"I am a reserved kind of guy. I do not wear my heart on my sleeve, except when I am out there in the middle, playing for my country."

"Even if you have scored a triple century in one match, the next one does not start on 300 plus one. You always begin at zero."

"I have been playing for 15 years and have learnt to live with the wear and tear. I am used to a lot of pain now."

"My wife is the one person who knows me completely. She knows

what I am thinking...what I am going to do next."

"I miss the privacy that an average individual enjoys. I like to go where

I am not mobbed."

For fifteen record-breaking years, the master-blaster's presence on the field has spelt security and hope for the country's cricket fans. Extremely shy and reticent off the field, Sachin Tendulkar sheds his customary reserve in an exclusive chatathon and photo-session with Verve.

SHRADDHA JAHAGIRDAR-SAXENA meets the man with the swashbuckling blade

Think Indian cricket…talk Indian cricket and the name that springs unbidden to mind is Sachin Tendulkar. His timing and technique have been carefully scrutinised under the microscope; his performances relentlessly reviewed by umpteen cricketing experts. Almost from the very first instant that the batsman picked up his blade to rewrite international record books and make short shrift of the opposition, Sachin started to amass a colossal fan following. For 15 long years, come this November, the little master, as he has been publicly christened, has evoked applause, accolades…and sometimes, acrimony.

Preferring to keep a low profile off the field, Sachin goes about the business of living with the same quiet efficiency he displays on it. A consummate cricketer, a fond father, a devoted husband, a bashful brand ambassador…Sachin is all this and much more. Keen to delve deep into the mind and thoughts of the man who is acclaimed as the god of Indian cricket, on a clear Friday morning, I find myself on my way to his friend and partner, Sanjay Narang's well-appointed MARS Restaurants and Hotels' office, opposite a five-star hotel, in suburban Mumbai. Sachin's wife, Anjali, summons me upstairs and as I walk into the hush-hush interiors of the room, Sachin strolls in, squeaky-clean and relaxed after a game of tennis. Comfortably ensconced in upholstered chairs, we get ready for, what I hope will be a long and wordy innings, even as Anjali settles down in a corner of the room. And, believe me, I am not disappointed.

The towering icon of Indian cricket

Even during the leanest moments of his career, what has remained undisputed is Sachin's avowed passion for the game…and for the country he represents. He has the National tricolour pasted inside his kit bag, an expression of what representing India means to him…. "I have played for India for so long, it has been a dream," says Sachin in reflective mode. "I am a reserved kind of guy. I do not wear my heart on my sleeve, except when I am out there in the middle, playing for my country. When I look back, I find it funny but even as a young boy, I firmly believed that I was going to play for India. Every time I did something, I'd ask my brother, Ajit, 'What is the next step?'"

The player, awarded the Maharashtra Bhushan, the Arjuna, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Padma Shri Awards, signifies stability and security to a cricket-crazy nation. When the master-blaster, all padded up and helmeted, steps out to take guard at the crease, he carries a whole nation with him. People switch on their television sets and switch off their lives. "I know that people expect me to work wonders all the time…" Sachin sighs softly. "But honestly, I am not god! The team has 11 players and is not made up of Sachin Tendulkar alone. The others are equally capable. It is just that sometimes you click, at other times, you fail. But isn't that life…and cricket?"

The birth of a saga

D-day for the inspired youth had dawned in November 1989, on a pitch in Karachi, Pakistan. But, long before the curly-haired player took his bow in the international arena of competitive cricket, his saga had begun to take shape as the young lad indulged his wristy propensity with the willow, in the leafy by-lanes of suburban Bandra, in Mumbai. Sachin - the senior most member of the present Indian squad - rewinds to his early days: "My story is similar to that of most boys who love cricket with a passion that cannot be defined. The game begins to grow on you from the time you are about five…. Actually, it is not so difficult to pick up the basics, for everywhere you go there is someone playing cricket."

