Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid and GR Vishwanath discuss merits of shorter format of game.
Cricket is getting exciting, creative – this is what Sachin Tendulkar said.
In the city to celebrate the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s (KSCA) platinum jubilee, India’s star batsman along with other former captains Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and GR Vishwanath discussed the merits of the Twenty20 game, innovations being one of them.
“Cricket is the only sport which is played in three different formats.
This is exciting for the spectators and there is lot of room for creativity. We get more results in Tests because batsmen are taking more chances,” said Tendulkar.
Tendulkar, however, maintained that whether you play Tests or T20, it is important to know the basics. “Basics are important in Test cricket, which may not be the case in ODI or T20,” he said. “In T20, you can just swing the bat, score and in three or four deliveries you can become a hero.”
Seconding him, Ganguly said, “Batsmen are playing more shots in Test cricket. You are getting more results. The experience in T20 and ODI has brought innovations to the game.”
Dravid felt that be it Test or T20, any good player should learn to adapt. “Players such as Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Michael Hussey, who have done phenomenally well in T20, are good Test players too,” he said.
“Getting your basics rights gives you a foundation to build on it. In T20, you learn to play shots. Unlike Test cricket, it is not just about blocking the difficult balls.
“The good players learn to adapt. You should always work yourself from Test to Twenty20 and not the other way around.”
Dravid also stressed the importance of maintaining one’s individuality in a team game. “We need to have our own set of skills and not copy others,” he said.
“If I had tried to bat like Viru or Viru like me, we would not have succeeded. You have to identify what works for you. Scoring runs matter, but not how you do it.”
Reminiscing about his earlier days, Tendulkar said a lot of things had changed since his debut.
“Earlier, when I debuted against Pakistan, I remember how warm-up sessions were optional. Also, it was not as disciplined with everyone wearing different set of clothes,” he said.
“When we first got a laptop in the dressing room, we wondered what it was doing there and how it could help us to play cricket.
But now you store so many things, you plan your innings, how to bat against an opposition, it helps you refresh your memory.”
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