Critics don't need to tell me when to retire: Sachin Tendulkar

"My critics haven't taught me my cricket," Sachin Tendulkar has said in a rebuttal to those who were calling for him to retire.

Sachin said: "The day he feels "a little less passion" when walking out to bat for India, I will give up the game" adding, "critics didn't need to tell me to do so."

Tendulkar said he had played cricket because he loved to do and there was nothing better than playing for India.

"I still get goosebumps as I stand with my teammates when the national anthem is on. I still feel the same passion when I pick up my bat and go out," he said in an interview carried in the latest issue of 'Open' magazine.

"They (critics) can question but none of them have answers to their own questions. None of them has been in my predicament and it is impossible for them to understand what I have been thinking and feeling," said Tendulkar, who scored the historic 100th international ton in the Asia Cup match against Bangladesh last week.

When asked whether the final hurdle of scoring the hundredth century was the most difficult, the veteran batsman said: "There is no doubt it was. The 100th hundred was the most difficult to get. I really don't know why but it was."

"May be because it turned into a national obsession. May be because I wasn't able to escape talk of the 100th hundred and it was affecting me at a subconscious level. May be God was trying me harder," he said.

Asked whether the thought of retiring from ODI cricket had crossed his mind after India won the World Cup last year, Tendulkar said such a thought had never occurred to him.

"A number of my friends have also asked me why I didn't retire from ODI cricket after winning the world cup, they may well be right. It would indeed have been a grand exit, emotions were running high and the timing could not have been better but to be honest such a thought never occurred to me," he said.

"There's Sir Donald Bradman and Sir Garfield Sobers, two of the greatest ever cricketers to have played the game. In my time, there have been Brian Lara, Shane Warne, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid. Each of them is a great player," Tendulkar said.

"The one thing my journey has taught me is that however good you are and however talented you are, you have to be ready to grind it out in times of difficulty. You must be prepared to work hard. Keep working hard. And harder.

"There was never and never be a shortcut to success and it is important to know this and pursue your dream with passion, determination and intensity. That has been my belief right through my career," he said.

Tendulkar said he wanted to see India playing well in Tests and be a part in the resurgence.

"I want to see India start playing well in Test matches and I would want to play a part in the resurgence. We played very good Test cricket for five to six year before we lost the series to England and subsequently to Australia.

"I can tell you losses hurt, they hurt really badly. The entire team is keen to stage a turnaround and give fans a lot more to cheer about when we play England in October/November this year. It is important to overcome the really bad phase and move on and I want to do my bit to ensure that Indian Test cricket is back on track," he explained.

Even after scoring 99 tons, scoring another one wasn't easy: Sachin Tendulkar

Master batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who returned from Dhaka on Wednesday after India's exit from the Asia Cup, said that although the pressure of scoring the hundredth ton is off, it was not easy for him to get it despite scoring 99 centuries.

"The pressure is off. It was a difficult phase and all of us had to wait for it for a long time. But it has made everyone realise, including me, that even after scoring 99 hundreds to score another one is not easy," Tendulkar said.

"Let's look forward to the next season. This season is over and I look forward to the next season," he added.

Sachin also praised Virat Kohli, who scored two centuries in the Asia Cup which include his 183 against Pakistan, but requested everyone not to pressurise him with expectations.

"I think he is a very good player. He is a brilliant player. He has done well but all I can say is don't put pressure on him. Let him play freely," he said.

He also had a word of praise for Rohit Sharma. "Rohit also batted really well. He showed a lot of composure and the way he built that partnership with Virat was really important for all of us. That partnership happened at a critical moment."

On India's exit from the Asia Cup, Tendulkar said: "We go out to win every match and sometimes it's not possible to win every match and sometimes the opposition plays better cricket than you and that is what happened. I would not want to take the credit away from them. I think they played well."

When asked if the luck didn't favour India despite beating the two stronger teams, he said: "I think overall it was good cricket but all three teams that won they have won two matches each so it's been a competitive tournament."