Boys will be boys…and Sachin too, with his group of friends at the suburban Sahitya Sahawas Co-operative Society, often got into trouble while playing. "It was fun, all part of the game. We broke plenty of windows," he smiles, with his trademark, endearing grin. "We had an unwritten rule that all the guys who were playing would contribute equally to have them repaired."

Mischief was - and continues to be - his middle name, for 'Tendlya' has always loved playing pranks on his friends and teammates. As soon as he gets to know someone rather well, sure enough Sachin turns him into the butt of his jokes. Ask him about his dressing room antics and the cricketer refuses to let on: "Forewarned is forearmed. If I tell you what tricks I have up my sleeve, no one will fall for them!"

Tough choices

Under Ramakant Achrekar's guidance, cricket coaching moved up on the priority list in young Sachin's life. Initially, for a year - before he changed base to Shivaji Park to live with his uncle and aunt - he travelled there every day. The timetable was tough, leaving him no time to call his own. "Once, I played for 58 days continuously in the holidays…I used to be so tired that, at the end of the day, my aunt had to feed me. I struggled for a month before I collapsed with an attack of gastro-enteritis."

Sachin, the boy, was overshadowed by Sachin, the cricketer. "I lost out on many of the normal joys of childhood," he says. "At home, I did not have many friends and no distractions at all. If I felt like going out for movies, I did not have anyone to see them with. My coach was extremely strict. If I did not go for practice he would come and call me."

To enable the 12-year-old to focus on his cricketing aspirations, Achrekar urged for a change of school. So Sachin joined Dadar's Shardashram, an institution that had a keen reputation for the game. Here, Sachin made friends - Atul Ranade, Sunil Harshe, Mayur Katrekar, Satyajit Ghanekar and Vinod Kambli - who shared his dreams and hopes, his highs and lows. The exposure to different school and club levels of cricket helped him hone his skills and disposition. "No matter how many hours you spend at the nets," Sachin insists, "actual matches are important because they help you develop the correct temperament. When I started to play school and club level cricket, it mellowed me. Suddenly, I was among strangers. I was a 12-year-old interacting closely with 15 and 17-year-olds… finally I got the hang of things."

Soon, it was time to take a decision, between cricket pitches and a classroom education. "At no stage was I pressured into giving up cricket. But I had been told subtly, that studies were as important as my game, particularly since my father was a professor," says Sachin. "No one expected me to top the class or do very well but I was expected to get decent marks. So, when I finally took the decision to stop studying, it was a tough one."

The early days

Almost a David amidst the Goliaths in his first foray abroad, Sachin took to the world of cricket like a fish to water. "I was used to staying away from home, so that did not bother me. The fact that I had been selected for India was enough to keep me going," he says about debuting in Pakistan. "I was not worried about the security but I found it difficult to interact with the senior players. I made friends with Salil Ankola and Sanjay Manjrekar, the younger teammates."

Sachin readily admits that the pressures can get to a player, no matter how prepared he is. "I was somehow ready for all that," the 31-year-old veteran says. "When you are playing, no one gives you any concessions because you are young. On the field, we carry on a constant exchange of words to unsettle the opponent. We talk about shirts, vegetables, movies...anything that will distract him. The opposition does the same. Sometimes you react, at other times you don't. It depends on your state of mind at the moment."

The wizard of the willow world

If anything spurs Indians to passionate intensity it is cricket. Sachin admits, "Emotions run high. Everyone from the biggest businessman to the corner paanwallah is watching you with the same level of interest and everyone has something to say. Players should remember that they are sportsmen, only sportsmen, and not demigods. You cannot lose sight of that if you want to focus on your game."
Sachin owes his level-headedness and blinkered concentration to the firm grounding he got in his middle class home. "My father has been a strong influence on my way of thinking," says the cricketer who lost his parent during the last World Cup tournament. "He instilled in us strong values that have sustained us over the years. He told me to keep cool, be honest in life. He had enormous patience." Sachin had airdashed to Mumbai to be with his family and then rushed back to play with the team…. Now, his bat raised heavenwards, at big moments in any game, is a tribute to the man who meant so much to him.

