TIMES SPORT SUNDAY TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI 21 SACH NOVEMBER 10, 2013 JOY WONDER YEARS Farewell To A Boy Wonder He knew when to give it his all: Kulkarni MY IDOL I want to imbibe Always Sachin’s passion for the game Sharp Sudheendra Tripathi | TNN not need any to enhance his fitness levels,” Kadrekar recalls. It is a well-known maxim that a day in the life of a nor- person should give cent per cent in mal 11-year-old will be whatever he does. Mumbai coach something like this: Sulakshan Kulkarni reveals how Wake up at six, take a Sachin focused on each delivery. Ashower, gulp down “What Sachin did right was that breakfast, head to school, come back he knew exactly when to switch on home, play for an hour or two, do and switch off. Sure, he trained hard homework, watch TV, have dinner and was extremely focused,” Kulkar- and then hit the sack. ni says and cites an example. “If a In Sachin Tendulkar’s case, how- bowler is on the top of his run up ever, the routine was something like and takes about 15 strides to reach INSPIRATION FOR this: Wake up at six, scoot to Shiva- the popping crease, Sachin would Prasad ALL AGES ji Park for practice, bat in five dif- give his 100 per cent attention when Ramasubramanian | TNN Baba Aparajith with ferent nets for approximately three the bowler is about three steps away Sachin Tendulkar hours, then play a match at any one from delivering the ball. If you keep Chennai: B Aparajith, before leaving for of city’s sprawling maidans, hit the giving 100 per cent attention all the one of the brightest tal- Australia to take part nets again after the match, knock time, you tend to drain out fast. His ents in India at the mo- in the U-19 World Cup for a while and finally call it a day. match preparation is very scientific. ment, is among the count- Batting has always remained He knows exactly what to do and less cricketers to have been Tendulkar’s passion, age of course when to do it. People keep wondering inspired by Sachin Ten- was just incidental. Watching mov- how he has managed to play for such dulkar. The 19-year-old, ies, play hide and seek, hang around a long time. I am convinced that who scored a double hun- disciplined as Sachin is,” with friends didn’t have a place in Sachin has managed to keep going dred on Duleep Trophy Aparajith said. the little master’s life. for such a long time because he knew debut this season, has al- The Tamil Nadu all- For him, it was the maidans and when to give it his all. He used his ways followed the little rounder had the opportu- the time he spent there honing his resources judiciously.” master’s game in his ef- nity of interacting with the skills, that has taken Tendulkar “The fact that Sachin played so forts to get better and bet- legend ahead of the where he is today. many matches helped him a great ter as a player. Under-19 World Cup in Aus- “The one thing that stands out deal,” recalls Mandar Phadke, “I can’t single out a par- tralia. about Sachin is his passion to bat,” former Ranji Trophy player and ticular shot of Sachin that “Sachin spoke for about recalls Mayur Kadrekar, Ten- Tendulkar’s batchmate at I admire. But Sachin’s bal- 40-45 minutes. He empha- dulkar’s first captain in school. “He Shardashram. “When we were 12 or ance and the time he has to sized on the importance of used to bat in five different nets. And 13, during the Diwali vacations, we execute a shot are facets giving our best on the field. even after batting for three hours, played 24 matches in 24 days. It used that I have tried to bring to The most important point he used to take throwdowns. The to be very hot in October, but my game,” he said. of his speech was the in- boys who threw balls at him used to Achrekar sir insisted we play Aparajith is awestruck sistence on playing as a tire, but he never got tired. Batting matches. So Sachin used to be at by Tendulkar’s meticulous team, and in making full was his only love,” Kadrekar adds. Shivaji Park one day, at Azad Maid- preparation before a use of the opportunity. With so much happening around an the other and at Matunga Gym- match. “For someone who Sachin’s talk fired us up, them, youngsters can easily lose khana the following day. He has so has achieved practically and inspired the team to focus. The temptation to indulge many matches under his belt that everything