Sachin lauds coach Kirsten

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar feels the South African Gary Kirsten played a key role in India's success in New Zealand

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar feels the South African Gary Kirstenu00a0played a key role in India's success in New Zealand

IT would have come as no surprise if Sachin Tendulkar got roped in as brand ambassador for a product known for its longevity on his recent tour of New Zealand.

A lot of credit has to go to coach Gary Kirsten who has allowed the natural instincts of players to flourish. A lot has got to do with what's going on in a player's mind and Gary has played a huge role there - Sachin Tendulkar

The people who he played against on his first tour of New Zealand in 1989-90 have ended up as living legends. Examples: Sir Richard Hadlee, who said only recently that the little Indian is the greatest batsman ever and John Wright, a high achiever as player and coach. Some are seasoned commentators. Examples: Martin Crowe and Ian Smith.

Stephen Fleming, Craig McMillan, Simon Doull and Mark Richardson form another set of former players turned commentators who started and ended their careers during Tendulkar's best years. The Mumbai mauler is still blasting away.

Before his first game on the NZ tour, Tendulkar admitted to his former teammate and present fielding coach Robin Singh that he couldn't believe it was 19 years since he made his first tour to the beautiful country.
Tendulkar played his part in India's first Test series win in Kiwiland since 1967-68. A 160 in the first Test at Hamilton was followed by some significant scores of 49, 64 and 62. India's historic series win could well mean that Tendulkar has got an apt gift for his 36th birthday on April 24.
Excerpts from an interview:

If there's a message the Indian team has sent out by their performance, what would it be?
It would be wrong to say earlier teams did not try hard enough and they didn't mean business. Everyone goes out there to win. I just feel this is a nicely balanced side with a lot of talent. Without these aspects it wouldn't have happened. The guys are scoring big and the bowlers are striking as often as they possibly can. A lot of credit has to go to coach Gary Kirsten who has allowed the natural instincts of players to flourish. A lot has got to do with what's going on in a player's mind and Gary has played a huge role there.
Along with Gary, the support staffu00a0Venkatesh Prasad (bowling coach), Robin Singh (fielding coach), our physio Nitin Patel and Paddy Upton (mental conditioning coach). It's the huge effort from all of them that has created this environment.

Pre 2001, you never experienced a Test win outside the sub-continent and now India has won a Test everywhere. Is this a dream for you?
Absolutely. I was part of those victories. I think we started from Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. That gave us a lot of confidence that yes we can win Test matches abroad. Once you know how to win a Test match and when you do it often, it's a fantastic feeling.
Five days of competitive cricket and healthy competition make things exciting. Mind you, all this started in a different manner with nobody scoring a hundred or no bowler getting a five-wicket haul in 2001. It was a clear-cut indication of a team effort in that Bulawayo game. After that, there have been some good performances and we grew in confidence.
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Purely from a personal point of view, the 160 in Hamilton or the big tribute Richard Hadlee paid to youu00e2u0080u00a6 what would be your pick as a tour highlight?
(Laughs). Mine would be the 160 because we won there. I hate comparisons and by no means I'm trying to play the rating game here, but a Test victory abroad which won us the series is obviously big. Only when I do all those things, the compliments follow. What I set out to do and what I do is a priority. However, when someone of Hadlee's stature pays you such a compliment, it is truly special. I felt very honoured.

What do you attribute Gambhir's success to?
He has worked very hard. He's a confident guy and a different player today. I wouldn't say that he was less talented two years ago. He was certainly talented, but as I said earlier it's the case of natural instincts taking over and that can be credited to Gary. The team environment is allowing players to play their natural game. That's probably the secret.

You are not captain anymore, but what would it be like to lead this kind of a team?
As I said, we've got some seriously talented players. The secret to this success is the players are playing their natural game. That can only happen if the atmosphere is good and the mind is free of any kind of pressure.

Despite you being second in the tour batting charts (344 Test runs), people will continue to ask when are you going to retire...
I know exactly what to do and what not to do. I am enjoying my game. If I make up my mind, I will let them know. Why should people be asking that question and what's there to not tell anyone about it?

How excited are you about the IPL being played in South Africa?
The IPL is something I am looking forward to. The teams will be better planned, better prepared this time.
Conditions will be different. Once you get there, you will know exactly what to expect. It's an advantage for the guys who have played in South Africa.