Sachin Tendulkar rarely weighs in on issues but when he does, they are words of wisdom and depth. And that’s what it was this morning in Leeds when we engaged on the series and more. When asked about the young leadership group and the process of transition in Indian cricket, Sachin spoke at length about the churn and how this is always a constant in cricket and will always be the case.
'Sport will always move on'
“You must realise this is a great opportunity for the current lot of cricketers to step up and make a difference. The sport will always move on and there will always be churn. That’s what has always happened and will continue to happen. The baton will be passed from one generation to the next. And that’s where the opportunity is. You need to look at it with a positive mindset. Don’t think about what you don’t have. Think what you have and how you can use it."
'Solution mindset'
"I have always approached my cricket with a solution mindset. That’s when you find answers to every problem. There will always be phases in the game when you find things difficult. You always need to stay positive and face such situations head on. Cricket, the very nature of it, is to ask you questions. Challenge you. Push you and make things hard. It is you who has to stay ahead of the task at hand and deal with things positively and with intent."
'Treat it as an opportunity'
"There was a time when Rahul, Sehwag, VVS, Sourav and I retired. Even Gautam Gambhir the current head coach retired at the same time. The next generation of players then took over. They carried the game forward and made it stronger. They played the part expected of them. Now they have moved on and there is a churn. It is now on the next crop of players to take leadership and do their job. But when they do that the mindset always has to be positive. Each player who is here should treat it as an opportunity. An opportunity to do something for the country. That’s how things move on in sport."
How to bat in English conditions
"Also, when you bat here in these conditions you need to know that there will be phases of the game when you will struggle. The bowlers will be on top. Things will not happen for you and you will not find it easy to play shots. That’s where the real Test is. Stay positive in these situations. Treat every ball on merit and buy your time. Identify areas to score and wait for the sun to come out. That’s when conditions will start to get in your favour and you can score big. I am looking for something special for this young bunch of players on this tour.”
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