Sachin Tendulkar started as ‘Wonder Boy’, grew into ‘The Master Blaster’ and matured into ‘The Little Master’. He will end up as cricket’s greatest run scorer.
What is amazing about Tendulkar is not only his insatiable appetite for scoring runs, but the energy and joy that he brings to his game.
There is an exquisite simplicity to Sachin’s batting technique, it is clean and crisp, the movements are measured and precise.
Tendulkar’s record breaking will be almost impossible to surpass. Beginning his international career at the age of 16, he is already the highest run-scorer in Test and One Day Cricket history.
The Mental Game
On the mental side of the game Tendulkar is one of cricket’s masters.
We can see the qualities of focus, goal setting, energy management, positive thinking and relaxation– all of these in his appetite for hundreds and his desire to be the highest run scorer in the history of the game.
Sachin’s ability to control his focus and keep his mind quiet is quite incredible, thanks to a magnificently efficient brain.
And his ability to switch his attention from the laser-like focus required for tracking the ball in flight to the soft focus necessary to manage his energy during long innings separates him from all but the elite.
Goal Setting is not only the key to Tendulkar’s innings management, but it is central to his career plan.
It has become apparent that he has a goal to outscore every other batter on the planet, whether he has actually said this or not.
Bearing in mind the volume of cricket that India play, it is going to be nigh impossible for Ricky Ponting, or anyone else for that matter, to catch him.
Cricket Strategy: Simplicity and preparation are the hallmarks of Sachin’s batting.
There is a studied measure to the unfolding of a Tendulkar innings, a vision of the desired outcome, and the systematic steps to achieving the goal.
Winning begins off the field, and no batter better exemplifies this than Tendulkar: each innings is thought through, the bowlers, their strengths and weaknesses, the margins of risk and the manipulation of space.
Once the assessments are made there is a focus and concentration that are almost unparallelled in contemporary cricket.
The cover drive and flick off the legs are classic Tendulkar signature strokes, opening up both sides of the field, controlling the flow of the game and its tempo
Courage is central to elite performance. There is nothing overt about Sachin Tendulkar’s expression of this bravery.
It takes courage to outstrip just about every other batter on the planet, to be exemplified as the best in the world, to face the fastest bowlers in the game and to deal with the pressures of the expectation of the Indian public.
As the records continue to tumble, Tendulkar has scored hundreds against all the major Test playing nations and has broken Saeed Anwar’s One Day International record to be the first batter to make a double hundred in an ODI.
Batting Technique
Batting Technique: there is a beauty in Tendulkar’s batting which is an expression of its simplicity. He has the complete game, able to play fast bowling, swing and spin equally.
Tendulkar’s front foot drives, lofted and checked, back foot cuts, pulls and flicks are all executed with a minimum expression of energy.
Tendulkar’s set up in the crease is ultra orthodox, perfectly side ways on, head still, as if locked in a vice.
His feet aligned wicket to wicket, blade positioned in line with off stump, already half up in the backlift and ready for the secondary movement to release the blade and cock the wrists.
The release of Sachin’s wrists at the top of the batswing allow the bat to give full expression to the huge amount of power generated through the weight transfer and into the shot.
As with all the great batters there is the combination of superb judgement of length and the energy management to be able to maintain the cycles of focus, from lazer to soft and back again, ball after ball, over after over.
Multi-Talented All Rounder: Not only is Sachin Tendulkar arguably the greatest batter on the planet, he went to the MRF Pace Foundation under Dennis Lillee.
Although not a quick bowler, he has bowled medium pace and spin with good effect at international level.
Sachin has always been a solid fielder with good hands, and, while his pace over the ground has never in the Jonty Rhodes league, his catching and ground fielding have always been of a high standard.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar: Pure Genius
Sachin Tendulkar’s Ever Growing Batting Genius
Go To Sachin Tendulkar: Grace and Humility
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About Richard Pybus
I'm Richard Pybus, I've coached Pakistan, Bangladesh, Middlesex, Titans and the Cape Cobras in South Africa and the goal of this site is to help you to play winning cricket.