New Delhi: In 1989, the 17-year old Sachin Tendulkar did not know how to approach his game. He had failed to make an impact in his debut Test against Pakistan, scoring just 15 in the first innings and did not get an opportunity to bat in the second.
He spent the night tossing and turning, wondering whether he would ever get another chance. Giving up was not an option. The opportunity arrived in the second Test, and Sachin ensured that he made it count, with a half-century.
For the World Cup-bound hockey team, this was one of the motivational stories the Master Blaster shared during a private meeting with the 18 players here on the day. Tendulkar, mentor to Mumbai Indians in the IPL, was in Delhi en route to Mohali on request of Indian hockey skipper Sardar Singh.
The session slated for 40 minutes went on for more than an hour-and-a-half, with players asking questions ranging from facing pressure to handling big teams, off-the-field camaraderie.
How did he approach his first-ever World Cup in 1992, asked midfielder Gurbaj Singh, requesting Sachin to give tips to the many youngsters in the team, who would be playing in their debut World Cup at The Hague, the Netherlands. Sachin replied, “I was under some pressure. But as a player, you have to shut out the outside world. You cannot allow them to disturb you. How you perform and how it helps your team is all you should think about. If you come back to your room satisfied, you have done your job.”
Tendulkar remembered how losing to Bangladesh in the 2007 edition of the 50-over World Cup in the West Indies that saw India crash out of the event in the first round itself was playing on his mind even four years later.
“To my surprise, we were scheduled to play Bangladesh in the first match in 2011 Cup also. The first game is always the key, I wanted to make sure that we win this time to get a good start. Don’t let pressure overcome you... Get rid of all fear and focus on the job,” he told the attentive audience.
Sardar was eager to learn about match preparation. “Ideally, it should begin 1-2 days ahead of the game. Find what helps you, it could be a prayer, music, yoga anything,” Sachin said, even revealing how he had once almost given up on his career after a spate of injuries.
Drag-flicker V.R. Raghunath, known for his fiery temperament, was keen to get tips on anger management. “What can I do after the umpire has given me out?” said Sachin.
“Any amount of anger is not going to get me back to the crease. Being aggressive is good but you have to realise if it’s helping you perform better or not. Ultimately, the team had to benefit from your performance and always keep that in mind.”
The players presented him with a signed jersey and a stick. Sachin in return promised to watch all the World Cup matches on television.
