Sachin Tendulkar refuses to draw own captaincy parallel with Shubman Gill: ‘The less said about it, the better'
Tendulkar didn't have a roaring stint, making one century and seven fifties in 16 games that fetched him 1,070 runs, but as a 19-year-old, he charmed audiences, sent membership numbers soaring and was quickly accepted as one of the 'locals'. A decade on, he made a magnificent 193 in the third of four Tests against England, one of the prime movers behind India's series-levelling innings victory in 2002.
'That time, the weather was completely different,' Tendulkar tells Hindustan Times from London, the voice coming through clear as crystal. 'Now it's scorching heat there (in Leeds) but that time I remember, before the Test, we couldn't even have proper practice sessions because it had rained. The game also didn't start on time, I think it started half an hour late or something like that because it was raining. And it was a damp pitch, a green-top. We won the toss and batted first…'
That move by Sourav Ganguly baffled onlookers because everything cried out for a 'bowl-first' decision, but through Sanjay Bangar, Tendulkar, Ganguly himself and Player of the Match Rahul Dravid, India defied all predictions to post 628 for eight declared and troop out commanding victors.
'It was something that, as a team, we decided – to take up this challenge. We had gone in with two seamers (Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar) and Sanjay Bangar, and we played with two spinners – Harbhajan (Singh) and (Anil) Kumble. The decision to bat first was obviously a collective decision and we felt that okay, we will put up a total on the board and we will put pressure on them. We were able to do that, we were able to execute our plans and put a lot of pressure on them and beat them by an innings. It was possibly one of the sweetest victories ever for us.'
India were shored up a 170-run second-wicket stand between Dravid and Bangar, after which Tendulkar and Dravid put on 150. India slammed the door on England's face when Tendulkar realised 249 for the fourth wicket in a powerhouse batting display that flattened Nasser Hussain's men. 'Rahul and Bangar had that crucial partnership, and then there was that partnership between me and Sourav. I had two big partnerships, one with Rahul and the other with Sourav,' Tendulkar recalls, then adds with a chuckle. 'On the second evening, the batters (himself and Ganguly) wanted to continue but the umpires said the light was too bad and we need to walk off! They took the third new ball. It was the only time in my career where the umpires said, 'We can't see the ball, we need to go away'!'
India's five-Test series against England, beginning at Headingley on Friday, will be played for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, as the Pataudi Trophy has been rebranded. The move has raised hackles, displeasing many – including the great Sunil Gavaskar – about the legacy of the Pataudi family being tarnished.
Having maintained a steadfast silence thus far, Tendulkar observes, 'It's a huge honour (that he is one half after whom the trophy has been named). When the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and the ECB (Emirates Cricket Board) decided to retire his trophy, it was completely their decision, I think I was travelling somewhere. And then after a couple of months, I got this surprise that they have decided to name the trophy after me and (James) Anderson. My initial impression was that it was a nice way to recognise two players – one has played 24 years for the country, Test cricket, and the other one has played 21 years of Test cricket for his nation. I thought it was a good way to recognise that.
'I picked up the phone and I spoke to the Pataudi family. I told them about this and also in the same breath, I said that I have always respected my seniors and their contributions, and I will do everything possible to keep that legacy alive. 'Let me come back to you'. After that, I spoke to Mr Jay Shah (the ICC independent chair), the BCCI and the ECB. We had a few calls, I shared a few ideas and later on, they were all on the same page and they graciously accepted a few suggestions -- the outcome of that was very good. The Pataudi Medal of Excellence for the winning captain – it's a good match because he was known for his leadership. I felt by introducing this, we are keeping the legacy alive, which is important. I feel very happy about the outcome. The phone calls that I made ended up in a result that we have been able to keep the legacy alive.'
There is excitement, but also a little trepidation, among Indian fans with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's retirements having plucked a chunk of experience out of the Test side, to be now led by Shubman Gill. 'There are going to be multiple challenges and it's something that everyone looks forward to because it's not going to be a smooth ride all the way in a five-Test series. There are going to be ups and downs, some challenging moments,' Tendulkar agrees, with a rider. 'But that is what all the players work hard for -- to prepare themselves for those difficult moments. I think the team has the firepower to counter whatever the England team is going to do. We have the experience also of players like KL Rahul, (Ravindra) Jadeja, (Jasprit) Bumrah... Rishabh (Pant) is experienced now, Shubman is experienced now. We have got these guys. We have Karun (Nair), who has been around. At the international level, he has tasted success and also played a lot of first-class cricket, county cricket here. Yashasvi (Jaiswal). All these guys are there. Sai Sudharsan has looked good. I feel we are very much there. It will be a close encounter.'
In many ways, the Rohit-Kohli retirements spark a stroll down memory lane to 2012, when Dravid and VVS Laxman retired within months of each other, after India's tour of Australia and before the start of the home season, with a two-Test series against New Zealand. Tendulkar was still around then to oversee that period of change. Who does the Indian team look up to to reprise that role, one wonders.
'This transitional phase is there for us,' Tendulkar concurs. 'And along with those two (Rohit and Kohli), I would also add one more name, which is (Ravichandran) Ashwin, who also has retired. (But) I feel the players are capable of handling the pressure. This transitional period, it happens to all teams. This time, it is KL Rahul who is one of the senior most guys. There is Jadeja, Bumrah -- they will take that responsibility. Gautam (Gambhir, the head coach) is there to guide the team and overall, I feel that the guys, they are not coming straight into the Test team from the Under-19 team. They have been around. It's a nice blend. Karun, though he is coming back to the Test team, he has been around. He is 33, has a lot of experience. Not an absolute youngster as such, which kind of helps, you know. This is the phase where those kinds of cricketers will come and guide youngsters. It will surely help someone like Sai Sudharsan to have experienced players around them. I feel the players are talented. If they were not skilled, then one could have said it's worrying. But the players are skilled and I don't see it as a problem as such.'
Tendulkar was first made India's captain when he was only 23, and one of his earliest assignments, a little over two months into the role, was leading the team on a three-Test tour of South Africa in December 1996. Gill, 25, starts his baptism by fire with this five-Test outing of England, but Tendulkar was swift in saying, 'I wouldn't compare the two eras because the way everything functioned at that point of time was completely different to the way it is functioning today. Multiple things happened during that period; the less we talk about that, the better it is.
'My message to him (Gill) would be to shut off from the outside world because there will be a lot of opinions. There will be a lot of discussions – was he being more aggressive or too defensive and all those kinds of things will happen. But he can't be thinking of what X, Y, Z is saying about what is happening. When you sit in the dressing room, you have plans and there is an end goal at the end of the Test match -- how do you get to the destination? They would have planned all those things. The outside world will say a lot of things. But he should not worry too much about that and do what is best for them to do in the interests of the team and the nation. So long as he knows that whatever decisions are being made, are being made in the interest of the team, interest of our country, then that is what matters.
'After that, if someone says that it was the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do, those opinions will only be opinions because only someone from this dressing-room can walk out on the field and play. No outsider can go out and play. The ones who are able to do that should not worry about what's happening outside. They should be focussed on a bigger responsibility, which is to go out and play and do well. Their focus should be on doing their job, more than anything else.'
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