On the enormity of playing for 20 years…
I don’t think anyone can go on for 20 years. If you want to play 20 years you have to start playing when you are 15 or 16 and it’s not possible. I didn’t start playing when I was 15. I never played under-14, 15 or 16. So I never think that I will play 20 years of international cricket. I don’t think anybody can play for 20 years in the future. It is not possible. We play too much cricket these days.
On his first memories and how Sachin has changed over the years…
I saw him in the 1992 World Cup and since then I’ve been a big fan. I tried to copy his shots off the TV but I don’t think I’m anywhere close to his class. He’s the God of cricket. Only Sachin can achieve what he has. Only he could have scored 45 ODI hundreds and 42 Test hundreds.
On how Sachin has evolved as a batsman…
I don’t think he has changed his batting style. He has changed his stance since ‘92. His batting style is absolutely remarkable. He plays the way he wants to. He can understand the situation, conditions and the opposition better than anybody else.
On comparison with other great players…
No one is close to him, not even Ricky Ponting or Brian Lara. We are very lucky to be playing with him. He picks the line and length early and gets into a good position to play the ball.
On his favourite Sachin innings and shot…The 148 in Sharjah, 165 in NZ, the recent 175 in Hyderabad, 242 in Sydney and 195 in Pakistan… There are so many innings where I watched him closely, sometimes sitting in the dressing room and sometimes from the other end. It’s unbelievable. The most special knock was his 98 against Pakistan in 2003. The way he was batting and handling the pressure was deadly.
On chances of India producing another Sachin...
I don’t think India can produce another Tendulkar. It’s not possible so we have to live with this fact that no one can come close to him in terms of performance and records.
On his impact in the dressing room…
He’s a team man, he wants to win every game. He tries to win it for India always. Sometimes he fails. He’s a very helpful man, he will guide you when you ask him anything. He will tell you what he thinks is good for you. As a human being, he is the best.
On Sachin being addressed as grandpa…
He’s the grandpa of Indian cricket now. He has played for 20 years, he is 36 years
old. We can call him the grandpa of Indian cricket.
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