Sachin: A Billion Dreams Page #2

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But how would one get him out?

That's howl learnt

my back foot defence.

It would remind

me of Formula One pit-stop"

...as soon as he came home...

...Sachin would fall

asleep in mother's arms...

...father would massage his

feet while his aunt would feed him.

This is where my career

took direction and shape.

It changed me as a person...

completely.

From a notorious kid to

a serious... focussed cricketer.

I scored the highest

partnership with Vinod Kambli...

...which was also a world-record

at that time.

- He's still batting, sir.

- The bowlers are crying...

- They don't want to bowl to them

In 5 matches of inter-school Cricket,

he'd made 1028 runs.

He'd only been out once.

So already Tendulkar

was a well known name.

All the top Mumbai cricketers...

...were sort of quietly

going across to see him bat.

Even at the age of 14-15 years...

...one could see that

here's a young player...

...who will make a name for India,

as well as for himself in the future.

Sachin, you must

be getting tired now...

...of people asking you questions,

and giving interviews a lot.

I think this is just the stan.

You prefer facing fast bowlers?

- Yeah... I always prefer...

What is the reason for that?

I like to play fast bowlers because

the ball comes straight on the bat.

At the CCI Nets, I think Kapil

also bowled to you?

How was that?

I enjoyed... just kept on playing.

16year-old Sachin Tendulkar,

child prodigy.

The youngest ever cricketer

to play for his country.

At 14, he was the

youngest ever cricketer...

...to play the Ranji Trophy, which

included a century in his debut match.

Once in a decade, a genius is born...

...and Sachin Tendulkar is just that.

I am very proud to say that I've

been selected for the Indian Team.

And tomorrow we'll

be going to Pakistan.

Do you feel a little nervous

about facing the Pak team?

Not at all.

India-Pakistan is the world's

foremost sponing rivalry.

I remember one World

Cup match that India won...

...and there was celebratory gunfire

by the sentries across the border.

It's something other cultures

might struggle to understand.

As the new dominions of Pakistan and

India take over their own affairs...

...fleeing from their looted,

blood-stained towns, comes a new exodus...

Overnight the countries got split.

It was one of the most violent

mass migrations in history.

Unlike anything seen anywhere

else in the world.

Whether it's cinema

or culture or sport...

...lndia versus Pakistan gets imbued

with a different kind of significance.

And cricket is the only area where

the two square off against each other.

You don't want them

to square off anywhere else...

...especially if the

alternative is the armies.

- Long live... India!

In 1989, the conflict in

Kashmir was just about to start.

At that point in time, for a 16

year old Indian to go to Pakistan...

...and play the likes

lmran, Wasim and Waqar.

Unbelievable.

The first time we saw him on

Karachi Grounds during practice...

...he looked about 14.

I looked at Waqar,

and Waqar looked back at me.

And we said,

what's this little kid going to do?

Why have they got him here?

And the next batsman

looks to me to be Tendulkar.

And if one can say he's having

a baptism of fire, this is it.

Coming to a situation where

India are reeling and...

...the Pakistan pace attack

looking almost invincible.

We were consistent 150kmh plus,

with swing.

Waqar Younis to Tendulkar...

it's quite a terrifying site.

The first ball to him was a bouncer,

and we said to him...

"Welcome son, to Test cricket.

This is not school cricket.

The only drive you'll get

here is from the hotel to the ground."

This one a very airy-fairy

shot from Tendulkar.

Bowled!

I felt I was completely out of place.

I thought that maybe never again.

After that Sachin's body

language looked pretty negative.

He dropped his shoulder down,

and he looked very disappointed.

So it was decided that

I should go to Pakistan.

I remember him coming

to me and saying in Marathi...

"Don't you think I was in a hurry."

So I told him...

"You must give yourself some time

at this level...

...just respect the conditions."

For quite some time, my coach

hadn't allowed me to wear a helmet.

He said you got to watch the ball...

...and if you get hit,

then learn to get hit.

We were in a delicate situation.

Wasim-Waqar were bowling flat out.

Full throttle.

It was a gory sight.

His nose was totally

smashed out of place.

The entire Pakistan

team gathered around me.

And Javed Miandad said...

"Your nose has been broken..."

...you got to leave right

away and go to the hospital."

By the time I reached

the non-strikefls end...

...l hear a squeaky voice...

"l'll Play"-

"l'll Play"-

If I had walked out it would have

been a huge benefit to Pakistan.

My brother Ajit was sitting

right in front of the dressing room.

I didn't want to let him...

or my country down.

I wiped away the blood...

applied bit of ice...

...and continued batting.

I knew the next delivery

was going to be a yorker.

He was standing 2 feet behind.

In that state of mind,

he anticipated.

That's a good shot.

That's four runs.

That must do him

a world of good.

He didn't bat an eyelid after that...

...he was like a guy who has

already played 15-20 test matches.

Yes, you are gonna break some bones...

...but that won't stop

me from doing what I want.

That's when we Pakistanis

got impressed with this little chap.

I hit 57 runs...

...and that satisfaction for having saved

the game for the India was unbelievable.

I became fearless after that.

Just 2 days later...

...Sachin was facing Abdul Qadir,

the best spinner in the world.

- When Qadir had just bowled,

he said something to you.

He told me that I

won't let you hit it.

I think,

thanks to the grace of Allah...

...not many have hit

me for a six too often.

In fact, I bowled to

him with my full ability.

'53 runs in 18 balls...'

'lt was a statement.'

'A legend was born.'

- And a new star in

International Cricket...

India today successfully

launched a long-range missile.

You can visualize India through

the prism of Sachin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar on 98.

And there it is...

...first Test Match hundred

for Tendulkar aged 17 years.

India's former Prime Minister

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated today.

If you come from a nation,

that has a lot of sadness...

...you need good stories

around to forget yourself.

That's 50.

Beautiful 50 from this young man...

...a star of the future.

Until 1991 we were an economy

that was a closed one.

- We are on the verge of a collapse.

- Time to think big.

There's a chance he'll get it.

It almost seemed as though we were

present at a kind of an arc in history.

We were actually watching the

possibilities of the future unfold.

Here's the youngest player

to score a test 100 in Australia.

His second 100 in the series,

and certainly the best.

Tendulkar's achievements

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