“There was Sunny. Then there was Kapil.
Sachin is beyond both. He’s something else.”
Ajay Jadeja.
"I can't dream of an innings like
that. He exists where we can't."
Ajay Jadeja (after India entered the Coca-Cola cup final
in Sharjah)
"Its a tough proposition to bomb
Sachin out of play. he just stands there and everybody comes
running up against him and falls short."
Ajay Jadeja.
"Sachin is absolutely fearless and has
no regard for reputation. he will give 200 percent to the team
and I can't think of a more committed cricketer than him. He is
very innovative and is full of ideas at team meetings. He thinks
a lot about the game and expects the rest to measure upto his
standards when he plans a ew things."
Ajit Wadekar - former manager of the Indian cricket team.
"Sachin loves challenges, he loves to
be defied. If a bowler takes him on in a game he destroys the
same bowler in the next game."
Ali Irani, former Indian physiotherapist.
"Sachin clarifies all our doubts
gently as an equal and not from a pedestal."
Amit Pagnis, captain of India under 19 team for Worldcup
1997.
“He is stupendous. I don’t want to
run out of adjectives describing him,”
Anshuman Gaekwad, Manager - Indian Team
"Sachin's first ball duck in calcutta was stunning.Simply because the team feels strong when he is in the middle or is padded up to bat. There is enormous pressure on him,something none of us can concieve.We always tend to ignore the fact that he has been playing continously for a very long time without a break.Moroever the standards he sets for himself are so high that the expectations of the public,media,officials,even other players inadvertently become far greater. In the chennai test he told me on the last day he would get runs and see the team through.When we lost his eyes were brimming with tears.People ask me all the time what sort of a man sachin is.Here's one answer:I'm sure he wouldn't have gone to accept the man of the match award even if he was well and fit(he was suffering from cramps in the dressing room).This is a man of extraordinary pride. I think unfortunaltely what is happening is that we tend to forget he's a human being.I think he has done admirably well for the team recently despite his injuries.I'm just hoping these injuries don't become worse." Anshuman Gaekwad, in his column in India Today
"I would pick Sachin to lead in the
World Cup, he has always been my choice. I have the highest
regard for Azhar, he is the most successful captain India has
ever had. But Sachin will provide that extra aggressiveness to
the side, in the real sense. Azhar lacks in aggression, which is
something the side needs for a competition like that. Also, Azhar
is not a pro-active captain, he believes he doesn't have to do
much in the field because everybody knows what he is supposed to
do, but a captain has to be more involved in the proceedings out
there. I favour Sachin -- but then, time is short, and I am not
sure anyone wants to change captains at this late date."
Arun Lal in 1998
"He lives cricket. his mind is like a
computer, storing voluminous data, from rivals to the
behaviourial pattern of pitches all over te world. He's a blue
chip. With the kind of form he is currently enjoying I would pity
the guy who has to bowl to him. He is unstoppable.
The best way to get him out is to pray to god. He
has an extremely sharp mind and eye. Even during practice when
the bowler is at the top of his runup mark he closely observes
the grip of the ball, which side the shine is and other details.
Usually most batsman watch the ball only at the point of
delivery, but Sachin has already made his observations by this
time. This gives his brain so many cues as regarding stroke
selection. This is crucial at the international level because
decisions have to be made in a fraction of a second. That is why,
I think, he has the ability to put way even good deliveries,
which most batsmen either defend or leave. This puts Sachin on a
different class ".
Balwinder Sandhu
"I switch of the television when he
walks back to the pavilion."
Bhaichung Bhutia, India’s ace footballer
"Greatest living Indian today. Wait
till he crosses the 200 run mark in Tests. His best is yet to
come. He is God's rare craetion. He ahs everything you could
dream of. Patience, technique, dominance, timing. The greatest
quality of Sachin is that he has not allowed loss of captaincy to
affect his batting. He ahs remained a great team man and his
humble behaviour is admirable.".
Bishen Singh Bedi.
