View Single Post
  #9  
Old May 22, 2005, 10:09 PM
Arnab Arnab is offline
Cricket Legend
 
Join Date: June 20, 2002
Location: BanglaCricket.com
Posts: 6,069

Quote:
Technique is variable
Vijay Lokapally

Indian cricket continues to revolve around him. Sachin Tendulkar, even if not at the helm, raises hopes among the younger lot of providing clean cricket. The youngsters look up to him and the master too believes in the youth - the strength of the Indian team.

The latest scandals have saddened him, but the motivation to excel comes from within as Tendulkar sets himself goals and looks ahead with a lot of expectations from a team which is going through a transition phase.

In this exclusive interview to The Sportstar, Tendulkar speaks on the various aspects of his cricket, particularly his batting.

How much are you enjoying your batting today?

I am enjoying it really well. There are new challenges in the sense that you learn a few tricks about batting everytime you go to the middle. I feel the destination never changes, but you tend to discover more avenues to reach the same destination. That is getting to be interesting. It has always been a challenge, where I wanted to go out and score big runs. I am focussed on this aspect.

Why do you feel this challenge at this stage of your career?

Batting has always been a challenge. Always. The bowler is trying to get me out and I am trying to score runs. It has been like that for nearly 11 years now. It's always been great fun. To put it short I am enjoying it thoroughly.

We get the impression that you are not focussing hard enough. How would you look at it?

It's not true. I am focussing hard. I was very focussed in Dhaka in the Test against Bangladesh. If it was a stronger opposition the focus would have been much harder. I have always wanted to score runs against all opposition. I was very determined to score runs against Bangladesh and the concentration required there was immense.

Why was your effort to focus so hard against Bangladesh?

When it comes to top bowling attacks you are naturally determined to score runs. You are always on your toes, but then Bangladesh was, in comparison, a weaker opposition, playing its first Test. Everyone was expecting India to thrash Bangladesh and that was the time to pull up your socks and tell yourself that the runs were not going to come easily. It takes one good ball to end your dreams. I felt at that stage that it was important to focus hard and concentrate more on what I had to do in that game.

Your best runs have come against the best of attacks. Is there a sense of complacency when you play against weaker teams?

No, I don't think there is any sense of complacency at all. I will score runs sometimes and get out cheaply sometimes. I don't think that means I am complacent. It just happens. I don't think the level of my concentration has come down. Whoever is thinking in these terms is surely wrong.

These days you seem to be curbing your attacking instincts?

I think it (the approach) keeps changing. I am not going to be the same player for 15-20 years, whatever I play. It's going to keep changing. As long as I develop changes for the good I am happy. Batsmanship is not mechanical, that you set it in motion and it keeps going forever. It's a matter of body language and coordination of several movements. There will be a marginal difference in two or three years from now. There is bound to be a difference.

What kind of changes do you foresee?

The stance may change a little bit, the backlift may change a little bit, the feet movement might change. I don't think there has been a fast bowler who would have started and finished his career with the same kind of action. I am talking of great fast bowlers, great spinners for that matter. It's the same with great batsmen I think. Even players like Sunil Gavaskar, Vivian Richards, who have been my heroes, must have changed a lot of things compared to the time they played their first Test. Compare that with things at the halfway stage and maybe 15 years after they made their debut, I am sure things would have changed, and changed for the better. We got to accept that certain things will change and hope they change for the good.

Your range of strokes may not have reduced, but the frequency of playing them has come down. Would you agree?

Maybe. The way I study the opposition, the opposition also studies me. It's very simple.

Do you believe your game has changed because others are doing well to sort of ease the pressure on you?

Sourav (Ganguly) is doing a good job. Rahul (Dravid) is doing a good job. There are eight other players in the team who are doing well. I don't think it has made any difference to my style of play. Maybe 80 yards away from the stumps it looks a little different, but as far as I am concerned I have always gone to the middle to score runs and I'll continue to do that. If the others are performing they are contributing towards the team's success. From my side I am also trying to contribute towards the team's success. Even if others are doing well I'll also try to do well, come what may. I have to contribute always. I have not changed my attitude.

Has scoring runs become a difficult job in international cricket now?

I wouldn't say it was ever an easy job. I am someone who wouldn't want to make tall claims. The best option is to keep quiet and let the bat do the talking. I am not the one to sit on top and make sweeping statements. I think even if someone is scoring runs or not, you must remember that it takes just one ball to dismiss you. It is important that when you are in good form you make the most of it. When you are not, you want to overcome those obstacles as early as possible. Scoring runs has never been easy. It has always been hard work. It requires a lot of concentration, dedication and application.