His brother too has helped him keep his feet firmly on the ground. "Ajit always told me that I should never rest on my past laurels," says Sachin. "Once a match is over, it is finished. I learn from my past mistakes and move on. I can't afford to get complacent. You can't sit back and feel happy that you have played a great innings. Even if you have scored a triple century in one match, the next one does not start on 300 plus one. You always begin at zero. A batsman requires only one ball to get out. Just one mistake can cost you all the hard work you have put in. Then it is too late; you can't rewind and rectify your mistake."

On criticism and comparisons

He has learnt to take the brickbats with the bouquets. The increased marketing of sports means that there is a greater coverage of the game compared to the early '90s. "When a shot is played, you get ten opinions," he explains. "If you do well, it is a brilliant thing you have done. Otherwise, a hundred guys are getting at you…. It is like being under a microscope."

As players are prepared to take more risks, tension levels spiral. Sachin admits to experiencing butterflies in his stomach on the eve of every game. "Believe it or not," he smiles at my incredulous look, "I still get nervous. Even if it is just a festival game or an event where I just have to show my face, I get tense… my body responds automatically."

Ranked amongst the best in the world, Sachin has always been compared to the crème de la crème of batsmen. The legendary Don Bradman, whom he had the privilege of meeting, selected the Indian superstar for his dream team. And Bradman's wife had made a statement that Sachin came closest to Bradman's style in the current lot of cricketers. Sachin says matter-of-factly, "The media plays up comparisons all the time. We do not brood over what is being said or written. If you are not compared with the best, it will be with the second best. I think it is nice that people have tried to compare me with the best talent in the world."

The 'model' cricketer

His superstar status has ensured a bounty of brands in his kitty, like Airtel, TVS Victor, Pepsi, MRF, Adidas, Boost and Britannia. His familiar face and charismatic smile are spotted on several hoardings and television spots. Sachin is quick to reiterate that cricket is his first and lasting priority. "I stay away from commercial commitments while the season is on and try and complete them when we are not playing. The commercials are all happening to me because of cricket. I am not a model…I am only a cricketer who promotes different brands."

Yet, the cricketers - Sachin included - have faced a great deal of flak for paying more attention to their advertisements and neglecting their fitness levels. Sachin retorts, "People need to look at what we do carefully and then pass judgement. We are all mature enough to know that when we start playing, it is only cricket and nothing else. We don't talk about commercials or colas…we only discuss cricket." He continues with the swiftness that he has exhibited time and again on the field, "We may shoot for only one day in six months or a year…but the commercials are beamed about 30 times a day. That is what makes people think that we are more interested in shooting than in playing."

Though by his own admission, he is not a great actor and finds facing the camera "slightly embarrassing, a little strange but great fun," he has enjoyed shooting with Bollywood superstars, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. "They are great persons to interact with. I observe how they prepare for each shot. I am not really worried if I don't emote properly. If they don't act well, it will give them sleepless nights…. If I don't bat well, that will definitely give me sleepless nights."

A very private family man

Extremely devoted to his parents and family, Sachin today cherishes his moments with his wife and children. Anjali, who has been sitting patiently through our long conversation, interjects, "Once he is in Mumbai, he prefers to relax at home. His day begins with him driving the kids to school and then chilling out, listening to music or meeting friends and family members."

Sachin smiles across at his better half, endorsing what she has said: "When not playing cricket, I am a home bird. I do not party. And when I spend time with friends or family, there is no pressure to talk cricket." Every moment spent with his children is quality time for the doting dad. Anjali continues softly, "When he is with the kids, he becomes like them; he tosses them, teases them and does everything that a normal father would. My daughter, Sara, being slightly older, understands that Dad must travel for work. Arjun, who is just four, gets angry because Sachin does not take him along." But on his return, the father-son duo bonds perfectly. Sachin is often seen in his building compound helping the kids ride their cycles.