"Sachin Tendulkar is the best man to
lead India.With him at the helm,minus azhar,things will
definately change.I am convinced that if someone can give
direction to the team,it's Tendulkar. Tendulkar needed the
setback he's suffered against pakistan recently.I scolded him for
playing that shot at Chennai.Even Sir Don Bradman used to get
out,but after completing the job. Tendulkar is probably the only
guy in the team who is willing to learn.Rahul Dravid is also
intelligent,but the problem with him is he is weighed down by a
thought at the back of his mind,ki yeh mujhe drop karr de to kya
hoga?(if they drop me then what will happen?). The 83 team
comprised reasonably like-minded people-KapilJjimmy,Sandeep
Patil,,Madan Lal,Yashpal Sharma etc.-in many ways.They were
willing to sweat it out till their last drop of blood.Is team men
Sachin ke sivaye mujhe koi dikhaayi nahin padta (in the present
team there is noboddy like that,barring sachin tendulkar)."
Bishen Singh Bedi, on the Indian team's captaincy
and World Cup chances.
"I don't know what lies ahead for the
bowlers if Sachin bats like this. They have my sympathy. I have
not seen this kind of batting in my career.".
Dilip Vengsarkar.
"Theres no better sight on the cricket
field than watch Tendulkar bat".
Harsha Bhogle.
"To play cricket in India today is to
live in the shadow of Sachin Tendulkar. At most times it must be
exhilarating. In just a few others it must be frustrating, for he
seems to control the spotlight and it may only stray if he takes
an early bow. If he doesn’t, and if he fancies a good time
in the middle, the support cast needs to do something
ridiculously massive even to be noticed. "
Harsha Bhogle - after Kumble's 200 ODI wicket mark
went unnoticed due to Sachin's 18th ODI hundred.
"I remember talking to you about this,
and how Tendulkar at number four is a huge comfort layer for the
entire team. The thing that is noticeable is that Sachin is
looking a little uneasy, and you can't see the performer in him.
For someone who is used to putting on his pads and getting out
there to face the first ball, it is an uneasy feeling to sit in
the pavilion and watch the overs tick by, it tends to make one
restless. It is a different thing in a Test match, where you know
that even if your openers have gone out and put together a good
total, you can still go out and bat out an entire day if you
want, but it's not the same in a one-day match. If 30 overs are
gone in a one-day game, and also taking into account the fact
that Sachin likes to get a sighter for about two overs before he
gets into the thick of things, in spite of the fact that a
batsman as good as him should be able to adjust to any situation,
but I have always noticed that a performer, as such, always wants
to be in the thick of things, as quickly as possible. If you take
the spotlight away from a performer he tends to get itchy and
irritable, and he doesn't look very happy with life. If Sachin
has revelled in the spotlight, he should stay in the spotlight.
Tendulkar simply doesn't look totally at ease waiting for his
turn to bat."
Harsha Bhogle in WC99
"I havenot seen another batsman like
Sachin in my entire career. I have bowled to many batsmen. Viv
was most outstanding and could demolish any bowler with his
brutal strokeplay. If anyone can be better than Viv, it is
Sachin. Sachin can demolish any bowler. He may not be an arrogant
man but his cricketing abilities border on arrogance. Any batsman
can hit a bad ball but only Sachin can hit a good ball.".
Kapil Dev.
"Batting has been Gods gift to
him.Candidly,Sir Donald Bradman,a boy from Bowrel,had not been as
gifted as India's little young man."
K R Wadhwaney.
"As many commentators have said that
there are no words to describe his phenomenal ability as a top
cricketer. He makes bowling look a silly occupation.
The feature of his batting, I think, is his keenness to dominate
bowlers, since he dominates he scores fast because one cannot
dominate a bowler just by defending or blocking a ball. And
cricket is all about scoring fast if you want u’re team to
be in a good position. Sachin’s performance and actions on
the field are focussed towards being in a good position and
winning. That is what makes him a winner."
Lalchand Rajput.
