Mumbai: Once again terming it his best Test ton, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday said his career took flight following the knock of 114 on a bouncy WACA track in 1992, adding that the innings against a hostile Australian attack in Perth gave him immense confidence.
“One innings that changed my career or gave shape to my career was in Perth, 1992. Perth, at least at that time, was regarded to be the fastest wicket and the hostility of the Australian fast bowlers was something which was difficult to handle. I was able to score a 100 and I was only 19,” he said during an interaction with school children here.
“And just two matches before that, I had scored a hundred in Sydney but they were two different kinds of surfaces. I knew that Perth was the kind of wicket which I would not get to play anywhere in the world and If I can bat on Perth and score runs then I am possibly equipped to go on any other track which is fast and bouncy and score runs there.
“My career was just starting. I had done well for a couple of years by then but it really took off after that Perth innings because I felt I was ready to take on the world. By no means I was over confident but I became a confident cricketer where any challenge put up against me, I was equipped to face that,” he added.
The retired great interacted with Ryan International school children at north western Malad during the launch of ‘Kaspersky Kids Awareness Programme’.
His response came when he was asked by a student to rate his best Test century out of the 51 tons he had scored in his 24-year international career in which he also notched up 49 ODI hundreds to make it a round 100 centuries.
Tendulkar hung up his boots last November after a glittering career that saw him amass 15,921 runs in Tests, at an average of 53.78, and 18426 runs in 463 ODIs at an average of 44.83.
The batting maestro said though his father was not interested in cricket he supported Tendulkar when it came to choosing his career, and he would do the same for his children.
“In my case my father didn’t decide that I should play cricket. He gave me the freedom to express myself. Above all he found out what I was interested in and of course it was with the help of my brother.
“My father was not interested in cricket at all but it was my brother’s initiative. My brother said we need to make him join a summer camp and partially also because I was a very naughty kid. That is how my career started,” he said.
“I want the same thing to happen to my children. My son (Arjun) enjoys cricket. Earlier he enjoyed playing football and then it was chess. Now it is cricket.
“So whatever he wants to be in life, all I have asked him is to be sincere and honest. I have told him that I will support you and guide you in whatever you want to be in life.
“So is the case with my daughter (Sara). She wants to follow her mother’s footsteps.
“She wants to become a doctor or go the medical side and she has full backing. So it is their choice,” he added. (PTI)