Former Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar recalled his first Australian tour in 1991/1992, explaining how the five-try series changed him in a good way and taught him a lot about what it means to be an international cricketer. Tendulkar was just 18 when he went to Australia for a test series, but came out with flying colors, scoring two hundred in a series that would otherwise be forgettable for India.
The bowling lineup Tendulkar was up against consisted of Craig McDermott, Merv Hughes, Mike Whitney, and Paul Reiffel. In that moment, Tendulkar knew that he was no longer a teenager and that the opposition would be crying out for his blood. Tendulkar started the series with scores of 16, 7, 15 and 40 before taking his second test ton, first in Australia, 148 in Sydney.
“They were first-class bowlers and I had grown up watching them. From being a ball boy in 1987-88 to suddenly 1991-92, he was playing against them. I knew that once I was competing, no one was going to see my age, “Tendulkar said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
“They were going to do everything they could to get me out, to send me back to the locker room. And he was ready to face those challenges. That particular tour changed me as a player. He showed me a power-up. Not just technically, but mentally … how to tackle a great game. “
Looking back on his century in Perth, where Tendulkar scored a brilliant 114 on the fiery surface of WACA, the former hitter revealed that he discovered an interesting nugget while hitting. Primarily a front foot batsman, Tendulkar altered his game and showed a lot of maturity to mentally put himself on top of the bowlers.
“People talk about pronounced bounce and rhythm. The pronounced bounce and rhythm mean that the area of good length for the bowler becomes small. It becomes much more difficult for the bowler to find that ideal spot. So if the batter comes out to bat with a positive approach… looking to score runs and keep blocking, there are a lot of opportunities to score, ”he said.
“I looked at it that way. At first it was about getting on top of the ball, but as time went by, my thinking evolved. I thought why you always have to be in front of the ball. When there is no third man, you can get under the ball and use his rhythm. If they falter on the shorter side, it would go through slips or ravines, and even if I don’t do well due to the pace and bounce, it was going to get carried away. “
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