"Even as a teenager he always seemed
very focused and alert on the field. He learnt his lessons
fast."
Lalchand Rajput, former Mumbai captain.
“The more I see of him, the more
confused I’m getting as to which is his best knock.”
M.L. Jaisimha.
"Sachin is totally committed to the
game and the country. You can't find a better team man than him.
He is national property and deserves to be handled with care. Only
one in a million can be a tendulkar. He has god-gifted talent and
needs no coaching. Others have to work hard."
Madan Lal - former coach of the Indian cricket team.
"A rare bird, indeed. THE more I see
him, the more I want to see him. You don't get such players
often. We are lucky to have Sachin Tendulkar, a kind of player
you get to see once in a lifetime. I have often wondered what it
must be to be like him. He is the most important factor in Indian
cricket. I have no hesitation or inhibition in stating this
because it is the truth. The team's overall strength changes with
this man's success. His mere presence is enough to inspire the
others to give hundred per cent because he is never short of
making some contribution or other. "
Mohd. Azharuddin
"When Tendulkar plays well,we really do
not stand a chance to lose. Sky is the limit for this man."
Mohd Azharuddin
"I was hopeful as long as Tendulkar
was in the middle. It was quite an extraordinary batting display
by Tendulkar and his innings deserved a greater honour. He should
have been on the winning side for his gallant performance. He
fought pain and handled the pressure exceptionally well, but
sadly we couldn't win the Test."
Mohd Azharuddin after the Chennai Test against Pakistan
"A complete batsman- he's the best in
the bussiness."
Mohinder Amarnath.
"His mind is like a computer. He
stores data on bowlers and knows where they are going to pitch
the ball."
Navjot Sidhu, Indian opening batsman.
"There are times when you begin to
think the guy ain't human, and this was one of those times. There
are times, too, when you begin to wonder what India will do
without Sachin Tendulkar -- but that perhaps will wait for
another day. "
Prem Panicker - after the match against Australia in
Dhaka, 1998 where Sachin scored 141 and bagged 4-38
"You have to be in awe," he says.
"Indecision, whether to go forward or play back, is
everyone's problem. He is never in doubt."
Rahul Dravid
"Playing in the same team as Sachin is
a huge honour. His balance of mind, shrewd judgement, modesty
and, above all, his technical brilliance make him my all-time
hero."
Rahul Dravid.
"I like talking to people and learning
from them. I talk a lot with Sachin. He is a great batsman and
talking to him you get a fair idea about your game. He is quite
clearly the best. He is going to go down as the best of this era
and of many more. He may ultimately have the same impact on the
game as Bradman. Both he and Azhar have always been helpful to
me. But playing with him you have always to be careful not to
attempt some of the stuff that he does. All you will end up doing
is make a fool of yourself. What I have always consciously done
is tried to maximise my potential in the areas that I think I
have a better chance of succeeding. I cannot bat like Sachin and
I shouldn’t be trying to.".
Rahul Dravid
"Yes, we do depend a lot on Sachin. I
have no shame in admitting that. He is the best player in the
world, and we are proud to have him on our side and he is proud
to be on our side."
Rahul Dravid
"I was very impressed the first
time I saw him bat as a little boy at the Cricket Club of
India."
Raj Singh, President - BCCI
"We are proud to possess him due to
his commitment to Mumbai and Indian cricket."
Prof. R. Shetty, Secretary MCA.
"I have never seen any batsman in the
world focussed so deeply as sachin was and it was a total
surrender by the aussies and not just a compliment when they said
he is the best batsman in the world after sir don bradman."
Rajsingh Dungarpur after Sachin’s performance
in Sharjah in April '98.
"We always knew that Sachin Tendulkar
is a great cricketer, but after the Coca-Cola Cup here, we have
seen the birth of a legend. I can't think of anybody who has
batted more authoritatively in one day cricket for India, or even
in the world except for Viv Richards."
Ravi Shastri.
"I will be accused of sycophancy, or
flattery at the very least, if I praise this young genius
anymore. But can this be helped. For the present, there is a fine
victory to savor. And the handiwork of a genius called Sachin
Tendulkar."
