'I Was Nervous And Wanted to..,' Confesses Rohit Sharma on Meeting Sachin Tendulkar For First Time
Sachin Tendulkar with Rohit Sharma [Source: Twitter]
In a heartwarming display of admiration and respect, Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, has spoken of Sachin Tendulkar's profound impact on his career.
The star batsman, who was inspired to take up the sport professionally by the legendary Tendulkar, revealed that it was a dream come true to not only play for India but also to partner with the "Master Blaster" on the pitch.
Recounting the first time he met Tendulkar up close in the book 'Sachin@50', Rohit revealed that he was nervous and eager to impress the cricketing icon. He added that Tendulkar watched him train at the Cricket Club of India during Australia's tour of India in 2004/05.
According to him, getting recognition from the Indian stalwart was the "ultimate yardstick". Sharma also stated that he went on to play with Tendulkar in the 2006 Ranji Trophy final, where he learned from the great man "up close".
"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," said Rohit.
The Indian skipper's first memorable innings for India in ODIs came during the Commonwealth Bank Tri-series in 2007/08 when he scored a sparkling 66 against Australia in the first final and stitched a 123-run partnership with the former opener.
Rohit hailed Tendulkar's contribution to their partnership, saying that the cricketing legend was reading the bowlers exceptionally well and could anticipate what they would bowl to Sharma. He also said that the veteran batter's insights were of great help to him, who trusted his judgment while batting and made an important contribution to the team.
"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," stated the 35-year-old batter.
 "Jatin")