Sachin humbled by affection across Australia

The affection showered on Sachin Tendulkar across Australia during the current tour has made him feel humble.

Generally, the sentiment is that Australia must defeat India, but Sachin should get his 100th International hundred.

"In the past, too, people have always wished me well... It's a humbling experience... That the prime minister (Julia Gillard) herself took the lead has been touching,"

Sachin added: "I consider myself fortunate that I've got well-wishers all over... I appreciate that they want me to do well."

When one such well-wisher walked up to him in the hotel here and asked if he required "anything," Sachin answered: "Your good wishes will do."

Sachin needn't have mentioned it, for it's a given.

SCG is my favourite ground outside India: Tendulkar

Batting great Sachin Tendulkar has termed the SCG as his 'favourite ground' outside India and hoped to continue his love affair with the stadium in the second Test against Australia, starting January 3.

Tendulkar averages a staggering 221 with two centuries and a double century from just four Tests at the SCG, with the highest score of unbeaten 241.

"The SCG has obviously been my favourite ground away from India," Tendulkar said.

"It's a terrific ground, a special place. I love the atmosphere. It's wonderful. There are these certain grounds where you walk out there feeling you're going to do well and the SCG is one of those grounds where I feel comfortable,"

Of the 59 venues where Tendulkar has played Test cricket in his illustrious 22-year-old career, the batting ace has only averaged better at Dhaka and Mirpur in Bangladesh.

SCG has always had a special place in Tendulkar's career but it remains to be seen whether he can achieve the elusive 100th international century at his favourite overseas ground, which probably would be his last Test in Sydney.

And with a combination of Tendulkar's date with history, Australia's win in Melbourne and fine weather forcast for the second Test, the SCG Trust and Cricket New South Wales are also hoping to lift the ticket sales for the next match of the series.

Till date a modest 14,600 tickets have been sold for day one, 8,500 for day two, almost 7,000 for day three and 1,600 for day four.

And Cricket NSW chief executive Dave Gilbert had described the figures as disappointing.

"With Tendulkar chasing his 100th hundred and given his record at the SCG we hope that translates into a big walk-up," Gilbert said.

"The attendance in Melbourne was a record so the interest is certainly there this week. It's been a late start to the international season given Australia was in South Africa but we're confident sales will pick up."

Sachin Tendulkar praise Rahul Dravid

Indian cricket greats, including star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, have richly praised Rahul Dravid as he prepares to play the final one-day game of his illustrious career.

"He has had a fabulous career as a one-day player and has contributed so much to Indian cricket," Tendulkar told a national daily on Friday. "I have no doubt that he is and will continue to be a role model for all of us."

Tendulkar said Dravid's natural game was not suited for the quick scoring of one-dayers, but had worked hard to improve and excelled in his "finishing role."

"He may not give you a quick start, but he will surely make his innings count in terms of time spent at the crease. You need such players in the team, and he was the best man for the job," he added.

"Rahul also had that ability to finish a game, and I remember he played the same role at No. 5, or for that matter at any other spot in the batting order. And that was one of the main reasons he sustained his role as an important member in the side."

Tendulkar also praised Dravid for adjusting according to the team's needs and helping the team gain depth in batting by agreeing to keep wickets.

"He is the perfect team man; when he was asked to keep wickets we all knew that he will do well because he was initially a wicketkeeper. It later helped him, and came as a big help to all of us in the Indian team during the 2003 World Cup."

Sachin's unforgettable 2011 World Cup moments

Sachin Tendulkar talks about his finest memories of the 2011 World Cup where he finally fulfilled his lifetime dream of lifting the coveted trophy.

Unforgettable dressing room moment:
The moment the winning runs were scored, I jumped. Viru (Sehwag) who was next to me, jumped too. We were sitting in the dressing room and praying.

Unforgettable part of the celebrations:
When we got the trophy in our hands and the popping of champagne. Also, when the team lifted me with the tri-colour in my hand. That was the ultimate feeling.

