Sachin Tendulkar ahead of the Brisbane Test in 1991
Team India are presently in Australia with the Border-Gavaskar series underway where Virat Kohli's men suffered a eight-wicket defeat in the opener after the visitors were folded for 36 for nine, their lowest total in Test history.
Despite taking a healthy 53-run lead, India struggled against the pace attack of Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins who executed that perfect gameplan to deny the visitors from setting a big total. And while India look to recover from the humiliation, former Indian cricketer and a legend of the game, Sachin Tendulkar, shared an inspiring story on his first trip to Australia, back in 1991 and how that turned out to a career-changing trip.
“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,” Tendulkar said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
“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.”
Two years after his international debut, Sachin had made his first trip to Australia with the Indian team. And even while the visitors lost 0-4, Sachin had made a mark in world cricket with his twin centuries -at Sydney (148) and Perth (114).
“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,” he explained.
“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.”
