enough to take charge. And there are times when you feel, "I need not do this. I am in control. Why should I just do it for the heck of it?" Somebody sitting in the stands or in the commentator's box wants me to hit a boundary. Why should I do it? I have to score runs, I need to make my decisions. As long as you are confident of your own decision and your gameplan, it is fine. You cannot keep 25 people happy in one innings. You can't have 25 different shots for one ball. You have to play according to what you feel. That's what you have been picked for.

Did you target any of the bowlers for runs?

Not really. That wasn't the kind of surface where you could target someone. There was constantly something happening.

So it was more a case of the wicket losing some of its freshness towards lunch?

And also, you know, the bowlers… the first spell and the second spell are not the same.

After the day's play, Dale Steyn said in the press conference that bowling to Sachin Tendulkar when he is batting like this is a waste of time. It's better trying to take somebody else's wicket. After the game did you and Dale chat about that day's play?

No, we didn't. I am hearing his reaction for the first time, from you. But my reaction would be the same. It was fantastic playing against him. I had to respect him for what he was doing. Somebody is bowling well, you have to respect it. You try to be over-smart, you go back to the dressing room.

Does facing bowlers like Dale Steyn... and there was also Jacques Kallis, who scored a century in the first innings despite the rib trouble, and he would go on to score another. Does facing these players spur you to give a little extra on occasion?

No. It's not between two individuals, it's between the two nations. I play for India. It's not what an individual feels. It's about what an individual can bring to his team. That is more important.

When we walked out of Newlands that day, most of us felt we had seen the best day's cricket we had in a long time. Did you as players feel that it was one of the best days of cricket you had been in?

I didn't share much with my team-mates. But definitely, looking at Gautam's reaction, we both felt the same. That this is one of the best sessions that we have been part of.

© ESPNCRICINFO & NDTV

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The affection showered on Sachin Tendulkar across Australia during the current tour has made him feel humble.

Generally, the sentiment is that Australia must defeat India, but Sachin should get his 100th International hundred.

“In the past, too, people have always wished me well… It’s a humbling experience… That the Prime Minister (Julia Gillard) herself took the lead has been touching,” Sachin told The Telegraph.

 

Speaking at the Sheraton On The Park on Saturday, Sachin added: “I consider myself fortunate that I’ve got well-wishers all over… I appreciate that they want me to do well.”

When one such well-wisher walked up to him in the hotel here and asked if he required “anything,” Sachin answered: “Your good wishes will do.”

Sachin needn’t have mentioned it, for it’s a given…

© Daily Telegraph

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Millions across the globe have been waiting for his historic 100th international century but Sachin Tendulkar says that he would prefer to just enjoy the game without thinking much about the hype surrounding the landmark.

“Well, it is easier said than done. It is just a number. But yes, I mean, there has been lot of hype around that and I want to enjoy cricket and I think that is important,” Tendulkar told Channel Nine in an interview.

“In the series, obviously focus would be on enjoying cricket and winning,” the iconic batsman said.

Tendulkar scored his 99th international century in Nagpur against South Africa in March last year during the World Cup.

Incidentally, his last Test hundred was also against the Proteas at Cape Town in January, last year.

India is currently locked in a four-Test series against Australia with the second match heavily tilted in favour of the hosts after the second day’s play here.

Asked how he prepares for a match, Tendulkar said his preparations start much before the game.

“I just pack my bags on the eve of the match. For me, the preparation starts may be a week before the game, if there is not much time between the matches, then you equally need to switch off and switch on before the game. So it depends on the time I have before a game,” he said.

Tendulkar has broken almost all records in international cricket but the champion batsman said ever since he picked up his cricket bat, it has been a fantastic journey and his love of the game also remains the same.

“I don’t remember picking up a cricket bat the first time. I must have been 4 or 5 years old, like just any other child in India”, Tendulkar said.

“It is fun to pick up a bat and hit the ball as hard as possible and that passion and love for cricket grew as time went by and it has been a fantastic journey and still madly in love with the sport.”

Asked about his first experience of playing international cricket, Tendulkar said: “It was quite an experience to remember. Well, I got out after scoring 15 runs and thought, probably, I was not good enough to play at this level and I was just hoping that I get another opportunity.”

He has been playing international cricket for the last two decades and Tendulkar said the most defining moment of his life was the phase when he first read his name in the newspapers after his performance in school-level cricket.

“I was about 11 years old. I scored some runs. I scored 24 runs in my first match and then followed that up with a couple of performances, nothing great, but my name came in the newspaper couple of times,” Tendulkar recollected.

