New Delhi: Former captains K Srikkanth, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble felt they were the lucky few to have lead a team with Sachin Tendulkar in it.
On the eve of Tendulkar's 20th year in international cricket, the four former captains went ga-ga over the 36-year-old batting maestro.
They feel that to last 20 years in international cricket is a fantastic achievement and for that one has to have special qualities. Tendulkar had everything that made him the best in the world.
For Ganguly, Tendulkar will always remain special. During his five-year tenure as the India captain, Tendulkar and Ganguly formed the most exciting opening pair in the One-day Internationals (ODI) and they tore apart the best of bowling attacks.
"Fortunately I have played nearly 300 ODIs with him. It is not easy to share all the great moments I had with him. I congratulate Sachin on the fantastic achievement of playing 20 years for the country," Ganguly said.
Recalling his first interaction with Tendulkar, Ganguly said: "My first interaction with him was at the under-15 national camp in Indore. But before that I heard a lot about him because he was making news even then."
Incidentally, Dravid, who was also in the same camp, said that Tendulkar was always a step ahead of others of his age.
"He was always special. The fact that he has lasted 20 years in international cricket is a big achievement in itself. He has fulfilled the expectations of a billion fans and has done it regularly for many years," Dravid told IANS.
"He is very chatty in the dressing room and he is an outgoing person. He has contributed a lot to the game. Personally I feel privileged to be able to play for such a long time with him, a legend," he said.
Kumble concurs with Dravid.
"It is amazing to see the way he has lived up to the expectations of the nation, how he has carried the burden of expectations of millions of people. He has managed to deliver almost every time he has been expected and that shows his consistency and commitment. He has also managed to maintain his image on and off the field and that is what youngsters should learn from him," he said.
Srikkanth, Tendulkar's first captain, recalled the turbulent times in which Tendulkar played in his debut series in Pakistan.
"The players and the cricket board were on a collision course over players' contract. Before the Karachi Test a tense Sachin came to me to share his feelings. I assured him that he was too junior to get into any trouble and asked him to play freely. The rest is history," he said.
What surprised Srikkanth was the ease with which Tendulkar handled leg-spinner Adbul Qadir, who then was the best in the world.
"Sachin stepped out twice and hit Qadir for two consecutive sixes. I was at the other end and asked him to be careful since Qadir was the best spinner then. Sachin just raised his hands and told me 'boss just be relaxed. I am fine.'" he said.
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