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Unit 1 Prose
Learning the Game
Sachin Tendulkar
Warm Up
Think of what you would like to do in future. Fill in the spaces.
My Goals
Timeline Action Plans
2023
20....
20.... - 20....
20.... - 20....
2040 0nwards
From a very early age, I played tennis-ball
• Who were Sachin’s favourite players?
cricket with my colony friends. I loved watching
• What was special about Shardashram
cricket on television and in our games, Vidyamandir in Mumbai?
I often tried to emulate the mannerisms of
I had never batted in the nets before and
my favourite players, Sunil Gavaskar and
felt somewhat overawed with so many
the West Indian legend Viv Richards. But it
people around. When I was asked to bat,
wasn’t just the batsmen that I studied. I also
I was not at all comfortable. With Sir watching
loved bowling. Throughout my career, I have
me so closely, I failed to make an impact.
actually bowled a lot in the nets.
Sir called Ajit aside and informed him that
I was then studying in the New English I was perhaps too young to make the camp
School, Mumbai. But my brother Ajit and suggested that he should bring me back
knew that compared to other schools when I was a little older. My induction into
in Mumbai, Shardashram Vidhyamandir the Mumbai cricket circuit could have ended
where Ramakant Achrekar Sir was the in failure – but for Ajit’s insistence. Having
cricket coach, gave due importance to the seen me play in the colony, Ajit knew I was
game of cricket. He ran summer camps capable of performing far better than I had
too. Ajit, one day, took me to the camp to done in front of Achrekar Sir. He explained
get trained under Sir. Anyone could come that I was nervous and asked Sir to give
for a trial at the camp; but then, it was up me one more opportunity. However, he
to Sir to decide who to accept. I was eleven suggested that while doing so, Sir should
years old then. Achrekar Sir, as I refer to pretend to go away and then watch from
him, started playing cricket at the age of a distance. Sir agreed. Before long, I was
eleven in 1943, which is the age I was when asked to bat again and, without Sir’s trained
I went to him for the first time.
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eyes scrutinizing me – or so I thought, I felt from my pockets. There was never quite
more at ease and soon started to hit the ball enough time for the pockets to dry out
well. This time, Sir agreed to let me join the completely, and for the entire duration of
camp. I was delighted and I must say it was the camp I played with wet pockets. By the
an opportunity that transformed my life. middle of the summer camp, Sir had started
taking an active interest in my batting and
The camp involved a session every morning
at the end of the two months, informed Ajit
and evening at Shivaji Park. I would
that I had the potential to be a good cricketer
practice between 7.30 am and 10.30 am
if I practiced all year round. However, my
in the morning. Then I’d come back in the
school – the New English School in Bandra
afternoon and practice till late evening.
– did not have cricket facilities and Sir was
The schedule was rigorous and I would be
keen for me to change schools if I wanted
exhausted by the end of the day. Travelling
to pursue cricket seriously.
to Shivaji Park took forty minutes from my
house in Bandra and I had to catch an early • What routine did Sachin follow in
morning bus to make it on time. For the washing his clothes?
first few days, Ajit accompanied me, to get • What did Achrekar inform Ajit?
me used to the routine. During the bus
journeys, he would talk to me about the One evening, Sir called my father and
nuances of batting, and I always enjoyed put forward his suggestion. Ajit was in
these conversations a lot. In fact, the one the room with my father at the time and
thing that I have kept with me all my career they both accepted that it was necessary
is a note that Ajit gave me containing some if cricket was to be my priority. My father
thoughts about batting. It served as a very sat me down and explained that while he
personal coaching manual. did not have any objections to my changing
schools, I should do so only if I was really
• What was the opportunity that serious about playing cricket.I assured him
transformed the life of Sachin?
I was, and so it was agreed that I should
• What sort of conversations did Ajit
and Sachin have while travelling? move to Shardashram Vidhyamandir, where
Achrekar Sir was the cricket coach. All my
As a child, I had only one set of cricket excess energies were getting channelled
clothes and the routine was to wash them into cricket, which acted as a kind of safety
as soon as I’d returned from the morning valve. My father always said that all he
session. While I had my lunch, the clothes wanted me to do was give it my best effort
would dry out in the sun and I would wear without worrying about the results.
them again in the afternoon. The pattern
• What was the suggestion given by
was repeated in the evening so that I could Achrekar to Sachin’s father?
use the same set of clothes the following • What acted as a safety valve?
morning. The system worked well – apart
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In my first year at Shardashram, I played That was the last part of my training and
fifty five practice matches during the I’d be completely exhausted by the end of
summer break of sixty days. My summer it all. It was a routine I would repeat right
sessions used to start at 7.30 am and end through my summer holidays and it helped
at 4.30 pm. My evening session would start me to build up physical and mental stamina.
at 5 pm after only a thirty-minute break.
• What did Sachin do during the thirty
During the break, Sir would often give me minute break?
some money to go and have a vadapav • What is the intense ‘fifteen minutes’
(a popular Mumbai fast food). mentioned ?
