Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar is only one century away from a record 100 international centuries. A billion eyes will be praying and following him when he walks out to bat against England in the first Test at Lord’s, but the landmark is the last thing on the batting maestro’s mind as he simply wants to enjoy his game during the tour.
Sachin, who has 51 centuries in Tests and 48 in ODIs, insists that enjoying the game is the key to success. “I am not thinking of records,” Sachin was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.
“I am just thinking of enjoying this tour. The secret to any performance is not in chasing records. I think about, ‘What is the best way to enjoy the game, and how can I enhance that enjoyment factor?’
“If I enhance the enjoyment then, naturally, the standard of play becomes higher. To me, that is more important. If I am playing well, things can happen. I don’t need to go around chasing them. It is a process. You construct a solid foundation and build on it.”
The little genius has been training here for the four-Test series while his team mates are set to join him soon from the West Indies.
Tendulkar said that being in England enables him to balance life by doing thing he will not be able to do in India due to the crazy fan-following.
“When I spend time in England, it is different. I get to do certain things that I wouldn’t be able to do in India, to go into the park with my children, to do whatever they want to do, whether it be a game of soccer or cricket. I enjoy the best of both. The idea is to balance life in India with life away from India, to get the best of both and to be a happy man.”
When asked about retiring from the game he has played for over 20 years, Sachin said, “I haven’t. I am enjoying every moment. It has been fun. In fact, I am looking at how to enjoy the game more and how to improve the standard of play. It is about getting better. Nobody knows what is going to happen tomorrow. At least today I know that I want to enjoy cricket, to enjoy the moment.”
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