Mumbai, Nov 17 (IANS) Sachin Tendulkar Sunday got time to reflect on his phenomenal career. He picked the 2011 World Cup victory and his retirement as the best moments of his journey of 24 years and named losing to Australia in the 2003 World Cup as the worst.
“The best moment of my career was when we won the World Cup two years ago. I had to wait for 22 years. I will also say that yesterday was a very special day for me. The way people reacted, I don’t know how to react to that. I want to say big a ‘thank you’ to everyone,” Sachin told a packed news conference a day after he last represented India who beat the West Indies to give the master a fitting farewell.
The 40-year-old made an emotional speech before the packed Wankhede Stadium Saturday and paid respect to the game he loves by touching the turf of the ground where he made his Ranji Trophy debut in 1988.
“The moment when I went on the wicket and stood between the 22 yards, I realised this was the last time I was in front of a packed stadium as part of the Indian team. That made me quite emotional, that I wouldn’t have a bat in my hand, playing for India.”
The legend next recalled the lowest point of his career.
“In the 2003 World Cup we reached the final, we were playing very well but we couldn’t cross the final hurdle,” he said of the massive loss against the men from Down Under.
Sachin battled numerous injuries to last for almost a quarter of a century, especially the prolonged tennis elbow.
Asked to confirm whether he ever said that injuries brought good luck, Sachin said: “Injuries are never thought of as good luck (jokes)! When I was injured, it was quite difficult. The injuries I got were different ones, not common ones. It was not easy to overcome those injuries and come back and play the game. If the recovery time was three months, it wasn’t that you could go to the gym and make sure you are ready in two and a half months.”
“For my tennis elbow injury, the doctor told me it would take four to five months to come back to competitive cricket. I tried to come back earlier, but I couldn’t. You have to respect time. I couldn’t even lift (son) Arjun’s plastic bat at that time,” said Sachin, who also dealt with a stiff back from time to time.