Captain Tendulkar

Some snippets from Tendulkar's previous stint as captain.

29 July 1999
News Roundup: Tendulkar takes over
Peter Deeley
India have sacked Mohammad Azharuddin as captain and replaced him with Sachin Tendulkar for the forthcoming limited-overs matches in Sri Lanka and Singapore.
Tendulkar was the unanimous choice of the Indian selectors and is expected to be named captain for the rest of the season in September.
This will be Tendulkar's second stint as captain. The 26-year-old was first given the job in similar circumstances when Azharuddin was sacked in 1996.
But a collapse in his form led to Azharuddin taking over again a year later.

30 July 1999
Captain Tendulkar meets the Press
Anand Vasu
Sachin Tendulkar ended all speculation by confirming his acceptance to Raj Singh Dungarpur, the president of BCCI.
Mr JY Lele had earlier telephoned Sachin's house, and the good tidings were recorded by Tendulkar's answering machine. The little genius first heard of his appointment when the recorded message duly informed him that, "You have been named captain, congratulations!"

Tendulkar will be back in action soon
Partab Ramchand
September 15, 1999
Surely no part of any cricketer's anatomy has been so analysed, discussed and disected as Sachin Tendulkar's back. Cricket fans have expressed anxiety over how acute the problem is. One national newsmagazine has carried an extensive cover story asking whether Tendulkar's career is finished. Another has a lengthy analytical report.
Ever since the problem first cropped up during his gallant century in a losing cause in the Chennai Test against Pakistan in January, there has been much speculation to the cause and the effect it will have on Tendulkar and Indian cricket itself in the long run. When the problem resurfaced during the camp at Chennai prior to the team's departure for the competitions in Sri Lanka and Singapore, the Indian captain consulted doctors. When the back pain persisted and affected his batting in the two tournaments, Tendulkar, realising the gravity of the situation, lost no time in dropping out of the series in Toronto and hastened to Australia to seek the advice of doctors there. The Chennai based MRF Pace Foundation which has a tie up with the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide helped him make the trip and Tendulkar took along with him Ajit Agarkar for treatment to his hamstring problem. 5

Tendulkar Junior born yesterday
Anand Vasu
September 24, 1999
Amidst all the changes that are happening in the Indian cricket organisational hierarchy and the excitement of India's packed schedule there was some good news for Sachin Tendulkar. The Indian batting genius has become a father for the second time. Anjali, Tendulkar's wife, delivered a healthy baby boy yesterday at the Breach Candy Hospital, in Mumbai.
Anjali was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital yesterday. Tendulkar's first child Sarah, was born in October 1997. Details about what the boy will be named are not yet known. The Tendulkars and the Mehtas, (Tendulkar's in-laws) have been lowkey about all personal matters, and continue to be the same about the birth of Tendulkar's second child.

Tendulkar - confident captain, undisputed leader
Partab Ramchand
October 27, 1999
In the last chapter of my recent book on Indian cricket captains, I have said that Sachin Tendulkar's best could lie ahead. The book was released early this year when Md Azharuddin was still firmly entrenched as India's captain. In analysing Tendulkar's first stint as captain during the period 1996-97, I had said that he was not yet ready for the captaincy and when given a second chance, he could do much better.
The victory at Kanpur gave Tendulkar his first victory in his second stint as captain and his fourth overall, his other three victories having come over Australia at New Delhi in his first match as captain and South Africa (twice) later that season. There is little doubt that this victory will give Tendulkar immense confidence. Already he has many of the qualities that go into the making of a successful captain and all he needed was a result in his favour. Having obtained that, he could go from strength to strength and indeed in future, he could look back on the Green Park triumph as a major turning point in his leadership.
If Tendulkar the batsmen has his critics, Tendulkar the captain also has had his detractors who feel that he is not captaincy material, that he would be better off if left to concentrate on his batting. Tendulkar for one has never lacked confidence in himself. Particularly now when he is older, more mature, more aware of what is going on and when he has been given a greater say in team selection, and matters of strategy. Also, a close relationship between the captain and the coach is very important and he and Kapil Dev, who enjoyed cordial ties as players, have been able to maintain the bond.

Rebuilding process must start in real earnest
Partab Ramchand
January 31, 2000
Even in the long, chequered history of Indian cricket, it is difficult to come across a more disastrous tour made by a team from this country than the just completed trip `Down Under'. Losing all three Tests by margins that brook no argument and winning only one of eight one day games in the Cartlon & United Series was the dismal record of the Indian team that simply went from one humiliating failure to another.

Tendulkar to step down, mystery shrouds decision
Anand Vasu
February 20, 2000
In a move that rocked the Indian cricketing world, Sachin Tendulkar walked to the press box along with the chairman of the selection committee Chandu Borde and Jaywant Lele, Secretary, Board of Control for Cricket in India and before the board officials could announce the team for the first Test against South Africa, the Indian captain walked up to the microphone and began "I have an announcement to make..."
The press waited in anticipation as Tendulkar announced that he would be stepping down as captain of the Indian team after the two Test matches against South Africa.
The Indian captain read out a written statement to that effect. Tendulkar said that "in the beginning of the season when the then chairman of selectors Wadekar met me and offered me the captaincy, I hesitated as I was not mentally prepared at that time. In spite of that I accepted. I took it up as I was most experienced and the selectors thought I was best suited for the job. I went to Australia knowing fully well the difficulty, given their status as current World Champions. But I don't want to make any excuses for our performance in Australia."
In a sentence that was vintage Tendulkar, he went on to explain: "As captain, I accept moral responsibility for our failure and after a lot of thought I have decided to step down as captain after the two Tests against South Africa."