Mumbai (Maharashtra): Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday recalled the time when he used to play 'gully' cricket as a youth and narrated the story of the first match, which he played in 'Sahitya Sahawas' in suburban Bandra here.
Tendulkar, a veteran of 200 Tests and who has numerous records to his name, grew up in Sahitya Sahwas, a cooperative housing society in Bandra here.
Speaking at an Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) event at the Bandra-Kurla Complex, Tendulkar said, "In the first match of my life, I called all my friends from 'Sahitya Sahwas'. I was the main batsman (batter) of the colony and I called them to watch. All my friends came and I got out on the first ball, which was quite disappointing."
"I made some excuses which were usually acceptable in gully cricket. I said, 'Actually the ball was low' and they all agreed. In the next match, I called them again and I got out on the first ball," added Tendulkar, who has 15,921 Test runs.
"I made an excuse again and said - 'this ball was a little high, it flew away from there and it was the fault of the pitch and not mine'. But in the third match, I said I wouldn't call them as I would be wasting their time. (I thought) I will go alone," recalled Tendulkar.
"I went and scored one run. I remember (that) I played 5-6 balls and I got out on one run. But somewhere I was happy - I scored one run. I went back to Bandra from Shivaji Park and that bus journey was a pleasant bus journey because I had scored one run," said Tendulkar, who has 51 Test hundreds.
"I realised the importance of a single run that is scored because later everyone used to tell us that one run can cost you, (that) either you can win or you can lose.
"But, it was such a big transformation. In the first two matches, I had two scores of zero and then scored one run and went home that one run changed my mood," said Tendulkar, who has 18, 426 ODI runs to his credit.
"I always had a belief that I could manage players to bat against players older than me when I used to play street cricket in my childhood at 'Sahitya Sahawas'. After watching my game against the kids of my age, I was invited to play with my brother’s group and that’s when I understood that I was one step ahead of my friends, and later they started to follow in my footsteps and that's where I have developed my straight drive because there were no fielders behind the bowler," added Sachin, a recipient of 'Bharat Ratna'.
The right-hand batter also mentioned that during his younger days of playing street cricket, thoughts of representing India never hit his mind. He even revealed that his 24 years of international cricket started with a tennis ball only.
"The beauty was that time playing for India (and) all that did not enter our mind since season ball cricket did not start at that time. But playing cricket starts with the tennis ball, it is passion and love for the game that takes you there. 24 years of international cricket, it was a beautiful journey but the start happened with a tennis ball," he stressed.
BCCI Treasurer Ashish Shelar and Mumbai Cricket Association President Amol Kale among others were present for the function.
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