Learning the Game

Learning the Game

From a very early age, I played tennis-ball cricket with my colony friends. I loved watching cricket on television and in our games, I often tried to emulate the mannerisms of my favourite players, Sunil Gavaskar and the West Indian legend Viv Richards. But it wasn’t just the batsmen that I studied. I also loved bowling. Throughout my career, I have actually bowled a lot in the nets.

I was then studying in the New English School, Mumbai. But my brother Ajit knew that compared to other schools in Mumbai, Shardashram Vidhyamandir where Ramakant Achrekar Sir was the cricket coach, gave due importance to the game of cricket. He ran summer camps too. Ajit, one day, took me to the camp to get trained under Sir. Anyone could come for a trial at the camp; but then, it was up to Sir to decide who to accept. I was eleven years old then. Achrekar Sir, as I refer to him, started playing cricket at the age of eleven in 1943, which is the age I was when I went to him for the first time.

I had never batted in the nets before and felt somewhat overawed with so many people around. When I was asked to bat, I was not at all comfortable. With Sir watching me so closely, I failed to make an impact. Sir called Ajit aside and informed him that I was perhaps too young to make the camp and suggested that he should bring me back when I was a little older. My induction into the Mumbai cricket circuit could have ended in failure – but for Ajit’s insistence. Having seen me play in the colony, Ajit knew I was capable of performing far better than I had done in front of Achrekar Sir. He explained that I was nervous and asked Sir to give me one more opportunity. However, he suggested that while doing so, Sir should pretend to go away and then watch from a distance. Sir agreed. Before long, I was asked to bat again and, without Sir’s trained eyes scrutinizing me – or so I thought, I felt more at ease and soon started to hit the ball well. This time, Sir agreed to let me join the camp. I was delighted and I must say it was an opportunity that transformed my life.

The camp involved a session every morning and evening at Shivaji Park. I would practice between 7.30 am and 10.30 am in the morning. Then I’d come back in the afternoon and practice till late evening. The schedule was rigorous and I would be exhausted by the end of the day. Travelling to Shivaji Park took forty minutes from my house in Bandra and I had to catch an early morning bus to make it on time. For the first few days, Ajit accompanied me, to get me used to the routine. During the bus journeys, he would talk to me about the nuances of batting, and I always enjoyed these conversations a lot. In fact, the one thing that I have kept with me all my career is a note that Ajit gave me containing some thoughts about batting. It served as a very personal coaching manual.

As a child, I had only one set of cricket clothes and the routine was to wash them as soon as I’d returned from the morning session. While I had my lunch, the clothes would dry out in the sun and I would wear them again in the afternoon. The pattern was repeated in the evening so that I could use the same set of clothes the following morning. The system worked well – apart from my pockets. There was never quite enough time for the pockets to dry out completely, and for the entire duration of the camp I played with wet pockets. By the middle of the summer camp, Sir had started taking an active interest in my batting and at the end of the two months, informed Ajit that I had the potential to be a good cricketer if I practiced all year round. However, my school – the New English School in Bandra – did not have cricket facilities and Sir was keen for me to change schools if I wanted to pursue cricket seriously.

One evening, Sir called my father and put forward his suggestion. Ajit was in the room with my father at the time and they both accepted that it was necessary if cricket was to be my priority. My father sat me down and explained that while he did not have any objections to my changing schools, I should do so only if I was really serious about playing cricket.I assured him I was, and so it was agreed that I should move to Shardashram Vidhyamandir, where Achrekar Sir was the cricket coach. All my excess energies were getting channelled into cricket, which acted as a kind of safety valve. My father always said that all he wanted me to do was give it my best effort without worrying about the results.

In my first year at Shardashram, I played fifty five practice matches during the summer break of sixty days. My summer sessions used to start at 7.30 am and end at 4.30 pm. My evening session would start at 5 pm after only a thirty-minute break. During the break, Sir would often give me some money to go and have a vadapav (a popular Mumbai fast food).

Between 5 pm and 7 pm I’d have five more net sessions. Towards the last 15 minutes, Sir would place a one rupee coin on top of the stumps and if I managed to avoid getting out, the coin was mine. In this session every bowler in the camp would come and bowl to me, with some sixty to seventy boys fielding. It meant I had to hit every ball along the ground to survive those intense fifteen minutes. Winning the one–rupee coin used to give me immense satisfaction and taught me how to concentrate even when physically drained. At the end of it all., Sir would tell me to run two full circuits of Shivaji Park with my pads and gloves on.

That was the last part of my training and I’d be completely exhausted by the end of it all. It was a routine I would repeat right through my summer holidays and it helped me to build up physical and mental stamina.