“When I saw that, it changed everything. The first hundred that I scored changed everything and I would say that phase was the most defining moment of my life.” (PTI)

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Not wanting to draw the limelight away from teammates, who were being besieged for photographs and autographs, Sachin Tendulkar sat at a short distance from gate 12, the boarding point for Qantas flight 422 from Melbourne to here on Saturday.

With Sachin were wife Anjali, daughter Sara, son Arjun and mother-in-law Annabel. Shadowing them were two armed federal police officers.

[In what was a mystery, Annabel’s boarding card showed her name as ‘Annabel Tendulkar’ instead of Mehta! “See, they’ve even changed my name,” she told The Telegraph, laughing.]

It didn’t, however, take long for word to get around that Sachin too was there in person. With fans moving towards where he and his family were seated, Sachin himself came to the gate 12 ‘hold’.

For the next 10-odd minutes, chaos reigned as everybody wanted a piece of Sachin. To his credit, he kept obliging, showing no signs of possibly getting a bit irritated.

Predictably, many hoped Sachin would soon get his 100th International hundred. One such well-wisher was Soundari Raj, the managing director of an educational body in the Gulf.

Sachin’s response to her “God bless and I hope you get that hundred” was a simple “God willing, I’ll get it.”

The earliest that it can happen is at the SCG, venue for the second Test (and its 100th), from Tuesday. Sachin’s average at the SCG is, well, a staggering 221.33.

Stumped by the God-like treatment meted out to Sachin and his teammates were the van Dijkes from Rotterdam. “You guys are very famous it seems... Back in Holland, we only know football stars,” Jacqueline van Dijke told Wriddhiman Saha, who happened to be in front of her (with wife Romi) in the queue at the boarding gate.

Husband Hans and daughter Waaijan were as bemused as Jacqueline.

There was much less commotion on board the 90-minute flight as Sachin and his family were seated at the front of the Boeing 767’s economy section, away from the janata.

On the flight, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was a couple of rows behind Sachin and, as always, he didn’t mind having been ‘upstaged’.

Not that Dhoni goes unnoticed. Far from it. In fact, on the flight, one Naveen Gundavaram, a Seattle-based software engineer, thanked him for “winning the World Cup.”

Public memory isn’t that short always.

Cricket-wise, the year ended with the battering at the MCG. The highpoint, however, was regaining the most cherished trophy.

That achievement, after 28 years, just can’t be taken away.

Footnote: Australia’s Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, will be hosting both teams for “afternoon tea” on Sunday.

Courtesy : Telegraph

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Interview by Clayton Murzello

November 15, 2009

1. The first time I put on my India cap
It was a great moment for me. If I am not mistaken, Chandu Borde, our team manager, handed me my cap. But there was no presentation ceremony like they have today.

2. My first Test hundred
It came at Old Trafford in 1990. Manoj Prabhakar helped me with some determined batting at the other end.

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Sachin Tendulkar might have tormented bowlers the world over but the only bowler who managed to unsettle the Indian batting icon to an extent that he "didn't know what to do with him" was the late Hansie Cronje.

The ex-South African captain, who died in a plane crash after being banned for match-fixing, was the one man Tendulkar found hard to deal with and bowling technique had nothing to do with it.

"Honestly. I got out to Hansie more than anyone. When we played South Africa he always got me out more than Allan Donald or Shaun Pollock. It wasn't that I couldn't pick him it's just that the ball seemed to go straight to a fielder," Tendulkar told 'The Guardian'.

Cronje, primarily a middle-order batsman, was efficient with his medium pace fetching 43 wickets in 68 Tests and 114 ODI wickets in 188 matches before his spectacular fall from grace owing to the 2000 match-fixing scandal in which he was the prime accused. He died in a plane crash in 2002.

Cronje snapped Tendulkar's wicket five times in Tests, just two less than Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan and one behind Aussie speedsters Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, all three of whom faced off against the Mumbaikar more than the late Proteas captain as bowlers.

The late Cronje, however, does not figure in the list of bowlers to have dismissed Tendulkar the most in ODIs which is headed by Aussie pacer Brett Lee (10 times).

Tendulkar said facing Cronje was always a tricky proposition for him.

"I was going great guns in Durban one year and played some big shots against Donald and Pollock. Hansie came on and I flicked his first ball straight to leg-slip. I never knew what to do with him," he said.

Tendulkar once again named McGrath as the best fast bowler he ever faced and despite dominating Shane Warne, the Indian icon considered the Aussie to be the best spinner he came across.