in the game, give our best shot,” Apara- can be a huge dampener. But batting he knows exactly what to do in a what stands out for me is jith said. was Tendulkar’s only indulgence. particular situation,” Phadke notes. the way Sachin prepares Aparajith hopes that he “He loved batting so much that Those close to Tendulkar stress for a game. can also be as passionate he did not need any external drive on how sharp he is in the brain. “Even though he had about the game as Ten- or motivation. All he knew was to Former opener Navjot Singh Siddhu, announced his retirement dulkar is. bat and he did not deviate one bit. in fact, was quoted as saying: “His he travelled all the way to “What sets Sachin apart He was so focused about his bat- mind is like a computer. He stores Lahli for Ranji game to is the passion and respect ting that when I look back, data on bowlers and knows where ready himself for the Tests he shows for the game. 15 it seems unreal. The they are going to pitch the ball.” against West Indies. That’s This is something every YEARS HUNDRED ON other inborn quality Kadrekar who has played a lot preparation for you. You cricketer should learn…At DEBUT that Sachin possessed of cricket with Tendulkar in his can’t be playing top-notch the end of the day, it’s all The age at which was tremendous early days says: “Tendulkar has su- cricket for this long if you about the hunger,” Apara- Tendulkar made his stamina. In those preme cricketing acumen. He is a are not determined and jith said. Ranji Trophy debut for days, there were no very good reader of situations. He Mumbai against scientific methods knows exactly how to react,” Gujarat at Wankhede like today. But he did Kadrekar says. NUMBERS GAME 326* Only difference now is that he speaks more The number of runs Sachin Tendulkar scored during his then World Record partnership of 664 with Vinod he did it most actors would take three Kambli, while batting for Shardashram Vidyamandir Not much has changed since Sachin’s first video or four takes for that. The next couple against St Xavier’s in a Harris Shield match in 1988. interview in 1988. He’s a little more confident and of times we met, we discussed the in- terview. He clearly remembered it. speaks much more in front of the camera now, One poignant memory about Sachin was in 2005, at his restaurant in Bom- feels Tom Alter bay. His partner Sanjay Narang was a DID YOU KNOW? student of Woodstock School, Mus- n the middle of the year 1988, Su- soorie where I too had studied. The nil Gavaskar told me that the two cricket coach for Woodstock for 33 years best batsmen in Bombay were was Brij Lal, who had coached Sanjay WHEN SACHIN WON Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin too. So, when Brij came to see me, San- Rs 101 AS M-O-M I Tendulkar. I had never heard of jay very sweetly arranged an evening a Sachin Tendulkar. So such praise from with Sachin. Brij being the typical Sachin Tendulkar, while captaining a team in the someone like Gavaskar had naturally small town cricketing hero from Alla- Sports Star trophy, ended up winning man of the stunned me. By the end of the year we habad couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. match, not for his batting but bowling and that too were shooting a film overlook for sports. Here is this man from Allahabad telling in the final in 1987. Girish Patki, who was managing I was interviewing Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar,“ Woh jo tum World the team, recalls: “Our’s wasn’t exactly a strong Sachin was practicing in the nets with is a combination of both. The other Cup me out ho gaye na 2003 mein Glen team and Sachin was given the task of leading the the Bombay team. Vengsarkar took me thing he spoke about was facing fast McGrath ki bowling par tumhe aisa shot side. He had struck three centuries leading into the over and introduced me to this 15-year- bowling. He said he liked it as the ball nahi maarna chaiye tha.” final and we were up against a strong team that had old who by that time had not only played came on the ‘batt’ not bat. The one word So here was Brij Lal coaching Ten- the likes of Vinod Kambli, Jatin Paranjape and Ranji for Bombay but had also scored to describe him was charming. dulkar in his own restaurant. Sachin Kaushik Godbole. Looking at the strong batting line- his first century against Gujarat.