So the bowlers have become more skilful...

I feel as the opposition gets to know you it becomes slightly more difficult. In a similar manner I would say the player also gets to know the opposition. We are both working at each other's game. Things become more and more competitive I feel.

With so much technical inputs available these days, does it help in improving your line of tactics?

I am sure it does. The bowlers have always been studying batsmen. These days it is something you can actually see on the screen, analyse, see the graph, express yourself in a better manner to explain a few things. Earlier it used to be imaginary when we would plan with fielders at this point and at that point. All these modern equipment do help improve the game.

But all this seems to help the bowlers more than batsmen?

I am sure it would help both equally. It might help the bowler a little more than the batsman. Technology does help the bowler in identifying the strong points of a batsman, identifying the area where he scores more runs. The batsman can also study the bowler and identify the area where he lands the ball strongly. I think it is 60-40 in favour of bowlers.

How long does it take to adapt?

It's all about analysing the game and you can do that even without the computers. I always analyse and I haven't needed a computer. Presence of mind counts a lot. You may face a planned line of attack outside the off stump and then you begin to assess to counter that line. You can't wait for the computer to help you always.

Do you feel you have a lot to contribute? You have been taking your bowling also seriously...

If you have seen, in the last 11 years, I have always been bowling in the 'nets'. Even though I had back problems I would still bowl in the 'nets'. I have always enjoyed it and it is one way to remain fit. I am doing something all the time. Why not, if it helps the team I should. Now I am bowling 10 overs in limited overs matches. It's a great feeling.

Are you looking at developing yourself into an all-rounder?

I am close to getting 100 wickets in one-dayers. I think I do fit in as an all-rounder in one-dayers, if not Test cricket. The odd break-through in Tests is fine, but I don't think I am good enough to bowl 25 overs in a Test match.

You have often gone out of the way to guide the newcomers in the team. You always make inquiries about good players around. What motivates you to do this?

It excites me. If I can contribute, why not. I feel it thrills me to share a few ideas with my colleagues if it can help. It is up to him to accept my ideas and suggestions. By talking about cricket one can only broaden one's knowledge. It only helps.

How will you react if a newcomer comes and makes a suggestion to you?

Why not? I will always welcome such suggestions. If someone can figure out something wrong I am open to it. Knock on my door and tell me if I am going wrong.

How do you look at the batting trends in the last decade and how have you been analysing it?

I have learnt to analyse the game better. That probably happens with time. We all know time is the greatest healer, and it teaches you so much. I used to be aggresive earlier, but not so good at analysing the game. I am not saying that I am very good, but I am better than I was five years back. That helps the most.

How can we prepare our batsmen to be good on all kinds of pitches?

By playing on good pitches. I have always said in the past we have to play our domestic cricket on good tracks. There should be help for seamers early on, the batsmen should be able to play their shots and then the spinners take over. That is what I call a sporting wicket. We have to have good tracks and not dusty tracks.

What is it that fires you? That charge you gave Glenn McGrath at Nairobi. It was a very different Tendulkar we saw that day...

That particular innings, I felt the wicket had a lot of bounce and dampness. If I had not adopted an aggressive approach it would have been a different story. That innings I think I took them by surprise. They didn't expect me to do that at all. This will tell you about how the pitch was. McGrath didn't have a mid-on to start with. He had a square-leg, a fine-leg, mid-off, point, three slips and a gully and a third man. It reflects on the state of the pitch for a one-day game. If I had tried to hang around he would have attacked at the same spot and I didn't want them to be at the top. Counter-attack was the best thing. Scoring runs was important and not killing time on that pitch.

There was another similar innings you played at Port of Spain against the West Indies. Wet pitch and fiery attack and you gave them the charge...

There also I felt the same. I didn't start off in the first over. In the second over also they attacked outside the off-stump. I realised hanging around was no good. The odd ball was bound to do some damage. I felt the same way against Australia that day at Nairobi.

How do you assess the state of Indian cricket today? The recent scandals and also the fact that the team is going through a transition period?

It's a very tricky situation. We are just getting back on the right track. Whatever has happened was not in good taste, not just for the public but the cricketers too. We have played with the same guys.

What about the youngsters who have come into the team this season?

These youngsters have shown a lot of promise. It is nice to see them display a lot of aggression and positive energy. It is all so important and naturally lifts the team and that is what one expects from the youngsters who give a good feeling to the team and the spectators. I think Indian cricket is heading in the right direction and we need support from all quarters.
Reply With Quote