TENDULKAR_INTERVIEW_WILLIAMS_27MAR94

Interview with Sachin Tendulkar (after his 82 [49b 15x4 2x6], Ind v NZ ODI2, Auckland, 27 Mar 94)

About 45 minutes after the game was over, Peter Williams interviewed Rutherford and Tendulkar. Here are some excerpts.

================================================================= Q: Congratulations on a great innings..Had you decided beforehand that you were going to play such an innings?

Sachin : Thank you..Well,not exactly..My main intention was to go out there and give a good start..Hwoever,I noticed in the first couple of overs that I was stroking the ball pretty well and decided to go for it..Each ball had to be played on its merit and that's what I did..

Q :Surely you must be disappointed at not getting into 3 figures.

Sachin : Well,yes. I definitely was..A century was there for the taking..This is the second time I have got a 80 against NZ (the first was in the World Cup)..However, the mistake I made was that once the spinners came on, I tried to go for singles whereas I should have played my normal game and gone for my shots..I thought that I would get the runs in singles but when you are playing shots well,you should keep going for your shots..

Q : Are you dissapointed that you still don't have a century in one-days? You have 7 in tests and have 3-4 80's in onedayers (after about 70 matches)..

Sachin : Well, I should not be impatient..Things are bound to happen and I should just wait for them to happen..But I definitely felt that I could get one today.

Q : Do you have good days and bad days like other people(laughs)?

Sachin : Well, ofcourse..Every cricketer has good and bad days..Even great batsmen like Sunil and Viv Richards had their days..I am no different and still have a long way to go..After all,I am just like any other cricketer..

Q : Did you think that this pitch was not good for one-day cricket? Specially considering the amount the ball swung in the morning?

Sachin : Well, it did seam in the morning..But more than the pitch I thought that Srinath and Kapil and Ankola did a wonderful job..bowling very well and making excellent use of the conditions..

Q : Well Sachin,thanks a lot for an innings which I am sure no one who saw it would ever forget..

Sachin : Thank you.. =================================================================