Occasionally, my father came to take me home and I would always ask him to treat me to a special fruit cocktail at a juice centre near the club. While this regular demand was a little unreasonable, because at the time I did not realize that my parents also had to take care of the needs of my brothers and sister, my father would invariably end up giving me what I wanted, just to see me happy. On other days, when I made my way home from Shivaji Park on my own, I’d often fall asleep on the bus – if I managed to sit down. Anyone who has been on a Mumbai bus at peak hours will know just how difficult it is to get a seat. On days when I wasn’t so lucky, it was still a challenge just to stand with the kitbag, because the bus conductors would inevitably complain about me taking up the space of another passenger. It could be embarrassing because the conductors were often rude and would sometimes ask me to buy two tickets. I didn’t have the money for a second ticket and I had to learn to take these remarks in my stride. Dirty clothes often added to the embarrassment. With time, I evolved a way of wrapping the kitbag around me. Just as the helmet and pads became a part of me while batting, so the kitbag became an extension of me on the bus. I’d often take the bus or train from Bandra to Church gate, and it was all a great learning experience.

Even though I loved cricket, there were still occasional days when playing with my friends at home was such fun that I would conveniently forget I was supposed to go to the nets. If I didn’t turn up, Achrekar Sir would jump on to his scooter and come to find me. Sir would spot me in the melee and virtually drag me out. I would come up with excuses but he would have none of it. He would get me to change and head off to Shivaji Park. On the drive he would tell me, “Don’t waste your time playing insane games with these kids. Cricket is waiting for you at the nets. Practice hard and see what magic can transpire."

"We need to have proper career orientation. Your personality plays an important role in choosing the type of career you want. Choose something you enjoy and really want to do and you will be successful." At that time, I hated being dragged off, but as I look back, I feel sheepish about my actions and can only admire Achrekar Sir’s farsightedness.

Sir also punished me on one occasion when trying to teach me a very important lesson. Once, I bunked my daily evening practice to watch an inter-school cricket match not anticipating that Sir would be there. He was angry and he said it wasn’t for me to come and watch other people play for, if I practiced hard enough, one day people from across the world would come and watch me play. Had it not been for Sir, I would not be the cricketer I turned out to be. He was a strict disciplinarian and did everything he could for me. I owe myself to him.

About the author

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar was born on 24th April 1973 in Mumbai, Maharastra. He was a former Indian cricketer and captain widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time. He made an impact in cricket from a very early age, displaying a prodigious talent. The world famous cricketer has set many records in his career and is considered as one of the greatest Batsman of all times. He is the only player to have scored one hundred international centuries, the first to score double century in a One Day International , and the only player to complete more than 30,000 runs in international cricket. He played 664 international cricket matches in total, scoring 34,357 runs. In 2012, Tendulkar was nominated to the Rajya Sabha. He retired from cricket on 16th November 2013. ‘Learning the Game’ is an extract from his autobiography Playing it My Way. Coach Achrekar passed away on 2nd Jan, 2019 at the age of 87 at his Shivaji Park residence. Tearful Sachin was at the funeral and paid his tribute by carrying his coach's mortal remains to the cremation ground.

Awards Year

Arjuna Award - 1994

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award - 1997

Padma Shri - 1999

Padma Vibhushan - 2008

Bharat Ratna - 2013

Glossary:

emulate (v) - to match or surpass typically by imitation.

overawed (v) - impressed so much that they are silent or inhibited

induction (n) - the action or process of including someone to an organization

rigorous (adj.) - extremely thorough and careful

nuances (n) - subtle changes in or shades of meaning, expression, or sound

pursue (v) - follow or chase

stamina (n) - the ability to sustain or prolonged physical and mental effort

cocktail (n) - a mixed drink which is a combination of ingredients such as fruit juice, lemonade, flavored syrup or cream.

kitbag (n) - a long cylindrical canvas bag, (here) used to carry cricket accessories

stride (v) - a step or stage in progress towards an aim

embarrassment (n) - a feeling of self- conscious, shame or awkwardness

melee (n) - a confused crowd of people

transpire (v) - come to be known / revealed

farsightedness (adj.) - showing a prudent awareness of future possibilities

bunked (v) - to make oneself absent from a class or session

Prose Questions:

1. Who were Sachin’s favourite players?

Ans: Sunil Gavaskar and the West Indian legend Viv Richards were Sachin’s favourite players.

2. What was special about Shardashram Vidyamandir in Mumbai?

Ans: At Shardashram Vidyamandir in Mumbai, Ramakant Achrekar Sir was the cricket coach who gave due importance to the game of cricket. This was special about it.

3. What was the opportunity that transformed the life of Sachin?

Ans: The opportunity to join Achrekar Sir’s camp involving a session in the morning and evening at Shivaji Park transformed the life of Sachin.

