Sachin Tendulkar paid tribute to the late Shane Warne, terming him a “tough competitor” who always had to prepare differently to face him. The Australian spin legend was very good at playing the ‘mind game’ and used his gestures. They didn’t allow anything to be felt. Warne, one of the game’s all-time greats, died of a heart attack in Thailand on March 4 at 52.
Tendulkar said, ‘Shane Warne. ‘My first series against him in a true sense was in India in 1998. Everyone had termed that series as Tendulkar vs Shane Warne. And to remind people that it was not Tendulkar vs Shane but India vs Australia. He said, ‘Such things will put you under pressure. When facing a world-class bowler like him, you cannot take things for granted.
Sachin Tendulkar Tribute To Shane Warne
“So I had to prepare well, not only in the nets but also when sitting in the room; you have to be ahead of him,” Tendulkar said. You have to know what he must be thinking because he was very good at creating pressure and used to play mind games and strategies to get you out. Tendulkar faced Warne several times, but the 1998 series in India holds an important place in the cricket legends.
Warne’s every ball showed strength – Sachin.
Tendulkar said, ‘If you look at Shane Warne’s gesture, it did not matter. No one knew about his gesture, whether Warne had taken four wickets, had taken five, or had not taken a single wicket. He was a tough competitor, and it showed in every ball he played. He said, ‘So even if you were facing him in the last overs of the day, you had to be careful.’ Tendulkar said, ‘There were many good spinners, but Shane was the most different. He was one of those few bowlers against whom you could not hit the ball on the bounce.
Brian Lara said – Warne was Australia’s best player.
West Indies legend Brian Lara praised Warne and called him Australia’s most capable player. Lara said, ‘I grew up in a country where spin bowling dominates. We played spin very well in the lower parts of the Caribbean region like Trinidad, Guyana. And Warne troubled many other players a lot.
I won many battles against him, but he never gave up. He said, ‘He always used to bowl such a miracle ball which you did not even realize. That’s why I had to be careful while facing Warne throughout my career. He was a great bowler to have carved a niche in a bowling attack with tremendous pacers.
Tendulkar said, ‘He had a different approach towards life. He was always cheerful and warmly welcomed. It is tough to accept that he is no more with us.
