'I've faced four generations of bowlers'

That, despite being a legend in the game. “People see one guy playing, Sachin Tendulkar, but they don’t know the support system that goes behind that,” says Tendulkar, not forgetting to mention the contribution of his parents, his brother, his wife Anjali, his coach and his teammates. 

Obstacles he faced, and overcame, just as he faces and conquers those spins, fast balls and googlies. Nineteen years of cricket, more than 25,000 runs to his name and awards and record-breaking moments galore, but Sachin Tendulkar is still raring to go. You can sense that excitement as he talks about the shortest version of the game, yet. “T20 is a package full of surprises, it’s about trying to catch the opposition on the wrong foot,” says the captain of the Mumbai Indians IPL team. But what about a 50 over game — what are the thoughts running through the mind of Sachin Tendulkar when he’s at the crease, and the whole nation is watching him? “The field setting, the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition, the surface of the pitch, whether you should attack in the first 25 overs or just play them out...” 

Over to Team India, his thoughts? “Gary (Kirsten) has made a huge difference in creating a positive atmosphere in the dressing room. As a coach, he allows the players’ natural instincts to take over. Dhoni too is doing a fantastic job as captain, and I’m not surprised. When I used to be next to him in the slips and interact with him, I noticed he was always switched on and played with a balanced mind. He had it in him to lead the team from the start.” But Tendulkar’s realistic as well. “We are still a couple of years away from winning the World Cup, let’s not get carried away. The mantra of our team is to focus on the process, the result will take care of itself.” Words of wisdom from a man of experience. 

But with his successes have come a couple of low points as well. Critics, for starters, who comment on his form and fitness. Yet the Little Master always bounces back and silences his detractors. “It’s not just now, critics have always said things about me. Even when I started doing advertisements, they said it would reflect badly on my game. It doesn’t matter to me. Everyone has an opinion, but that doesn’t mean it’s always right,” smiles Tendulkar. Point taken. 

For someone who has broken so many world records, is there a particular one he’s looking to surpass before he retires? “I didn’t start playing cricket to break records. Since I first held a cricket bat in my hand at the age of five, I loved the sport, and that love has only grown over the years. It is my desire to perform for my country that keeps me going,” says Tendulkar. And that he has been going strong is evident from the fact that in 19 years of being in the profession, he has played against four generations of bowlers! Now that’s no mean feat! From Richard Hadlee to Ian Botham to Imran Khan to Wasim Akram to Allan Donald to Brett Lee to our very own Ishant Sharma (in the IPL), Tendulkar’s braved all their spins and fast ones. “I’ve faced four generations of world-class bowlers, it’s a special feeling...” 
Yet success, you can see, doesn’t drive him — “I didn’t get stagnated thinking about success. I was on the right track but I didn’t stop, I continued moving.” And the Little Master continues to make history too.