4. What sort of conversations did Ajit and Sachin have while travelling?

Ans: The conversations were about the nuances of batting. Sachin enjoyed them a lot. Ajit gave som thoughts about batting. It served as a personal coaching manual.

5. What routine did Sachin follow in washing his clothes?

Ans: Sachin had only one set of cricket clothes and the routine was to wash them as soon as he’d return from the morning session. While he had his lunch, the clothes would dry out in the sun and he would wear them again in the afternoon.

6. What did Achrekar inform Ajit?

Ans: Achrekar informed Ajit that Sachin had the potential to be a good cricketer if he practised all year round.

7. What was the suggestion given by Achrekar to Sachin’s father?

Ans: Achrekar suggested that Sachin should change schools if he wanted to pursue cricket seriously, since the New English School in Bandra, where Sachin was studying, did not have cricket facilities.

8. What acted as a safety valve?

Ans: Cricket acted as a safety valve.

9. What did Sachin do during the thirty-minute break?

Ans: During the thirty-minute break, Sachin would often have a vada pav, a popular Mumbai fast food, with the money that Achrekar sir would give him.

10. What is the intense ‘fifteen minutes’ mentioned?

Ans: The intense fifteen minutes is the last part of his session. Sir would keep a one rupee coin on the top of the stumps. About sixty to seventy boys in fielding would bowl to him. He had to hit every ball along the ground to survive and win the one rupee coin.

11. What did Sachin’s father do just to make Sachin happy?

Ans: Occasionally, Sachin’s father took him home. Sachin would always ask his father to treat him to a special fruit cocktail at a juice centre near the club. Though it was a little unreasonable, his father would give him what he wanted, just to see him happy.

12. What did embarrass Sachin in the bus?

Ans: At peak hours it was hard to get a seat, it was a challenge just to stand with the kitbag. The conductors inevitably complained about Sachin that he had taken up the space of another passenger. They were often rude and sometimes asked him to buy two tickets. This embarrassed Sachin in the bus.

13. What made Sachin forget, to go to the nets?

Ans: Occasionally, while playing with his friends at home, Sachin would conveniently forget to go to the nets because of all the fun.

14. What did Achrekar advise Sachin?

Ans: Achrekar advised Sachin not to waste his time playing insane games with those kids. He told him that cricket was waiting for him at the nets, he asked him to practise hard and see what magic it could transpire.

Answer the following questions in one or two sentences.

1. What was coach Achrekar's first impression on Sachin?

Ans: Sachin felt more at ease and started to hit the ball well. This was coach Achrekar’s first impression on Sachin.

2. Why did Sachin feel that the schedule of the camp was ‘rigorous’?

Ans: The camp involved a session every morning and evening at Shivaji Park, he practised between 7.30 am and 10.30am. He would return in the afternoon and practise till late evening. He was exhausted by the end of the day. Thus the schedule of the camp was ‘rigorous’.

3. What did serve as a very personal coaching manual to Sachin?

Ans: Sachin’s brother Ajit gave him a note containing some thoughts about batting. This served as a very personal coaching manual.

4. Why was Sachin asked to change the school?

Ans: Sachin’s school had no cricket facilities. So he was asked to change the school if he wanted to pursue cricket seriously.

5. What was the condition laid down by Sachin’s father for changing the school?

Ans: Sachin was serious about playing cricket. Sachin’s father said that if he should do so. he must change the school.

6. How did the act with the one rupee coin help Sachin become a good cricketer?

Ans: Winning the one-rupee coin used to give Sachin immense satisfaction, if taught him to concentrate even when he was physically drained.

7. What did help Sachin build his physical and mental stamina?

Ans: Sachin repeated the practice right through his summer holidays. The routine helped him build up physical and mental stamina.

8. Which incident triggered the coach to be angry on Sachin?

Ans: Once, Sachin bunked his daily evening practice to watch an inter-school cricket match not anticipating ‘that Sir would be there. So the coach was angry.

9. Why do you think Achrekar punished Sachin?

Ans: Achrekar punished Sachin when he taught him a very important lesson.

10. ’I owe myself to him’ - What does Sachin mean by this?

Ans: ‘Achrekar Sir made Sachin a great cricketer. He is grateful to him and his training. So he means to comment I owe me to him’ regarding his coach.

Characters:

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar – Former Indian Cricketer, who wrote this auto-biography “Playing it my Way”

Sunil Gavaskar – Former Indian cricketer

Viv Richards – West Indian legend

Additional Questions:

1. In the early age, Sachin played cricket with ___________ ball with his colony friends.

Ans: Tennis-ball

2. Do Sachin love bowling too or he only love bating?

Ans: Sachin loved bowling

3. What was the name of the school in which Sachin was first studying?

Ans: New English School, Mumbai.

4. What was Sachin’s age when he met Achrekar Sir at the first time?