New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar is a name which has become synonymous to cricket. His records tell it all. From being born in a middle class family to becoming the “God of Cricket” is a long journey. The Master Blaster attributes this phenomenal success of his career to many factors. However, he considers fitness to be one of the most vital aspects of the game.
Sachin, who was in New Delhi as the face of IDBI Federal Life Insurance Marathon, said “Marathon is special in the sense that long distance running enables one to lead a healthy lifestyle and one gets to know what to eat and how much to eat. I have noticed that people spend more time on the dining table and look for reasons to leave gym early. Marathon in that sense inspires you to cross the finish line, walk that extra mile and not give up. So it’s nice to be a part of this great initiative.”
On being asked about his fitness mantra, Sachin said, “I made sure I hit the nets at the earliest, around 7 in the morning, practice till 9.30 am and then take break before practicing again. I used to practise 12 hours a day and it’s really important to take breaks to avoid burn. I used to take a keen interest in bowling as well to understand the bowler’s perspective. For me it’s really important to be active on a cricket field. That is the key. However, fielding for long hours was torture.”
Sachin has talked about the love of the game many times and it reflects from his opinion that that he never got tired while playing cricket as he loved the game so much. He also said he always tried to learn from youngsters.
Sachin agreed that the injury cannot be avoided completely as he lost his first Test to injury after 12 years of playing career. He said, “I did get injured. Sportspersons do get injured. This is something you can’t avoid. But I made it look as if I wasn’t injured. Or else, you end up revealing your weakness. For instance, I got hit on my rib cage in an international match once and I could barely breathe. The bowler stared at me for long and I stared back at him. But I didn’t show my injury, instead chose to hide it and somehow concealed the pain. So I didn’t expose my weakness to my opponents or else they gain a moral advantage over you. Playing with injury is a part of the game.”
Sachin was of the opinion that not only in cricket but the fitness level of the players in every game has improved. India was not known for its fielding during the era of 80s and 90s. He attributed rise in fitness to be the key factor in overall improvement in fielding. “I think they are a fantastic bunch. India is one of the best fielding sides in the world at the moment and that clearly vouches for their supreme fitness levels. And good infrastructure has helped them be good at their jobs, as when I was growing up you couldn’t afford to dive as it would have meant sitting out for a couple of weeks,” Sachin said.
Sachin advised the youngsters to be calm in tough circumstances. “Don’t show that you are hurt, even if you are in pain. The bowler would be looking for signs of weakness but take a heavy breath and get back to your normal self. Chatting with the non-striker always helps in those situations.”
Sachin also cited the importance of running for the cricketers. “Short burst of runs were really critical as running between the wickets is an important aspect of batsmanship. So, I concentrated more on short-distance sprinting. Focusing when to decelerate and then accelerate further if you are taking a double. Running helps to increase your endurance level and that in turn enables you to be ready for the next delivery even after running hard between the wickets,” he said
On being asked what message he would give to the participants of IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon, he said, “Go out and just run. At Mumbai’s Marathon, which was held earlier this year, I saw a 70-year-old man and a 20-year-old girl running with the same enthusiasm even while it was raining hard. Ultimately, the thrill to run for a better health counts. It doesn’t matter whether or not you have crossed the finishing line. Participating and pushing yourself outside the comfort zone is in itself an achievement.”
