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The Sachin Tendulkar Chat

'A single player cannot win or lose any game'

Sachin Tendulkar enjoyed himself hugely on the Rediff Chat. There were many, many, many more questions Planet Earth's Greatest Batsman could answer in the 90 minutes he spent on the Rediff Chat, but there is little doubt that most Chatters logged off last Monday, January 25, satisfied with the encounter. Unfortunately, because of a technical glitch, some of the questions posted could not be saved.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:20)

Hello Room, I am here, to answer your questions... so shoot...

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:20)

Srinath: The treatment is going on, and I am hoping to play against Pakistan on the 28th of this month.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:22)

Shankar: I practise daily between 3 and 5 hours, which includes running, stretching, net practice and fielding practice...

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:23)

Vijay: I try my level best whenever I go out into the field, and it is not always that I come out with flying colours. Sometimes I do fail, but probably it is a natural gift in me. As I have always tried to play my natural game, which has always been very attacking...

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:24)

Nagasubramaniam: yes, my first sixer was during a school match, and Vinod Kambli was bowling to me. I hit a straight sixer off him, that was my first one...

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:24)

Kartik Daswani: We have a very good side, a very balanced side, and Madras has always been a lucky ground for Indians, and I am very confident of our team. I am sure we will perform well.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:26)

GoBulls: yes, I really do admire Michael Jordan for his fitness, I think he is 36, and to be at the top when somebody is that age really requires a lot of hard work and sacrifice. I really do admire him. My lifelong ambition is to play for as long as possible for India, and to keep winning matches for India. About the six off the final ball, I will try and finish it before the last ball...

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:27)

Vijay: For the time being we are just concentrating on the Pakistani tour, and the World Cup is three months away, so I will take things as they come. For the time being we are just thinking of this series and not of the World Cup.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:29)

asriv: We only had four days in between, and I am still recovering from the jetlag. Hopefully once we get on to the ground everything will be forgotten except the cricket. About the upcoming series, we look forward to playing good cricket.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:30)

Bhaushah: In my whole career I must have got out only three or four times to a slow ball. So it's not so bad.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:31)

Sampath: The number of 4s I have hit? Sorry, I can't count them on my fingers, that's for sure.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:33)

Deepak: Good question. During the drinks time, or when you see the 12th man running in with the gloves, that is when the captain expresses his mind and gives his opinion which is usually discussed inside the dressing room by the manager and the vice-captain.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:34)

Pallavi: A very happy birthday in advance to you! Not only Rahul and I, but the whole team will try and score a hundred, as we always do.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:35)

Kishore: Ups and downs are always there in cricket, so whatever has happened you just got to leave that behind and turn over a new leaf, with a positive frame of mind and go out and give your best.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:38)

RSinha: A single player cannot win or lose any game, there are 10 other guys, and without their contribution it is just not possible. So the best way is to bat well, which is my job, and if required to come in and roll my arm, get a breakthrough or take a brilliant catch and chip in... This is what I will try and do whether I am a player or a captain.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:39)

SunilK: A Test match is a different ballgame, and requires different planning. We don't have to bat for only 50 overs, we can bat for as long as possible. Whereas in a one-day game we have only 50 overs, so we need to score as many runs as possible in those overs, and that is the only reason for me and Saurav to open in the one-dayers.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:41)

Chintanshah: My daughter is fine, thank you. She is at a stage where she repeats whatever she hears, including showing six, four, wides, no ball, and out, which she sees on TV! When the Pepsi ad comes on, she keeps watching it, and at the end says 'my papa, my papa!'

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:43)

KPopli: I have tried to achieve that landmark for the last nine years, and I won't give up.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:44)

KartikDaswani: We have had one of the greatest bowlers in the world, Kapil Dev, and it took 15 years of hard work to reach that level, which is not easy. So we've just got to be patient.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:45)

Gops: I am a normal human being, and let me be a normal human being. I really appreciate the way they pray for me and wish well for me, which inspires me a lot, motivates me. I just hope they continue to do so.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:47)

Balaji: It is very hard to single out, but there are many batsmen who I admire: Steve Waugh, Brian Lara, Mark Waugh.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:49)

Shekar: Usually we know the strengths and weaknesses of the opponents, so there is not much of planning which is actually required, we have played against them in the recent past which will certainly help us to to analyse things in a better way on the field.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:51)

vijay2: If you bowl to me, perhaps I should score a double hundred right tomorrow itself :-) But seriously, I will try and do this as quick as I can.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:51)

Kevin: The last time we played at Sharjah, we won the tournaments, so the last couple of times it was lucky for us. I hope it continues being lucky for us.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:53)

Roshan: My scoring shots depend on what kind of attack I am playing against, and where the bowlers are trying to get me out. Yes, it certainly won't work on all the wickets, but you have to adapt accordingly and perform in the middle.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mon Jan 25 1999 20:54)

Viv: Yes, sometimes attack is the best form of defence, when you know there is no other way out.

'I feel very happy when I cross 100, but the next thought is, what is the requirement of the team?'

Photographs: Jewella Miranda