Want Sachin Tendulkar to enjoy his last Test: MS Dhoni

Mumbai: As the hype surrounding Sachin Tendulkar's retirement reaches a crescendo, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Wednesday said that though “it will be one of the greatest matches in cricketing history, but as it is his last game, we need to keep it as normal as possible“.

Having said that, Dhoni did also add that the most appealing aspect of Sachin's 24-year-journey was how he handled success.

“With due respect to the greats of the earlier generation, they didn't have to face the kind of pressure Tendulkar faced. It was not only about his success but about how he handled it in all these years,“ said the skipper, adding, “I have seen a lot of foreign players who can handle onfield success but when it came to handling the off-field pressure, they buckle down. That's what makes Tendulkar special.“

“I played 8-10 years with him. He guided the youngsters and showed us how to perform under pressure,“ Dhoni recollected. Dhoni declared that the most emotional moment ever for Team India came with the winning of the World Cup.

The whole team had pledged to win the World Cup (2011) to honour Sachin Tendulkar for his contribution to Team India and Indian cricket. And when the desired result was achieved, his whole team was in tears, Dhoni recounted.

“I think the most emotional moment was winning the World Cup over here in 2011.

We have won quite a few series in and out of India, some high profile series. But that particular game, the final... Most of the players were not able to control their emotions, everyone was crying. That was one of the most emotional moments, not only for me but for the whole team,” he said.

Responding to a question on his best Tendulkar moment, Dhoni’s mind went back to one of Indian cricket’s greatest achievements in winning the World Cup on home soil 28 years after an unbelievable win came at Lord’s in 1983.

Asked further on what he personally wanted from Sachin in his last Test, Dhoni said, “I’d like him to enjoy, because you can’t guarantee performance. Of course you can you can say (hope he gets)
a hundred, a double hundred, a triple hundred,400 or 500, whatever. But at the end of the day the most important moment is that it is his last Test match. It’s important that he enjoys this and hopefully get us a few wickets. You can get a bit of turn and bounce on this Mumbai wicket.”

EXCERPTS: Is the focus on one man? As I said in the last match also we’re treating it as normal as possible. Of course there are plenty of things that are going around, so we’ve kept the focus and the drive whatever best we could do. They’re enjoying the moment, which I feel is the key, but at the same time we’re focussed.

Is it case of being emotionally an important match? Well, there’s nothing new for me to say. The same question has been asked to me at various venues. I never thought that I’d get to play with him, and if I’ve played eight-ten years with him, I’m very fortunate.

Sammy not worried about Gayle’s form

Sammy not worried about Gayle’s form?

DC/Irfan Haji
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Mumbai: The spotlight has been on Sachin Tendulkar ever since the ongoing Test series began in Kolkata but the West Indies skipper Darren Sammy believes the off-field hype hasn't affected their performance.

“I wouldn't say that off-field celebrations of Sachin that caused us to not to perform. I think it is about applying ourselves as individuals.

“Both teams came to this series playing one-day cricket. India adjusted much quicker than us. We were not patient enough. Once we were put under pressure, we didn’t respond quite well. Something we have to work on,” Sammy said in the pre-match press conference.

The allrounder from St. Lucia informed that it was an honour for his team to play in Sachin’s last Test match and his bowlers are eyeing prize scalp of Tendulkar. “It feels great. It is a great honour for us, here to be taking part in his final Test match.

“From the moment we heard it is going to be his last Test in Mumbai, all the bowlers were quite motivated. There is a chance to go down in history. The last stroke he would play in any cricket match and your name could go down in there,” he said.

Sammy said his team will go out and work hard for senior teammate Shivnarine Chanderpaul who will be playing his 150th Test. “That is a big milestone for him and for us as West Indians. Obviously it will be overshadowed by Sachin’s 200. We as a team would go out and work hard for Shiv.

“Like Sachin, everybody can see he has not changed. Shiv when it comes to his batting, the way he prepares, he has been the same ever since I have known him,” he said. Sammy wasn’t worried about Chris Gayle’s Test form. The aggressive lefthander from Jamaica will be playing his 99th Test on Thursday but hasn’t enjoyed much success in Tests against India.

“The form of Chris Gayle is not a worry for us. It is us collectively as a batting group that is more worrying than one person in particular. We have to bat at least 120 overs in the first innings. It is very important to get a good first innings score here in India and we have not been able to do that,” he added.