Unforgettable innings that you played:
I was batting really well against South Africa, but in terms of importance, it's got to be the one against Pakistan.

Unforgettable innings from your teammates:
There were many! The one Viru played in the first game against Bangladesh, Yuvraj Singh played many, Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli... all the guys chipped in.

Unforgettable bowling spell:
Zaheer Khan bowled some very important spells. In the semi-final, Ashish Nehra bowled well. Munaf got some important wickets too. Harbhajan Singh and R Ashwin bowled well too. Everyone has chipped in. That is why I call it a thorough team performance. Everyone did their job and somewhere they made an impact.

Unforgettable captaincy move:
We set a 6-3 field against Pakistan at Mohali. Their opening batsman, Mohammad Hafeez tried to play a sweep shot off Munaf Patel and got caught behind. I thought that was the turning point of the match.

Unforgettable catch:
The one Viru caught off Shahid Afridi. The match was very much alive then because Misbah & Afridi were batting and we needed two-three big overs at that stage, so that was an important catch. An easy one, but important.

Unforgettable tense moment:
There were many moments when we were really tense especially in the last three matches....we knew there would be no second chance. There were many moments like that.

Sachin didn't see the winning shot

Sachin didn't see the winning shot

Sachin Tendulkar didn't watch Mahendra Singh Dhoni's winning shot, a six over long on off Nuwan Kulasekara, that clinched India the World Cup final against Sri Lanka on Saturday night.

The batting maestro was inside the dressing room, his hands clasped, eyes shut and prayers on his lips. It was the deafening roar of the capacity crowd that shook him and made him realise that his life-long dream had been realised. "I was not listening to anything at that time. I was not watching too. I was just praying to God. I realised that we have won the Cup when the entire stadium went up in a cheer"

He played in five World Cups before without success. His dream was fulfilled on his home ground , the Wankhede Stadium. Then, in a matter of a few moments, he moved from being immersed in himself to being lost in the frenzy of celebration. "I am really speechless. I don't know what to say! It's a feeling which I can't explain in any language," he said.

"It is a different kind of feeling. I am on a high. I believe now I am living in a different planet. It feels as if I am flying high." As he hugged his teammates one by one, tears rolled down his cheeks.

Then, as he has done on every occasion of reaching a milestone, he remembered his late father. "Khushi ke aansu bhi hote hain. Yeah, if he were here, he would have been the happiest person. He is always in my mind," Tendulkar said.

True heroes
Tendulkar was touched when the group of NSG commandos tasked with protecting him requested to be photographed with him and his family. Tendulkar immediately went into the dressing room and returned with son Arjun. Father and son posed with the commandos for the picture. "They are the real heroes. They defend our nation," the premier batsman said. The members of the Indian team might disagree, though. For them, he was God, the reason they played and won the coveted title. "I am not at all a special person. It was a nice gesture by the teammates. If you are talking about special, our nation is special. The people of our nation are special. We won the World Cup for them," Tendulkar said.

Tendulkar praised man of the tournament, Yuvraj Singh: He has been absolutely wonderful," he said.

Dhoni the best captain I have played under - Sachin Tendulkar

Two days after India were crowned World Champions, Sachin Tendulkar has rated MS Dhoni as the best captain he has played under during his 22-year cricket career.

"Dhoni is the best captain I have played under," Tendulkar said in Mumbai. "He is very sharp and always alert. He reads the situation well and is open to sharing ideas. He always has discussions with bowlers, batsmen and senior players separately."

Tendulkar, who has played under six captains, including Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, praised Dhoni's ability to maintain his composure whatever the match situation. "He is always calm and never shows his frustration. These are some of the human qualities which have made him such a good captain. He is a fantastic captain."