Occasionally, my father came to take me
home and I would always ask him to treat
me to a special fruit cocktail at a juice
centre near the club. While this regular
demand was a little unreasonable, because
at the time I did not realize that my parents
also had to take care of the needs of my
brothers and sister, my father would
invariably end up giving me what I wanted,
just to see me happy. On other days, when
I made my way home from Shivaji Park on
my own, I’d often fall asleep on the bus
– if I managed to sit down. Anyone who
Between 5 pm and 7 pm I’d have five more has been on a Mumbai bus at peak hours
net sessions. Towards the last 15 minutes, will know just how difficult it is to get a
Sir would place a one rupee coin on top of seat. On days when I wasn’t so lucky, it
the stumps and if I managed to avoid getting was still a challenge just to stand with the
out, the coin was mine. In this session every kitbag, because the bus conductors would
bowler in the camp would come and bowl inevitably complain about me taking up the
to me, with some sixty to seventy boys space of another passenger. It could be
fielding. It meant I had to hit every ball embarrassing because the conductors were
along the ground to survive those intense often rude and would sometimes ask me to
fifteen minutes. Winning the one–rupee buy two tickets. I didn’t have the money for
coin used to give me immense satisfaction a second ticket and I had to learn to take
and taught me how to concentrate even these remarks in my stride. Dirty clothes
when physically drained. At the end of it all., often added to the embarrassment. With
Sir would tell me to run two full circuits of time, I evolved a way of wrapping the
Shivaji Park with my pads and gloves on. kitbag around me. Just as the helmet and
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pads became a part of me while batting, Sir also punished me on one occasion when
so the kitbag became an extension of me trying to teach me a very important lesson.
on the bus. I’d often take the bus or train Once, I bunked my daily evening practice
from Bandra to Church gate, and it was all to watch an inter-school cricket match not
a great learning experience. anticipating that Sir would be there. He
was angry and he said it wasn’t for me to
• What did Sachin’s father do just to
make Sachin happy? come and watch other people play for, if
• What did embarrass Sachin in I practiced hard enough, one day people
the bus? from across the world would come and watch
me play. Had it not been for Sir, I would not
Even though I loved cricket, there were be the cricketer I turned out to be. He was
still occasional days when playing with my a strict disciplinarian and did everything he
friends at home was such fun that I would could for me. I owe myself to him.
conveniently forget I was supposed to go to
the nets. If I didn’t turn up, Achrekar Sir would
jump on to his scooter and come to find me. About the author
Sir would spot me in the melee and virtually Sachin Ramesh
drag me out. I would come up with excuses Tendulkar was born
on 24th April 1973 in
but he would have none of it. He would get
Mumbai, Maharastra.
me to change and head off to Shivaji Park. He was a former
Indian cricketer and
On the drive he would tell me, “Don’t waste
captain widely regarded as one of the
your time playing insane games with these kids. greatest cricketers of all time. He made
Cricket is waiting for you at the nets. Practice an impact in cricket from a very early age,
hard and see what magic can transpire." displaying a prodigious talent. The world
famous cricketer has set many records in
"We need to have proper career orientation. his career and is considered as one of the
Your personality plays an important role greatest Batsman of all times. He is the
in choosing the type of career you want. only player to have scored one hundred
Choose something you enjoy and really international centuries, the first to score
double century in a One Day International ,
want to do and you will be successful."
and the only player to complete more than
30,000 runs in international cricket. He
• What made Sachin forget, to go to
the nets? played 664 international cricket matches
in total, scoring 34,357 runs. In 2012,
• What did Achrekar advise Sachin?
Tendulkar was nominated to the Rajya
Sabha. He retired from cricket on 16th
At that time, I hated being dragged off, but November 2013. ‘Learning the Game’ is an
as I look back, I feel sheepish about my extract from his autobiography Playing it
actions and can only admire Achrekar Sir’s My Way.
farsightedness.
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Awards Year kitbag (n) - a long cylindrical canvas bag,
(here) used to carry cricket accessories
Arjuna Award 1994
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 1997 stride (v) - a step or stage in progress
towards an aim
Padma Shri 1999
Padma Vibhushan 2008 embarrassment (n) - a feeling of self-
Bharat Ratna 2013 conscious, shame or awkwardness
melee (n) - a confused crowd of people
transpire (v) - come to be known /
revealed
farsightedness (n) - ability to see /
anticipate and plan for the future
Coach Achrekar bunked (v) - to make oneself absent
passed away on 2nd
from a class or session
Jan, 2019 at the age
of 87 at his Shivaji
Park residence.
Tearful Sachin was A. Answer the following questions
at the funeral and in one or two sentences.
paid his tribute by
carrying his coach's 1. What was coach Achrekar's first
mortal remains impression on Sachin?
to the cremation
ground. 2. Why did Sachin feel that the schedule
of the camp was ‘rigorous’?
Glossary
3. What did serve as a very personal
emulate (v) - to match
coaching manual to Sachin?
or surpass typically by
imitation. 4. Why was Sachin asked to change the
school?
overawed (v) -
impressed so much that 5. What was the con-
they are silent or inhibited dition laid down by
induction (n) - the action or process of Sachin’s father for
including someone to an organization changing the school?
rigorous (adj.) - extremely thorough and 6. How did the act with
careful the one rupee coin help Sachin become
nuances (n) - subtle changes in or a good cricketer?
shades of meaning, expression, or sound 7. What did help Sachin build his physical
pursue (v) - follow or chase and mental stamina?
stamina (n) - the ability to sustain or 8. Which incident triggered the coach to
prolonged physical and mental effort be angry on Sachin?
cocktail (n) - a mixed drink which is 9. Why do you think Achrekar punished
a combination of ingredients such as Sachin?
fruit juice, lemonade flavoured syrup or 10. ’I owe myself to him’ - What does
cream.
Sachin mean by this?
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