Mohali: From one man who set records himself during his time to the little master who made Mohali his stage for setting a new landmark. Sunil Gavaskar, who himself is a part of the 10,000 runs club, was all praise for Tendulkar.
"I would have been even happier had he got those 12 runs and got another Test hundred. But nevertheless, I think it was a fabulous innings, the way he built it up particularly after he went past his record because one can understand that till then he was just a little cautious as you want to get it out of the way. And once he did that he was just like the Sachin Tendulkar of the past and it was such a delight to watch him bat the way he did," said Gavaskar. Continue reading below
Analysing what Tendulkar must have felt after breaking the record of Brian Lara, Gavaskar said, "I think, first there was a sense of relief because there is so much of pressure on you from all the well-wishers. And it is a good kind of pressure not the one that can put you under. It is a feel good pressure that you have and once you achieve that you really feel the sense of relief. The achievement factor sinks in a little bit later but there is enormous relief to have got past a landmark."
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Further expressing his happiness on little master’s achievement, he went down the memory lane, and recollected, "My first memories of him was watching him in the nets in Mumbai. I had heard so much about him that I decided that I will go and see what he is like. And I hid myself actually. I retired myself from international cricket by then.
"I hid myself in one corner and watched him for a little while when he was playing bowlers like Raju Kulkarni who was pretty sharp at the nets and then I came back home and told my wife that I have seen something really really special. And I am happy to say that he has proved it right. I hope he go from here and get as many runs as possible."
Talking about how Tendulkar who has improved his game as compared to his both innings at Bangalore where he got out at the extra-cover region, Gavaskar said, "I think when he got out, caught at extra cover in both the innings in Bangalore he must have realised that he might have not been leaning on to the ball as he normally would have and I think he improved on that and that is what makes him special.
"He has got so many hundreds and so many thousands of runs but he is always looking to improve in every innings. That is what makes him different from everybody else. Maybe, Rahul Dravid is an exception but otherwise everyone else seems to be pretty happy and satisfied.
"But like Tiger Wood, who changed his swing and won so many majors after that, similarly, Tendulkar is always looking to improve everyday."
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