On Sachin Tendulkar’s 53rd birthday, his leadership skills as a captain are being revisited, countering the common belief that he was an ordinary captain.
Photo : TN Sports Desk
Sachin Tendulkar’s exploits with the bat don’t need a retelling, nor his trademark straight drive or the paddle sweep that he made his own during the course of his 24-year international career. On his 53rd birthday, we decided to revisit another version of the Little Master that got lost in the lazy narratives set by a section of the media, and perhaps, some former cricketers. As a captain, he was a clear communicator, the leader his own dressing room swore by, but the outside world never quite grasped. That long-held myth was dismantled by his former Mumbai teammate Jatin Paranjpe in the simplest terms.
While speaking exclusively to Sports Now, Paranjpe, who had also played for India, stated that Tendulkar never quite got credit for the kind of captain he was and pointed out that he has been unfairly regarded as an ordinary captain, adding that Mumbai cricketers who have played under him would know his credentials as a captain and what an astute cricket brain he had.
What Made Tendulkar A Special Captain
“I have already said this, that he never has got the credit he deserves as a captain. Because he was a damn good captain. And he was a player’s captain. I played under him for 10 years for Mumbai. He was a player’s captain, completely. And he is very unfairly regarded as not being such a good captain. All the guys who played for Mumbai know how good a captain he was,” he said.
“Every player, he spoke to differently. As for how he perceived the player, he spoke to the player in that way. So, really good captain. But I think he was unlucky that he could not come up with the results when he captained India,” he added.
The numbers, however, betrayed him. Leading India during a transitional phase with a weaker bowling attack and brutal overseas schedules, Tendulkar’s captaincy never got the results that shape public memory. And in cricket, perception often hardens into a verdict.
“I think those were the times when our bowling was not as strong as it is today. And I think some tough tours also at that time. Overseas tours. So, I think he was just a little bit unlucky with the calendar as well. But I mean, my view will not change that he was a damn good captain,” he stated.
Paranjpe, Amre Pick Tendulkar’s Best Knock
Talking about his favourite Tendulkar knock, Paranjpe recalled the innings he played against Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy semi-final in 2000 that helped Mumbai win by 8 wickets. He was unbeaten in both innings, scoring 233 in the first innings and 13 in the second.
“233 vs Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy semi-final. This was in 2000,” he was quick to remind.
If Paranjpe picked Tendulkar’s 233 in the Ranji Trophy semi-final as his best knock, his longtime Mumbai and India teammate Pravin Amre went back in time to pick his century on debut against Delhi in the Irani Cup as the best he had seen him play under trying circumstances when he was barely 15. Although it came at a losing cause, it earned him his India selection.
