Why is Tendulkar so difficult?
From the bowler's point of view, if I look at a batsman, I don't
see his shots, I see his defence. If a player has a strong
defence, he is a very good player. Tendulkar has a very solid
defence and patience in Test cricket. He played brilliantly under
pressure. He is calm. The best thing about him is that he doesn't
show his emotions, what he's feeling inside. That's quite
important. His body language is always very positive.
Is there a feeling that if he gets
out the Indian team is in trouble?
Definitely. He's their main player. And they know it. And we know
it And if he gets out, then the team collapses. Okay Azharuddin
can score runs, Dravid can score runs, but ... Sachin can win a
match on his own. Like he showed in the last Test when he nearly
won it on his own. So definitely nowadays he's the best batsman
in the world.
Can you compare the styles of Gavaskar and
Tendulkar?
To Gavaskar, I've bowled very few times. He looked very solid, a
typical opener. If the ball is outside the off-stump, he'll let
it pass. Tendulkar is also very solid, when he wants to be.
Gavaskar would occasionally spare a bad ball which Tendulkar
doesn't.
So there's more chance of getting
Sachin out than Sunil?
Yes, from a bowler's point of view.
You mentioned that your dressing
room and the Indian dressing room had a different atmosphere.
Like how?
If Sachin had been batting, and if he had cramps, I would have
sent a man in straightway asking if he needed a runner, to give
him a break, give him water. Next over the physio would have gone
in, even if he didn't need anything, just to remind him that
there's only 20 runs to go, there's no rush. Okay he's a great
player but concentration lose kar sakta hai and he did. But
nobody (from the Indian team) came out to tell him anything.
Maybe they thought that his concentration would be disturbed.
Maybe they thought that if he
needed a runner, he'd ask for it.
Yes, but even if he didn't need it, he would have got a break.
When Afridi batted we must have sent him at least 600 messages.
That's why he scored so much (laughs).
.