India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final in Mumbai after coming through the knockout stages with hard-fought wins over Australia and Pakistan and a patchy performance in the group matches. Tendulkar said that India had "peaked" when it mattered the most. "In the knockout stage we peaked at the right time; it was most important. We knew either the batting was clicking, or bowling, or fielding but everything was not clicking together, but [apart from] in the last three games. Everybody contributed, right from seniors to the juniors in the team. No one can guarantee results but efforts can be [guaranteed]."

After India's victory in the final, Dhoni had said the team had felt the pressure of expectations right through the tournament. Tendulkar said the key to handling that pressure lay in focussing on individual performances. "Pressure and expectation are always there, we were thinking that as individuals we should perform our best. We were not thinking that if a bowler fails, others will take wickets like that; we wanted to do our individual best and perform as a team.

"The responsibility is on all the team members equally. Like me, it was the dream of all the team members to get this World Cup."

Tendulkar said that while lifting the trophy was on the players' minds, the focus was on restricting Sri Lanka to a gettable target and "go through the process and finish the game". He said the pre-World Cup preparatory camp the team had in Bangalore also played a key role in the team's preparation.

Tendulkar paid tribute to the efforts of outgoing coach Gary Kirsten, saying that while he would like Kirsten to continue, he respected his decision to leave, and that the team would "miss" him.

Winning World Cup is my biggest achievement

He had to wait for 22 long years.

And seemed it would be an endless one, the only regret in an otherwise glittering career.

However, on a fateful Saturday evening it was realized.

Three weeks short of what would be his 38th birthday, Sachin Tendulkar, without doubt India's best cricketer ever, got possibly his best birthday present ever. And it was his teammates who ensured this will be a birthday to remember by winning the ICC World Cup.

The Master Blaster had won the trophy that had eluded him for long. It took him six attempts. But India's six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankhede made Tendulkar part of a World Cup-winning squad.

It was an honour he probably deserved earlier in his career; an honour that probably justified his greatness. And, definitely, something that made him emotional.

"I lived a dream," said Tendulkar, adding, "Winning the World Cup was my biggest dream.

"And today it is my biggest achievement."

The Master Blaster admitted that the feeling is yet to sink in completely.

"April 2, 2011 was my biggest day in life," he said, adding, "I became extremely emotional, which is rarely the case, and those tears in my eyes were happy tears.

"The moment had never happened before. We had to pinch one another to make sure that it was actually happening in our life."

Never got five 'lives' in one innings: Sachin

Sachin Tendulkar was honest in admitting that never in his 21-year career has he got reprieve as many as five times in one innings.

"Five lives! God has been kind to me. It is not something which has happened to me earlier," Tendulkar said during a post match interview.

About the upcoming final against Sri Lanka, Tendulkar said, "Hopefully, we will put our best performance in all three departments. Sri Lanka are a great team. They play well and know the conditions well. It will be a wonderful occasion to play the final in Mumbai. All we would like is to remain calm and focussed and get the job done."
For someone who has been a member of the side that has won all its five World Cup matches against Pakistan, the legendary batsman was quick to admit that it would be a "memory that he would always cherish."

Someone who has always put the team before individual performance, Tendulkar lavished praise on young Suresh Raina whose unbeaten 36 provided necessary impetus during the death overs.

"Raina played a special knock. When we started batting, I felt that 310-315 was par-score. But as the spinners came on the ball was stopping and coming. Then I thought that 265-270 will be a good score to defend," Tendulkar stated.
For him Virender Sehwag's blitzkrieg at the onset gave him and others that extra bit of time to check out on how to proceed with the innings.

"Viru got us off to a flier but then we needed to assess the situation. It was a difficult wicket to bat on and we needed to put up a good score. Full credit to our bowlers as they put up a fabulous show."

I walked because I was out: Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar explained what prompted him to walk in the Group 'B' game against the West Indies on Sunday; He was out.

The Little Master is surprised by the debate on his walking, after faintly nicking a delivery from seamer Ravi Rampaul in the first over of the match, has triggered.

