Mumbai: If you count the first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Galle, there have been 2586 instalments of the ‘purest’ format. Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson, the two ornaments of Indian and English cricket, respectively, and the two most capped players in the history of Tests, have played in 388 of them, making it 15% of all Tests played. Should it come as a surprise that the prize for winning the series between India and England is the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy? The BCCI and the ECB have chosen to retire the Pataudi Trophy, the original name for the series, sparking criticism from legends Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev and the late Nawab of Pataudi’s wife, Sharmila Tagore. Tendulkar, while being happy with the honour, was not too comfortable with the Pataudi name not being incorporated. “This is a different trophy, I’m told, which is being named after Anderson and me,” Tendulkar told TOI from London.“It reflects our contribution to our respective nations and Tests. My first phone call was to the Pataudi family. I told them I’ve always respected my seniors. I wanted to keep Tiger Pataudi’s legacy alive.” It prompted Tendulkar to get into meetings with ICC president Jay Shah, the BCCI and the ECB to find the right options to honour Pataudi. “As Tiger Pataudi was known for his leadership, we came up with the idea of introducing the Pataudi Medal of Excellence for the winning captain. I informed the family. Now we have a new trophy and have kept the legacy of the great man alive,” said Tendulkar.
The latest honour is another jewel in Tendulkar’s well-populated crown. England has always been special to him. The first of his 100 international hundreds came at Old Trafford, Manchester, in 1990. He also went past Don Bradman’s tally of 29 Test hundreds at Leeds, the venue of Friday’s first Test, in 2002. In 1992, Tendulkar also became Yorkshire’s first overseas signing, when he was still only 19. Tendulkar considers his stint at Yorkshire educational. “It was a bold move. People were extremely nice to me. It played an integral part in shaping me in terms of playing in conditions one is not familiar with.” And these unfamiliar conditions make fans guarded in terms of their optimism regarding the ShubmanGill-led side’s abilities in the fivematch series. But Tendulkar sounded positive. “This team is talented, and they will do something special if batters can put runs on the board.” What are the technical adjusments needed though to put those runs on the board? “One must quickly pick the length,” he said. “Everyone keeps talking about the line but the length becomes more important because in these conditions your hands need to be close to your body.” The maestro feels an impeccable forward defence is non-negotiable in England.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? “When you’re playing on the front foot, the hands need to be close to the body, so the forward defence becomes critical.” An attacking batter by instinct, Tendulkar said a forward defence essayed authoritatively can also scream intent. “A good solid defence need not convey that it’s a defensive approach. You can defend positively. And when there is a ball to be attacked, one should put that ball away,” he said. Thoughts veered quickly to the man the other half of the trophy is named after — James Anderson. Tendulkar and Anderson have crossed swords 14 times in Tests, with the Lancastrian swing and seam maestro having the better of those exchanges, dismissing Tendulkar a record nine times.
Tendulkar said the first time he heard about Anderson was from Nasser Hussain. “Nasser had spoken highly about him. But I don’t think Nasser would have thought that he’s talking about someone who’s going to end up getting 700-plus Test wickets and play for such a long time. That doesn’t happen on its own. “It requires commitment, focus, discipline, sacrifice. All these things must come together to have such a magnificent career.” What made Anderson such a tricky customer? “His wrist position and constant desire to evolve. Every outing, he was able to introduce something new. The wrist position allowed him to bowl terrific reverse swing. With the new ball, he was anyway dangerous. But because of his wrist position and the ability to use the shine, he brought in subtle variations to help him move the ball just enough to take the edge or beat the bat,” Tendulkar said.