"I did OK against him (McGrath). But, among the spinners, Warne at his best was still something special," he said.

The 37-year-old batsman, who has spent over 20 years in international cricket, is often compared to Sir Don Bradman and Tendulkar recalled some special moments he spent with the late Australian legend.

"We went to see him on his 90th birthday. It was very special. We were talking about averages and I said, 'Sir Don, if you were playing today, what would you have averaged?' And he said, '70 probably.' I asked, 'Why 70 and not your actual average of 99?' Bradman said, 'Come on, an average of 70 is not bad for a 90-year-old man.'

"This is what I tell my son. Whether you're an 11-year-old boy or Don Bradman we should never forget it's just a game we can all enjoy."

His passion for the sport is well-documented and Tendulkar said even after spending over two decades in the international arena, he tries to re-invent himself.

"I'm really focusing now on how I can get to the next level as a batsman. How can I get even more competitive? How can I get even more consistent? How can I get better?, Tendulkar pointed out.

The diminutive batsman said going past the 14,000 runs mark earlier this year was one of the big moments of his career but he never lets the thoughts of achieving milestones overshadow what is actually required of him in a match situation.

"It was a big moment...But I was most aware of the match situation," said the right-hander who had arrived at the wicket with India 38 for two in reply to Australia's first innings of 478.

"And then it flashed on the big screen that I needed eight runs to reach 14,000. Every run I scored was cheered. But when I needed two I hit a boundary. I was happy but I thought, 'right, now we can get back to focusing on cricket', because everyone had become too worried about those eight runs. It had taken away my focus."

"Yes. Obviously, going past Brian Lara was something special. But I'm even happier now and hopefully it continues."

Talking about the changing face of the game, Tendulkar said Australia are in decline after retirements of their heavyweights.

"To not have (Matthew) Hayden, (Justin) Langer, (Adam) Gilchrist, (Glenn) McGrath, (Shane) Warne, it's a big loss. They still have some world-class players but their batting revolves around (Ricky) Ponting. When you want to create a vacuum in their batting you need to get Ponting," he said.

Tendulkar feels given Australia's loss of aura, England are serious contenders to lift the Ashes this time.

"I think England have a better chance. I favour them slightly. I would say (Eoin) Morgan could be the key performer in the Ashes. Morgan and (Graeme) Swann," he said.

"He (Morgan) is a very solid player who can control the pace of his innings. He can become a really good Test batsman even though he has only played a few Tests so far. After Morgan you've got the experience of (Andrew) Strauss, (Paul) Collingwood and Pietersen. They're a really well-balanced side and this is a great opportunity for England," he added.

India is one of the co-hosts of next year's World Cup and Tendulkar said the pressure would be of an altogether different level.

"It's going to be massive. Everyone in India is looking forward to a mega tournament and although people haven't started talking yet about 1983 (the last time India won the World Cup) it will happen soon. But, given our recent form, people have a right to be excited and have extremely high hopes," he said.

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On a rainy afternoon in London, with wintry gloom creeping across the city, it does not take long for Sachin Tendulkar to light up a drab hotel room. Tendulkar is shy and quietly-spoken but he soon turns a routine encounter into an illuminating experience. His balance and patience at the crease are again evident as he offers insight into the attributes which make him not only the world's best batsman but, after an epic year, arguably the greatest in cricket history.

Tendulkar steps away from these sweeping generalisations and deals, instead, in the specifics of his voracious mentality at 37. Amid widespread belief that he is the only batsman who could transcend Don Bradman in any dreamy comparison of cricket across the centuries, Tendulkar makes a remarkable statement: "I'm really focusing now on how I can get to the next level as a batsman. How can I get even more competitive? How can I get even more consistent? How can I get better?"

He could be an earnest young cricketer aspiring to improve himself – rather than the little master who, after 21 years of Tests, has completed another monumental achievement. Less than three weeks ago, against Australia in Bangalore, he cracked a ball from Nathan Hauritz through the covers. It would have been an ordinary boundary but for the fact it meant Tendulkar became the first man to score 14,000 Test runs.

"It was a big moment," Tendulkar says, "but I was most aware of the match situation." He had arrived at the wicket with India 38 for two in answer to Australia's first innings of 478. He and Murali Vijay added 64: "And then it flashed on the big screen that I needed eight runs to reach 14,000. Every run I scored was cheered. But when I needed two I hit a boundary. I was happy but I thought, 'right, now we can get back to focusing on cricket', because everyone had become too worried about those eight runs. It had taken away my focus."