Ravi Shastri - after Ind Vs Aus, Dhaka, 1998
"Sachin is a gem of a person.He has a
very positive attitude.Everybody in the team wants to win but I
guess Sachin wants to win more then anybody else".
Robin Singh
"I tell you everytime I see him I
think god created him for the game of cricket."
Sanjay Manjrekar
"Sachin Tendulkar can't stop amazing
and wowing cricket fans. Every time he goes out to bat you think
that the law of averages will catch up with him, but it doesnt.
He always has something special lined up for his opponents,
particularly if the tournament is big and prestigious. he seems
unstoppable as runs flow in torrents. Be it top pace, bounce or
spin, he has an answer for everything hurled at him. Even jet-lag
after a tiring journey or mild afflications like cold and fever
cant prevent him from his favourite pastime - despatching balls
to the boundary."
Sudeep Sonawane
"We have been more than chums from the
time we were eleven year old. We know each other so well, that we
can predict each other’s next move on the field. I can tell
you what Sachin is thinking. I do not believe anybody knows him
better than I do, maybe Anjali, his wife, does now. And Sachin is
the only man I trust. If I were a child again and I was asked to
bring a parents or guardians signature I would take
Sachin’s."
Vinod Kambli on Tendulkar
"It's sad one billion people in
India have to rely on one man."
Vinoo Mammen of MRF.
“I always felt C.K. Nayudu was the
best. I now think Sachin has the honour of being the most
outstanding batsman of all time.”
Vasant Raiji (Cricket historian )
"There is no way to tell it. The art of
fiction is dead. Reality has strangled invention. Only the
utterly impossible, the inexpressibly fantastic can ever be
plausible again."
INDIA TODAY describing Sachin's 155* at Chennai,1998 vs
Australia
"Sachin's gone nuclear !!!"
THE OUTLOOK in 1998,
"Every bowler knows it. It's not a
question of if, it's when the violence will begin. Zimbabwe's
Henry Olonga found out two months ago. As usual, the hard way. In
the first match he dismissed Tendulkar with a rising delivery. In
the next he didn't know where to pitch -- Tendulkar's bat was
everywhere. Olonga was taken off double-quick. No big deal. In
Sharjah, Delhi, Dhaka, Harare, London, Colombo (and a few others
we missed) Tendulkar has been doing just that. Getting bowlers
taken off, shortening their careers. As that subtle Aussie
Michael Kasprowicz put it in Sharjah, "I'm sick of that
$#%&*." We understand. After all, Tendulkar scored four
centuries in four consecutive one-day finals. He scored two
centuries in three Tests against Australia. He took 5-32, his
best one-day spell. What else can he do? At the Mumbai nets this
year, manager Ashok Mankad asked, "Do you bowl left
arm?" Replied Tendulkar with a straight face, "Yes, I
can do that also." In 1998 the man was bigger than the
myth."
INDIA TODAY
"Cricket needs cleaning up. One man
though erases all despair. Every time Tendulkar bats, you need to
pick up a synonym finder - but even that has limited alternatives
for GENIUS. First night he scored 141, took four wickets, hit the
wickets with a 50m throw. At the end, he should have just raised
his arm like superman and flown home. No one would have blinked.
later he explained his innings saying ...... "This is a
knockout, so every match is a final" ..... Jesus, genius on
tap; the guy wants a century, so he just goes out and gets one!
Ranatunga had said..... "It takes normal batsmen time to
settle down in tournaments. So maybe, here you will see the
difference between great, good and okay batsmen" .........
We did"
INDIA TODAY - Nov 9, 1998 on Sachin in the
mini-world cup at Dhaka.
"Maa bolti hai ki, bete bhaag ja ,
Tendulkar batting ko aaya hai".
An advertising agency in New delhi who coined this
slogan - on the lines of the famous 'Gabbar Singh' dialogue
from SHOLAY - for the Australian bowlers.