My best moments have been watching Sachin Tendulkar bat in England and Australia: Jeff Dujon

Jeffrey Dujon, West Indies wicket-keeping great and now a television commentator, pays tribute to Sachin Tendulkar in an exclusive interview with G Krishnan.

Jeffrey Dujon, West Indies wicketkeeping great and now a television commentator, pays tribute to Sachin Tendulkar in an exclusive interview with G Krishnan.

Excerpts:

Q: What was your first reaction when Tendulkar announced retirement?

A: I cannot say that I was surprised at Sachin’s decision to retire at this point. To play 200 Tests is a great achievement. He has, however, been past his best for some time and the approaching milestone and the pressure of expectation from the Indian public seem to have further limited his remaining powers. I hope his final Test is one he can look back on and feel that it was worth maybe staying on a little too long.

Q: What does Tendulkar mean to you and to the West Indies public?

A: Sachin is one of the greatest cricketers of all time. He will be remembered by all who played against him as a formidable opponent.

Q: In your playing days, playing in 100 Tests was huge. Now, Tendulkar is on the verge of playing in 200th Test. How do you look at this record?

A: Two hundred is a lot of Tests, and can only be surpassed by someone well on the way. I see the number of Test matches played diminishing in time to come, and this will mitigate against even young players now getting there.

Q: What have been your best Tendulkar moments?

A: My best moments have been watching Sachin bat in England and Australia. His play against the moving and bouncing ball confirmed in my mind he is a complete player.

Q: What makes someone like Tendulkar last so long and still be consistent?

A: Sachin’s longevity, in my opinion, can be attributed to his passion for the game, a solid technique, attacking intent coupled with great powers of concentration and a will to succeed.

Q: What does Tendulkar’s retirement do to world cricket and Indian cricket in particular?

A: I can’t think of an impact that Sachin’s retirement will have on world cricket. Indian cricket may be more affected, although the void left by the departure of such greats as Rahul Dravid is rapidly being filled by some outstanding talent like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and company.

Q: Which of Tendulkar’s duels against the West Indies bowling greats did you enjoy?

A: The only duels Sachin had with the West Indies that I enjoyed were the ones where he got out early.

Q: Before Tendulkar actually made his debut in Pakistan in November 1989, he said was disappointed that he was not included for the West Indies earlier in the year. At that time, could he have taken on Malcolm Marshall, Ian Bishop, Curtly Ambrose and the pace battery when not even 15?

A: To even speculate that a 15-year-old Sachin, no matter how great he turned out to be, could have coped with the West Indies pace attack of 1989 is a bit more than a stretch of the imagination. Few men did, even fewer with consistency, and only when they had matured as players.

Q: Could not the West Indies team used all the hype surrounding Tendulkar’s retirement to its advantage and started the series on a positive note?

A: I see absolutely no advantage for the West Indies because of the occasion. The Indian team is a professional outfit with a winning culture. If anything, they would be wanting Sachin to go out on a winning note.

Q: Any other thing that you want to say about Tendulkar?

A: I would like to wish Sachin all the best in his retirement. He has been truly outstanding as a cricketer and as a person. He has a lot to look back on with pride.

(G Krishnan qualified as an umpire from Tamil Nadu Cricket Association in 1997 before making sports journalism as a career. His other interests include wildlife and reading. Krishnan is Principal Correspondent of DNA, where the article first appeared)

• 
• 
•