That same restraint shaped his low-key acknowledgment of the milestone. As bedlam broke out, Tendulkar finally looked skywards and thought of his late father and his Test debut in November 1989 against a Pakistan attack led by Imran Khan and Wasim Akram. He pauses when asked if he felt more emotional than he had done in 2008, when becoming the highest run-scorer in Test cricket. "Yes. Obviously, going past Brian Lara was something special. But I'm even happier now and hopefully it continues."

That steadiness of ambition was obvious in Bangalore as Tendulkar compiled an unforgettable double hundred. He followed his 214 with an unbeaten 53 in the second innings to complete India's 2-0 victory. Tendulkar scored 403 runs in the two-match series, at an average of 134.5. Now, stressing his desire to become more "consistent" and "competitive", should that be possible, Tendulkar sounds briefly poetic. "Life would be flat without dreams. It's really important to dream – and then to chase those dreams. I really believe it's this dreaming that makes me work so hard. I want to continue doing that because I've worked very hard the last couple of years on my batting. Gary Kirsten [the former South Africa batsman who now coaches India] has been instrumental in this. He's given me the freedom to express myself, and to pace my innings as I see fit. Gary is more a friend than a coach."

He laughs when it is pointed out that Kirsten's empathy is different to India's former abrasive coach, Greg Chappell, whose brother, Ian, suggested a few years ago that Tendulkar was ready only for retirement. "There was a little dip for me, around 2005 and 2006. I had a lot of injuries – finger and elbow injuries and then a back injury. All these upper-body injuries may have altered my back-swing a little. But that is behind me now and I've been able to put in the hours of practice I need."

Lara might have been a more sublime batsman, and Viv Richards more majestic, but Tendulkar surpasses them both. It now seems appropriate to celebrate him alongside Bradman. In February he scored successive Test centuries against South Africa before, against the same opponents, becoming the first man to reach 200 in a one-day international. He then hit a double-hundred against Sri Lanka, and two half-centuries, before his performance against Australia confirmed his return to the top of the world batting ratings for the first time since 2002. Tendulkar won the ICC's Player of the Year, and earlier this week he was feted at London's inaugural Asian Awards. In front of a mix of celebrities defined by a surreal trio of Didier Drogba, Christian Louboutin and Nick Clegg, Tendulkar received awards for Outstanding Sporting Achievement and as the Lebara People's Choice.

"It's been the sweetest year. If you look at the one-day double-hundred, being the highest run-getter in the IPL and the series against Sri Lanka and Australia, it's been very good. We now play New Zealand [the first Test starts on Thursday] and I'm looking forward to the series in South Africa in December."

He argues that beating South Africa, away, is India's toughest assignment; as a clash between the two top teams in the world should produce better cricket than the eagerly-anticipated Ashes. England, after all, are ranked fourth while Australia are a lowly fifth. Are Australia in serious decline? "Yes. To not have [Matthew] Hayden, [Justin] Langer, [Adam] Gilchrist, [Glenn] McGrath, [Shane] Warne – it's a big loss. They still have some world-class players but their batting revolves around Ponting. When you want to create a vacuum in their batting you need to get Ponting."

Tendulkar expects a more balanced England to edge the Ashes. "I think England have a better chance. I favour them slightly. I would say [Eoin] Morgan could be the key performer in the Ashes. Morgan and [Graeme] Swann." Suggesting that Kevin Pietersen's poor form lies in his head, Tendulkar pinpoints Morgan as England's best batsman. "He's a very solid player who can control the pace of his innings. He can become a really good Test batsman even though he has only played a few Tests so far. After Morgan you've got the experience of [Andrew] Strauss, [Paul] Collingwood and Pietersen. They're a really well-balanced side and this is a great opportunity for England."

Australia, especially at home, remain cussed opponents. Surely they inspired Tendulkar to his greatest feats? "No, I think it's just a coincidence that many of my milestones happened against them." Yet Merv Hughes typified Australia's blunt admiration when he said to Allan Border, after Tendulkar had spoilt Shane Warne's debut in 1992: "This little prick's going to end up with more runs than you, AB."

Tendulkar attributes his poise to his father, Ramesh, a poet and novelist rather than a cricket fan: "I grew up looking at my father as to how to behave. In watching him I grasped so many things. His own temperament was of a calm person. He was very composed and I never saw anger in him. To me, that was fascinating."

His brother, Ajit, now influences him most. "If there is any problem in my batting I always speak to him. Ajit is absolutely the person I trust most when it comes to batting. Our understanding at home was always that we focus on the next game – let everyone else talk about the last game. I scored a triple hundred when I was 14 in the semi-final of a tournament. But there was a school match at the same time and my team only played with 10 fielders because I was batting in this other game. I still batted for my school and scored 178 not out. I then went to the final of the tournament and hit 346 not out. I have this same mentality now."

