"I have to confess I was nervous"- Rohit Sharma recalls his first close encounter with Sachin Tendulkar
Indian captain Rohit Sharma was among the many budding cricketers who were inspired to take up the game professionally by the great Sachin Tendulkar. Rohit admitted that it was a dream come true for him not just to play for India but also to be able to string some crucial partnerships with the Master Blaster.
Rohit Sharma recalled the first time he saw Sachin Tendulkar from close quarters. It was during Australia's tour of India in 2004/05 when Tendulkar visited the Cricket Club of India (CCI), a place where Rohit used to train.
The Indian captain claimed that Sachin Tendulkar spent some time watching him bat and that made the then-teenager really nervous. In the book 'Sachin@50', here's what Rohit Sharma had to say about the legendary batter:
"Paaji (Tendulkar) had come to the CCI and was standing behind our nets and was watching me train. I have to confess I was nervous. It was natural I would be. You just wanted to impress him. To get recognition in his eyes was the ultimate yardstick. Thereafter we played the 2006 Ranji Trophy final together, which Mumbai won, and I kept learning from seeing Paaji up close."
Rohit's first impactful innings for India in ODIs was arguably his sparkling 66 against Australia in the first final of the CommonwealthBank Tri-series in 2007/08. Both Rohit Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar added 123 runs for the fourth wicket as India clinched the game and went on to win the tri-series.
Here's what he had to say about the partnership and how Tendulkar helped him understand the bowlers:
"We needed a partnership to win the contest, and Paaji (Tendulkar) was batting brilliantly. It was important I stayed with him and backed him up. Australia had claimed that they would close out the three-match final in just two games, and we needed to turn up at our best. We did and beat them 2–0.
"The third final was not required, and Paaji was brilliant in the two finals. He was reading the bowlers exceptionally well and could understand what they were about to bowl to me. In fact, he would come up and tell me what to expect, and it was of great help. I could trust his judgment while batting, which helped me make an important contribution to the team."
Rohit Sharma on Sachin Tendulkar's final Test series
Rohit Sharma made his Test debut for India at a time when Sachin Tendulkar had decided to bid adieu to the game. Rohit shed light on how emotional the team was and how they wanted to give their best to ensure that the series was memorable.
Two hundreds from his first two Tests was arguably the best possible farewell Rohit could give the Master Blaster. On this, Rohit stated:
"With Paaji having announced that this was his last series, the sentiment was very different. Each of us was emotional and wanted to make him feel special every second he was with us. It was deeply satisfying to be able to score a 100 and contribute to the team’s effort after we had been reduced to 83/5 at Eden Gardens. Paaji was very pleased, and so was I. I was able to score another hundred in his last Test match at the Wankhede, and it was fantastic to see Paaji score a very good 74. It was evidence of how focused he was even on his 200th Test."
Rohit also got a chance to captain Sachin Tendulkar during the 2013 edition of the IPL when both were a part of the Mumbai Indians.