‘Sachin Tendulkar can predict what the bowler is going to come up with next’

Irfan Pathan (left) and Sachin Tendulkar first met at the NCA in Bangalore when the latter was selected in the 30-member probable squad in 2002 © AFP  

By Irfan Pathan

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I first met Sachin Tendulkar in 2002 at a camp in Bangalore where I was selected in the 30-member probable of the Indian team. When he walked past me, my mouth was left open in awe. The star of cricket, someone whom I had idolised for so long, and had grown up watching was in front of my eyes. I didn’t have the courage to initiate a conversation. I just kept on looking at his pads, the way he carried himself while practicing, his bat and the thickness of it. He came up to be and had a brief discussion about my bowling and other general cricket stuff. Over the years, the awe was only to grow big.

He is a special human being. He has managed to conduct himself with great dignity for such a long period. He has seen different eras, from the times when sweep was considered to be an audacious shot even to the spinners to the times when batsmen are hitting reverse sweep off fast bowlers. He has seen it all. Most importantly, he has adapted and acclimatised himself well to changing times and conditions.

Among his many splendid innings, I can easily recollect his knock against Australia at Sydney in 2004, which is my favourite. It was my second match with the Indian team and I was nervous facing the likes of Brett Lee, who was hurling the ball at full pace. He was partnering him at some stage of his innings. To have him at the other end, made me feel better and comforting. He would constantly come and have a chat to tell me what Lee was going to bowl next. Almost every time he predicted correctly whether a bouncer was coming my way or a yorker. His reading of the game and the opposition’s mind was simply mind-boggling.

Sachin is a great person to have outside the field of play as well. One of the instances I remember very well was in 2007 when Australia had come to India for a One-Day International (ODI) series. Ahead of the clash at Baroda, the entire team had come home for dinner. It was there that I observed how Sachin was relishing the biryani like a child. It was a good evening at home.

I didn’t realise that Sachin had loved the biryani so much that the next day he would come up and ask me, “Kal ki biryani bachi hui hai kya?” (Is yesterday’s biriyani still remaining?).

There have been a lot of great memories shared with the Little Master. But, unfortunately I won’t be able to witness his 200th Test at the stadium.

—     As told to Aayush Puthran

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(Irfan Pathan is has played 29 Tests and 120 ODIs so far for India in his unfinished career)