India U19 newcomer Yashasvi Jaiswal meets Sachin Tendulkar
What's the story
Debutant in the under-19 squad for the Indian side, Yashasvi Jaiswal recently had a dream come true when he got an opportunity to meet the "Little Master" of Indian cricket, none other than Sachin Tendulkar, who was one of the young prospect's role models. Not only did Yashasvi get to talk to Sachin, he also acquired a few tips on batting and the game in general, from the maestro himself.
The details
Yashasvi Jaiswal was in news right from the moment he was freshly picked for the under-19 Indian squad. The story of the young boy's travails from a kid who slept in makeshift tents, selling pani-puris in Bombay suburbs, to knocking on the doors of international competitions had received a lot of attention via the print and electronic media.
Arjun Tendulkar, yet another exciting prospect for the future who is none other than Sachin's own son, is also another debutant in the U19 Indian side. It was through Arjun that Sachin expressed his desire to meet teammate Yashasvi, who he had heard of his struggles from the media stories.
Yashasvi later spoke to the media about the rendezvous in complete detail, bubbling over with excitement as he narrated everything in detail. “Arjun asked me to go home because he said "Papa wants to meet you personally. You go by yourself". So I went like he’d asked me to,” he spoke on how the whole thing initially unfolded.
Undoubtedly, the lad was nervous at first, on account of the stature of the man he was facing. However, Sachin is learnt to have quelled the nerves as easily as he used to dispatch deliveries to the fence in his playing days. The 17-year old was told that he could ask any question he had in mind on the sport. Yashasvi for his part, was prepared to do so as well, having charted a set of queries already in anticipation. He later revealed that once the ice broke, it was a smooth sail for him as both himself and his wonderful host conversed on several things involving cricket.
Yashasvi was most interested in knowing how he could control his emotions and deal with pressure whilst on a big and important outing on the pitch. As we all know, Sachin is not someone who not unfamiliar with the context - in the face, he is way too familiar with it. The master is learnt to have asked his disciple to just enjoy the pressure and not to focus on the impending result.
A few shortcomings of Yashasvi's technique while batting was also looked into as Sachin is said to have drawn a conclusion for his repeated dismissals while trying to play cover-drives, in a jiffy. Sachin is also said to have instructed the lad on some slight changes in footwork, that would ideally help him play steadier innings.
Upon parting, he also received an autographed bat from the master, at the end of what was understandably a very fruitful session for him. If there is one thing that he still regretted, it would be the fact that he was not able to take photos with his mentor. “Oh, I didn’t take a picture with him. I walked out while talking to him,” he said.
In case you didn't know...
Yashasvi is a middle-order batsman currently aged just seventeen. But let the age not make the reader undermine the boy's talent. Sound technique and a solid temperament on the pitch has helped him become one of the top players of his age group across the nation.
Over the past few years, the famous Mumbai cricketing circles were abuzz with stories of a very young batsman who used to play local games but needed support to make it big. It was when a local coach Jwala Singh met him and took him under his wing, that Yashasvi began prospering more for the better. Climbing the steps of cricketing ladders one by one, the young boy now plays shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Arjun Tendulkar, and that speaks volumes of his determination and hard work.
What's next
The India Under-19 team will shortly head to Sri Lanka, where the hosts will engage them in a limited-overs series. Yashasvi has also been named a part of the squad headed to the island nation.