Tendulkar didn't wait for a decision by umpire Steve Davis who actually turned down the appeal. "You think I am mad (to walk if he was not out)? Yes, I was out. That's why I walked to the pavilion. Of course, I was out," Tendulkar told.

"The ball first kissed my bat. That was like a feather touch, and then it kissed my gloves and went to the 'keeper. It was a genuine dismissal," the batting superstar described his dismissal.

Tendulkar's walk came a day after Australian captain Ricky Ponting stood his crease despite clearly edging offie Mohammad Hafeez in the tie against Pakistan in Colombo.

But the world's leading run-getter was untouched by all the talk about his walk.

Tendulkar has told people close to him that there was no point in standing his crease because the Decision Review System would have revealed the nick. And that's what happened in Ponting's case! The early dismissal meant that Tendulkar had to wait another day to get to the milestone
of 100 international centuries.

However, the 37-year-old Mumbaikar reached another landmark in his more than 21-year-long career: The match was against the West Indies was his 450th ODI appearance.

"I was not aware of that figure. Later on, I came to know that I had played in 450 one-day matches. It feels good," Tendulkar said.

When Sachin played under Imran

Not many know, but India's batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar had played under Pakistan captain Imran Khan in 1988 - a year before he made his international debut in Pakistan.

In a book titled 'SACH,' by Gautam Bhattacharya, Tendulkar revealed that he played under Imran but as a substitute fielder during a festival match at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai.

Imran asked him to field in the deep and Tendulkar couldn't complete a catch and going back home, in the local train, constantly grumbled about the captain's field placements.

"Absolutely true. I went in as a substitute. Imran was the Pakistan captain. No words were exchanged with him. But yes, I may've got the catch if I was kept slightly ahead (laughs)," Sachin said.

The book also revealed that a year before in 1987, Sachin was selected as a promising fast bowler to train at legendary Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee's MRF Pace Academy in Chennai, but was rejected.

"I was okay with it. In any case I was not aspiring to become a fast bowler. I thought of myself as a fast bowling all-rounder. That is precisely the reason I had carried my batting kit to Chennai. I didn't get an opportunity to bat. I did bowl for one or two sessions," Sachin said.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was also part of the camp, but Sachin doesn't remember meeting him.

"As for Sourav, I don't remember meeting him there. Later on at the national camp, I caught up with him," said Sachin.

Thank my countrymen for showing faith in my integrity: Sachin

Sachin Tendulkar feels that he can't thank his countrymen enough for the amount of faith they have showed in his integrity during his 21 illustrious years in international cricket.

In the recently released book "Sach" written by notedscribe Gautam Bhattacharya, one gets to know the rareemotional side of the maestro as he spoke on a host of issues including how the entire country supported him during the ball-tampering episode in 2001 tour of South Africa.

He also spoke about how he dealt with the ugly match-fixing episode, and the tragic 26/11 terror attack onMumbai.

Referring to episode of ball-tampering when match-referee Mike Denness handed him a one match ban on alleagtions of trying to lift the seam during a Test match at Port Elizabeth,Sachin has been quoted as saying, "But despite the incident, I was so happy for the trust and faith that the entire country expressed in me.

"At times, it has been written that a nation walked with me every time I went out to bat. Here there was no bat. Yet they showed such faith in my integrity that I was touched.

Till date I can''t forget that."

Tendulkar, who has been a picture of dignity during his long international career did admit being "shattered" with allegations levelled by Denness.

"You know, I was completely shocked and shattered when he said the charge against me was for ball tampering. I tried telling him what the truth was. That I was just cleaning the grass on the ball. I was not picking the seam. At no stage did I do that.

"If someone is trying to remove grass, how can you levyball-tampering charges against him? But the match referee would hear none of it. Since then, when ever I clean the ball,I keep the umpires posted."

When the murky episode of match-fixing rocked the nation,Tendulkar was like a picture of resilience.

