Stay balanced, says Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar has appealed to India's fans and media to not get carried away by the hype around the Pakistan tour. Speaking to Reuters at the MIG Cricket Club in Bandra, Mumbai, Tendulkar said, "I want to tell the people to keep a balanced mind. There will be some good days, there will be some bad days.

"I think everyone should take responsibility," he continued. "Not only players, but spectators and the media too. Whatever anyone speaks or writes should be correctly thought out. Just as players are trying their best so that they can play a good game, everyone should try to enjoy the game well. This is my request."

A number of India players have spoken out in the last few days about how they are in a positive frame of mind, and are looking forward to the cricket without worrying about security. Tendulkar, in similar mode, said that he was eager to just get on with the game. "It's a great feeling and I am really excited."

Part of the excitement, of course, came from the fact that India is touring Pakistan after a passage of more than 14 years. Tendulkar is the only member of the current Indian squad who played on that tour. "At that time I was 16 years old, I was very young," he said. "Now, having been around for 14-and-a-half years, it's exciting [that I am] getting an opportunity to play in Pakistan."

Tendulkar, typically, downplayed suggestions that the battle to watch would be the one between him and Shoaib Akhtar. "It's not like that. One factor which is always common is India v Australia or India v Pakistan; two countries playing against each other rather than two individuals playing against each other."

Man v Machine
As always before a major series, Tendulkar spent a lot of time in the nets preparing for the challenges ahead. The Times of India reported that Tendulkar has spent the last ten days practising with a bowling machine. "This [is] better than 10-15 bowlers coming at you," said Tendulkar, after one of his sessions. "It becomes a different ball-game when you are playing against [a] machine because you don't see the bowler come charging in. Sometimes, even 70mph seems like 90 mph. It's much faster than normal." That did not mean, of course, that the machine was set to bowl at 70mph - some of the balls reportedly flew out at as much as 100 mph.

Interestingly, Tendulkar also practised playing reverse swing against the machine. "You can make the ball do what you want on the machine," he said. "I was just trying to practice different things to prepare myself."

Remembering that first time
Tendulkar also spoke to The Times of India about his debut Test in Karachi, in 1989. "I was totally overawed by the situation," he said. "Everything seemed to be going against me. I had come straight from [the] Ranji Trophy into Test cricket, against the likes of Wasim Akram, Imran Khan and Waqar Younis. It was not easy to handle. The experience will always remain there. It's probably the highlight of my career."

Tendulkar made just 15 in that first Test, but notched up his first half-century in the second Test, at Faisalabad. About that innings, Tendulkar said, "I stayed there long enough to know [that] I can handle this."

Having handled pressure, Tendulkar learnt how to handle pain in the fourth Test, at Sialkot. "I was hit on the nose [by Waqar] when I was on one. But I carried on batting for three-and-a-half hours and saved the game. That made that tour special. My confidence level really grew."

Power to Powar
Tendulkar had a few words of encouragement for his Mumbai team-mate, Ramesh Powar, who is all set to make his international debut in Pakistan. "I must congratulate him," said Tendulkar. "He is a hard-working player. He has struggled all through his life to be where he is. It is a credit to his determination and focus. He seems sincere, honest, and a great fighter.

"I heard from my Mumbai team-mates last year that he [Powar] had twisted his ankle really badly," Tendulkar continued. "But he put on a plaster cast and played on before taking a break. Certainly, he is not one to run away from the battlefield. That's what we need while playing in Pakistan - a big heart."