Without saying in as many words, Sachin Tendulkar reiterated his desire to win the World Cup on Friday. "I still want to achieve something and everyone knows that," he declared when asked about the motivation that drives him, having already claimed all batting records in the game.
 "I still want to achieve something and everyone knows that." © AFP |
The India World Cup team received a boost when stalwarts Mohinder Amarnath, hero of the 1983 triumph, and Sunil Gavaskar termed MS Dhoni's team the best ever to represent the country.
Tendulkar admitted it would be motivation for his teammates.
"It has been terrific being part of a team which Jimmy paaji and Mr Gavaskar rated as one of the best sides to play for India and it is a big compliment coming from them. The goal was to be No. 1 (Test team) and we are happy to achieve that," he said.
Tendulkar was happy to have proved the critics wrong as few gave India a chance against South Africa on their turf.
"When we got there (No.1) people thought it was just a matter of 30-40 days. After losing the first Test to South Africa in Nagpur (2010), we got to hear a lot that we will lose the No.1 spot but were standing here a year later and we are still No. 1. To get to No.1 is wonderful but to stay there for a year is just fantastic," said Tendulkar, who played a pivotal role in helping India square the Test series 1-1.
With his performance post-35, Tendulkar has proved that age is no bar for him. "I don't think it is about age, it is about what you bring in as a team member and what you contribute."
The new star on the cricket horizon, Yusuf Pathan said his strategy is to keep it simple: "If it's in my area, I hit it," said the big-hitting Baroda player, who won the Impact Player Award.
No comments:
Post a Comment