When asked about his feelings during the entire fixing-saga, the holder of a world record 97 international centuries, said,"I was just doing what every Indian was supposed to do. I was just doing my duty and did not think it was any different from what I had done in the past. I was just following the same routine....

"Around that time, I received a certificate from IncomeTax department for paying my taxes honestly. That gives me alot of satisfaction. I was just hoping that my father had been alive to see it," said the man who still looks heavenwards and utters a silent prayer in the memory of his father Ramesh Tendulkar, every time he completes a ton.

Talking about the tragic 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai,Tendulkar also spoke about the pain he went through as innocent Indians lost their lives.

"We were playing at Cuttack (against England). At night we came to know about the attack. Of course, first you call home and enquire about the safety of your near and dear ones.

"Then keep glued to TV to try and find out what exactly is going on. What was happening to the nation was difficult to digest.

"I felt very sad and couldn't come to terms with it. Iwas almost numb and didn't know what had hit me. It took a while to get myself back on track. That must surely rank as one of the most disappointing days of my life," he said.

This ton is for my dad: Tendulkar

The mind went back to the 1999 World Cup in England. Sachin Tendulkar had to rush back to India after losing his father midway through the event. Tendulkar stayed in Mumbai for two days, then returned to England to do duty for the country and promptly score a century, against Kenya. Upon reaching three figures, Tendulkar looked heavenwards, stood still for a moment before acknowledging the cheers from the fans. He later said that he was looking upwards, hoping his father would have seen him do well and would be proud of his son.

On Sunday, as India celebrated his 50th Test century, Tendulkar again remembered his father. "Yesterday (Saturday) was my father's birthday. I dedicate this century to him. The first thing I thought of after reaching the hundred was my father."

Tendulkar, who thanked his fans for their 'fabulous' support over the years, said he was happy that the landmark is done with. Was he under any pressure because of the huge expectation? "You guys only created it," Tendulkar said pointing at the media, at the post-match PC. "You built the foundation on which I constructed my innings today."

Tendulkar was not sure how he should react when asked about his feelings. "Can't say how I'm feeling. I'm happy... Can't really express how I'm feeling."

But when a local journalist asked him if records meant a lot to him, Tendulkar reacted sharply. "I play for the love of the game. I have often requested for time out from cricket so that I can come back refreshed and fit. The Board has given me the rest. If I was after records, I won't ask for rest."

While reiterating that the toss played a crucial role in the Test, Tendulkar said that it could not be an excuse for the team. "The conditions were different on different days but we've to take that." He stressed that a good showing in the second innings was essential for India. "We needed to send a strong message that we're here to fight and I think we've done that."

What about his prolific batting in 2010 in which he has seven centuries in 13 Tests? Tendulkar's simple explanation was, "I've been playing well, been enjoying my batting. And in the last couple of years, I've been moving well."

Tendulkar also spoke to his fans back home in Hindi and Marathi before letting the TV cameras swarm all over him. Tough job, this man has. On the field, and off it.

There's lot more than my 50th Test ton: Sachin

The entire world is waiting with bated breath in anticipation of his coveted 50th Test ton but Sachin Tendulkar feels that in his illustrious career spanning over 21 years, there is lot more to talk about the game than a particular milestone.

"There is much more to Test cricket than my 50th Test ton. This is not the only thing. I always focus on playing well for my country and presently I am focusing on winning the series against the New Zealand," Sachin said on the penultimate day of the second cricket Test against New Zealand here.

"I don't open the newspapers (to see what's written about me). I don't read them and you can see them hanging at the stand outside my hotel room. I focus on my game only. Last 21 years have been really special for me and I throughly enjoyed my joyful journey," said Tendulkar, who managed to score 13 runs in the first innings.

On Harbhajan Singh's fairytale run with the bat in the ongoing three-Test series against the Kiwis, where the feisty off-spinner became the first number eight batsman in Test cricket to slam back-to-back centuries in a match, the maestro said, "I have always maintained that Harbhajan can score century and it was long due."