Tendulkar first played for India at 16. In the intervening 21 years he has become an idol in a country of over a billion people. There has been little peace for an essentially private man and a rare crack emerges in Tendulkar's grateful persona when he mentions the need to sometimes drive around Mumbai on his own at five in the morning: "I do that sometimes because I need the privacy. I drive around at 30 mph and I listen to music or the sound of the engine. I don't think about cricket. I am just myself."

India will co-host the 2011 World Cup – with the final to be played on 2 April in Mumbai. The pressure on Tendulkar will be immense. "It's going to be massive. Everyone in India is looking forward to a mega tournament and although people haven't started talking yet about 1983 [the last time India won the World Cup] it will happen soon. But, given our recent form, people have a right to be excited and have extremely high hopes."

Already, as his eyes glitter with anticipation, Tendulkar is moving forward. But he is most engaging when looking back. "As a kid I loved John McEnroe. They called me Mac because, while everyone else liked [Bjorn] Borg, I was crazy about McEnroe. I tried wearing headbands and sweatbands, and whooping at people. It didn't quite work."

Asked to name the bowler who tested him most, Tendulkar smiles at a bizarre selection: "Hansie Cronje. Honestly. I got out to Hansie more than anyone. When we played South Africa he always got me out more than Allan Donald or Shaun Pollock. It wasn't that I couldn't pick him – it's just that the ball seemed to go straight to a fielder. I was going great guns in Durban one year and played some big shots against Donald and Pollock. Hansie came on and I flicked his first ball straight to leg-slip. I never knew what to do with him."

Tendulkar shrugs in amusement before naming McGrath as the best fast bowler he faced. Warne has admitted to nightmares about bowling to Tendulkar – a feeling that was never reciprocated. "I did OK against him. But, among the spinners, Warne at his best was still something special."

Finally, to lighten his Bradman-esque aura, Tendulkar tells a lovely story about him and Warne visiting the old master. He neglects to mention he was the only modern player Bradman included in his best-ever XI and chooses, instead, to highlight the warmth of their meeting. "We went to see him on his 90th birthday. It was very special. We were talking about averages and I said, 'Sir Don, if you were playing today, what would you have averaged?' And he said, '70 – probably.' I asked, 'Why 70 and not your actual average of 99?' Bradman said, 'Come on, an average of 70 is not bad for a 90-year-old man.'"

Tendulkar rocks back in his chair and laughs. In this humorous moment, as one cricketing giant thinks of another, it's easy to admire the same qualities in Tendulkar. "This is what I tell my son. Whether you're an 11-year-old boy or Don Bradman we should never forget it's just a game we can all enjoy."

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Sachin Tendulkar is “happy but not satisfied” with his current form.

In spite of playing some of his finest knocks in both forms of the game in the past two years, Tendulkar is “looking to improve” and “will always be a student of the game.”

In the Capital on Friday to fulfil his endorsement commitments, Tendulkar shared his thoughts during the launch of Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet's launch of six high-end timepieces in the country.

The ICC Cricketer-of-the-Year 2010, Tendulkar said, “I never played for awards. As a child, I always dreamt of playing cricket. I wanted to play for the country. Each individual contribution adds to the team effort. And when such efforts get acknowledged, it feels good.”

No wish-list

The man with 95 centuries and more than 31,000 runs in international cricket was categorical in stating that he had no wish-list at any point of his career.

“Landmarks were never on my mind when I set out to play for the country. You want to keep doing well and keep improving. Every achievement was like a station in my long journey. Looking back, I don't want to think of my best time. I believe, my best is yet to come,” said the 37-year-old.

Asked about India's recent 2-0 triumph over Australia in the Test series, Tendulkar said: “It was fantastic. It feels great especially when the win comes against Australia. During the first Test (at Mohali), Laxman had acute back pain. He had trouble even while jogging. But he played one of his best knocks. In partnership with Ishant Sharma, Laxman kept us alive in the match and later helped us win.

“At Bangalore (in the second Test), when Australia scored around 475 in the first innings, no one thought India could win that Test.

“It was an important win for us and helped us stay at the No. 1 spot (in Test rankings).”

Refusing to look too far ahead, Tendulkar said his focus at present was on the upcoming home series against New Zealand. “This series is extremely important. We don't want to be complacent (against the Kiwis).”

The series may well see Tendulkar reach his 50th Test century.

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