The foursome eagerly looks forward to their holidays together. "I miss the privacy that an average individual enjoys," says the most recognised face of cricket. "I like to go where I am not mobbed, which is mainly overseas where I do enjoy a degree of anonymity." Shared moments of togetherness are also grabbed with both hands during tournaments when his wife and kids can travel, to be with him. "They can only come when it is convenient for her and the kids. I try to ensure that they have a great holiday in whatever little time I can spare," states Sachin, touching upon the ongoing controversy about whether players should have their wives with them while concentrating on wins and losses: "Having your family with you is not a distraction because at the end of the day when you come back to your children and your wife, it is extremely relaxing."

The woman who knows him best

Sachin would be the first to admit that Anjali has played an immense role in his growth. A gold medallist paediatrician, she gave up her career to run her household, take care of the kids and look after her husband's varied interests. "She is the one person who knows me completely," says Sachin. "She knows what I am thinking…what I am going to do next. After I met her, my life changed; when we married, our relationship took on a greater dimension. With the children, things have only got better. She looks after everything for me and I take care of my cricket."

Ask Anjali where they met…and both smile at each other. She replies, "When and where we first met is a secret, but we saw each other for the first time at the Mumbai airport. He had just returned from a tour of England." So involved is she with his career, that Sachin reveals, "When I am batting, Anjali fasts. As long as I am at the crease, she only drinks water."

Quiz him if he consults her medically as well and he quips, "A paediatrician cannot fix the kind of injuries I have had - a crack on my toe, my left hand, my ankle, pain in the lower back." More seriously, he elaborates, "Such injuries are bound to happen. I have been playing for 15 years and have learnt to live with the wear and tear. When I am out there in the middle, I don't think of getting hurt. I am used to a lot of pain by now."

After a hard day's work, he prefers to listen to music - Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, are among his favourites. "Music helps me relax," he says, "particularly when I am touring." Ask him if he sings as well, "I am no singer, not even a bathroom one. I do sing when there is really loud music around but otherwise I cannot stay in tune. To tell you the truth, I don't really sing but I do swing!" Anjali softly adds, "He does sing to me sometimes."

His fascination for speed is famous, as is his love for cars. His most famous drive, the Ferrari, is just one vehicle in his garage. Sachin grew up near the Drive-In Theatre of yore and recalls, "I spent hours looking at the cars that came there. I have always been fascinated by speed and prefer to drive myself. I still get a thrill from watching new cars when I am abroad." His first drive, the old Maruti 800 model, is a cherished memory even as his Ferrari had made front-page news. "With no privacy," he says, "I cannot take it out on our roads in regular traffic. I drive it out at odd hours to keep it in good shape." He fulfils his passion for Go Karting in the dead of night when he calls up an outlet in Powai and they stay open for the celebrity driver.

Those who know Sachin even remotely, will swear by his interest in food. Ask him what tickles his palate the most and he rattles off a long list of varieties: "Japanese, Chinese, Maharashtrian, pastas, seafood. I used to cook and still do sometimes when I am at home." That perhaps explains his foray into the restaurant business with 'Tendulkar's'. "It was the late Mark Masceranhas' (World Tel) idea," Sachin remembers. "We used to wonder what I'd do after I stopped playing cricket. Food was the unanimous choice." Partner and hotelier, Sanjay Narang, looks after the running of the growing MARS chain.

Sachin's involvement extends to discovering new recipes. He cheerfully admits, "If I like something when I am eating out, I talk to the chef to find out what the recipe is. I immediately call up our chef at 'Tendulkar's' to tell him how to make it. Come on, I am going to get to eat it to!" Ask him if his future is frozen in the food sector and he turns serious. "I am not a hardcore businessman. A cricketer is what I am and what I will always be. As for the future? I will take things as they happen. You meet different kinds of people. Who knows, between today and tomorrow, I may think of something else to do…."