"When he scored his first century in Test cricket at Ahmedabad, I told him what took you so long to score a hundred. You have the gifted power as when you hit the ball, it covers a long distance. He is good with the bat," said the iconic batsman, who has 46 ODI hundreds to his name.

Harbhajan slammed unbeaten 111 and was involved in a record 105-run partnership for the 10th wicket with S Sreesanth to help the hosts take a first innings lead of 122 runs here at the Rajiv Gandhi international stadium.

In the first Test at Ahmadabad, the 'Turbanator' scored his maiden century and a fifty.

Tendulkar said, on the fifth and final day on Tuesday, India would look to get New Zealand's remaining six wickets as early as possible.

"Today, towards the end, we needed couple of New Zealand's wickets to develop pressure on them before the final day tomorrow. We managed to get one (Jesse Ryder) but another wicket would have been good. Nevertheless, we are in a good situation. There will be some pressure on the visitors tomorrow specially in the morning session.

"Our focus would be to get remaining six New Zealand wickets as early as possible before we start our chase. We had a crucial partnership between Harbhajan and Sreesanth which helped us a lot," said Tendulkar.

Tendulkar, the highest run-getter in both Test and ODI cricket, also praised New Zealand's fighting abilities and said they are performing like a unit.

"They have really played well. At the international level, you expect competition from the opponent and they are competing like a unit."

When asked about the Test opening pair of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, Tendulkar said, "both are world class players and performed consistently with the bat."

"They have on many occasions made things easier for middle-order. Everybody is chipping in and doing their bit whether it's the batsmen or bowlers," he said.

Tendulkar also praised chief coach Gary Kirsten,who has proved to be a great man-manager and motivator and whose calmness in the dressing room has worked wonders for the team.

"I am enjoying my time with Gary. His practice sessions are just fabulous as he gives you plenty of balls to play during nets. He has great amount of impact on the team," said the ICC cricketer of the year.

Would like to take one series at a time: Tendulkar

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar said on Friday that he would like to focus on one series at a time rather than thinking too far ahead including the World Cup that will be held in the sub-continent, next year.

"I am not yet thinking about the tour of South Africa and the 2011 Cricket World Cup. My immediate focus is on the upcoming New Zealand series and only when that is over, I will start talking about South Africa," Tendulkar said on the sidelines of a function that marked his association as a brand ambassador with a high-end watch manufacturer Audemars Piguet.

However, Tendulkar admitted that he would be happy if India can maintain the winning momentum in the coming series.

"The momentum is with us right now and we should not let it go. We are not taking anything for granted and want to be on our toes. We would be looking to keep on producing competitive cricket and stick to the basics."

When asked whether he is currently enjoying the form of his life, the iconic batsman who recently completed 14,000 Test runs said that although he is happy but he is still not satisfied.

"There is always room for improvement. I am happy with my current performance but not satisfied. I want to get better. In fact, in any profession one must strive to get better and better," said Tendulkar, adding, "I always want to remain a student of the game because that is when you grasp more and is always keen to improve."

The 37-year-old, who had one of the most fruitful years of his career in 2010 as he won his first ICC's Player of the Year Award and returned to the top of the world batting rankings for the first time since 2002.

In February, he scored centuries in successive Tests against South Africa before becoming the first man to reach 200 in an ODI against the same opponents.

When asked what all has remained in his wish list which he still want to achieve, Tendulkar said, "There is no wish list. I play because I always love playing cricket. The only thing I ever wanted to do was to play for my country.

"Now, my track is only cricket, where a lot of stations come and I cherish arriving at all of them. But I personally just want to do something for my country and go on playing. In this journey I want to achieve whatever I can till the time remains," said the man, who remains just one short of scoring 50 Test centuries.

"It was a fantastic win the Test series against Australia. In fact, it was great to see some guys produced special cricket. (VVS) Laxman is definitely one such special guy, who snatched the victory for us. He was struggling to even jog as he was injured but he went out there and produced such a brilliant innings.

