With the second Test against the West Indies starting here on Thursday and the hype surrounding Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement reaching a high, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said, “I think this has never happened in cricketing history, let alone the eight-10 years I’ve been around. But we are treating this Test as normal as possible.
“Of course, there are plenty of things that are going around. We are enjoying the moment, which I feel is the key, but at the same time we are focused. I would like him to enjoy himself, because you can’t guarantee performance.
“But, the most important thing is that it is his last Test. It’s important that he enjoys it and hopefully gets us a few wickets. You can get a bit of turn and bounce on this Mumbai wicket,” said Dhoni.
Dhoni said he was fortunate to have played with Tendulkar.
“I never thought I would get to play with him and if I have played eight-10 years with him, I am very fortunate.
“He has guided the youngsters very well, showed them how to lead life after you become successful and at the same time how you are supposed to prepare. So I think he has been fantastic and we have learnt a lot from him.” With the conference dominated by Tendulkar-related questions, the India captain said his high emotional moment in connection with the champion batsman was winning the World Cup in 2011.
“We have won quite a few series in and out of India; some high profile series. But that particular game, the final, most of the players were not able to control their emotions, everyone was crying. That was one of the most emotional moments, not only for me but for the whole team.”
Dhoni attributed his team’s win in the first Test to Mohammad Shami’s fine bowling. “The Eden Gardens pitch did not definitely look like one on which the game should have ended in three days. I think Shami bowled really well; he bowled the right length. With a bit of reverse swing he became much more effective.”