"Even Ishant Sharma, who shared a valuable partnership with him must get a lot of credit. I am extremely glad that we stuck to our No 1 position in Tests."

Talking about the ICC award that he finally bagged this year by beating South African Hashim Amla, England's Graeme Swann and teammate Virender Sehwag, the Mumbaikar said, "Whenever an award comes it always feels good."

He further added, "But no one plays for awards. You always set goals and want to achieve those goals as individuals. And in cricket you always want to achieve goals as an individual and as a team.

"And when you succeed in achieving your goal and get appreciated for your efforts it always feels good."

The cricketer, who was conferred with the Indian Air Force's honorary rank of Group Captain to honour his sporting achievements and contribution to the nation last month, said that "it was a great honour."

"Becoming the group captain with the Indian Air Force was a great honour. It is extremely special because I am associated with a force who protect us. I salute them."

It was a great team effort: Tendulkar

After playing the role of a sheet-anchor in India's 2-0 whitewash of Australia, Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday said the fabulous Test series win was the result of a great team effort.

India beat Australia in the Mohali Test by one wicket and registered a comprehensive seven-wicket win today to complete their first ever series whitewash of Australia.

Tendulkar was adjudged both Man-of-the-Match and Man-of-the-Series for scoring 403 runs, highest in the series.

"It was a fantastic series. I would like to congratulate the whole team. (VVS) Laxman helped us win the first Test at Mohali with Ishant Sharma. And in this match, Murali Vijay, Pragyan Ojha, Harbhajan and S Sreesanth put up great efforts.

It was a great team effort," Tendulkar said after India's win.

Asked if his side had doubts chasing 207 for a win on the last day, Tendulkar said youngsters played well under trying situations and singled out Pujara for special praise.

"It was going to be difficult. Chasing a 200-plus on a track where the ball is going up and down, it was tough.

Cheteshwar Pujara showed a lot of character. His partnership with Murali Vijay was crucial. The team was determined," he said.

Pujara made a fluent 72 on debut and shared two crucial partnerships with Vijay and Tendulkar in India's comfortable win.

Tendulkar is in red-hot form these days as runs continue to flow from his bat, but he was not interested in speaking much about that and prefers that his bat does all the talking.

"I don't like to count, I am just happy to score. Let others count. There are still some niggle but you forget once you cross the rope. Generally working hard. The trainers are keeping me fit," he said.

Sachin: I’ll continue to play as long as I'm enjoying

Sachin Tendulkar will play his 170th Test at Mohali on Friday, 01 Oct 2010 but even after over 20 years in international cricket the senior India batsman says he never takes anything for granted and his success is a reflection of his constant hard work.

“There are ups and downs when you complete a circle of life, its not always about being on the top and in life there are ups and downs but it’s important to complete that circle and that’s what has happened in my career,” Sachin said.

Tendulkar said there are no short cuts to success.

“I don’t want to take anything for granted. I have worked hard over the years to be part of the Indian team. The key thing is to continue to work hard and try and get better each day of the life and make sure that you enjoy every moment and that’s what I try to do,” he said.

Asked how old was he when he started playing cricket, Tendulkar said, “I don’t want to talk about that, but as long as I am enjoying, it’s wonderful to be here (I will continue to play).”

Asked about the five-Test match series that used to be played earlier, Tendulkar said, “I think given the current schedule, it’s going to be difficult to accommodate that… it will take a mega effort to organise it (such a series).”

“It requires a different temperament altogether. Sometimes you start the series brilliantly, but don’t end up that well. Sometimes, you start badly, but end up becoming man of the series. It’s a great learning curve,” he said.

Tendulkar holds most batting records under his belt and is on the verge of reaching 14,000 runs in Test cricket. Closely following him is Australian skipper Ricky Ponting with 12,026 runs but Tendulkar said he doesn’t want to talk about records.

“I don’t like to talk about records, let others talk about it. I will keep scoring runs.”