Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly and fellow batting legend Brian Lara on Monday told a news channel why Sachin calling it a day is so special.
‘It’s good Sachin is ending his career in front of home crowd. Had it been in South Africa in the next tour, he wouldn’t have got enough. But now he will go out on a high in Mumbai, irrespective of how much he scores in his final Test,’ said former skipper Ganguly, who shares with Sachin the world record for the maximum number of runs scored by any opening partnership in ODI history, a staggering 6,362 runs in 129 games. The 20-century partnerships is a world record too.
‘He really doesn’t need to prove a thing to anyone after having the greatest cricketing career ever. He should just go out there and enjoy the five days. He can even go on to score 400 runs, he should score 400,’ said Lara, the only cricketer to score 400 or more in a single innings in first class cricket. ‘When Sachin sits down after the Mumbai Test and looks at his career, he will say to himself there is nothing that I have not achieved. If I probably went on for six more months like him, it wouldn’t have helped me or cricket,’ Ganguly added.
Lara also said it may not be easy for Sachin to settle into a retired life. ‘He will immediately feel a gap in his life. When you have spent a majority of your life playing cricket and following a dream, you wonder what to do after it all ends. But Sachin is a successful man, he will quickly get back on his feet,’ he said. On Sachin’s life after 19 November, Sourav said, ‘Sachin’s got so much to contribute to Indian cricket and world cricket. ’ Sourav also said: ‘I will put Sachin ahead of Lara as we played in the same team.’
‘It’s good Sachin is ending his career in front of home crowd. Had it been in South Africa in the next tour, he wouldn’t have got enough. But now he will go out on a high in Mumbai, irrespective of how much he scores in his final Test,’ said former skipper Ganguly, who shares with Sachin the world record for the maximum number of runs scored by any opening partnership in ODI history, a staggering 6,362 runs in 129 games. The 20-century partnerships is a world record too.
‘He really doesn’t need to prove a thing to anyone after having the greatest cricketing career ever. He should just go out there and enjoy the five days. He can even go on to score 400 runs, he should score 400,’ said Lara, the only cricketer to score 400 or more in a single innings in first class cricket. ‘When Sachin sits down after the Mumbai Test and looks at his career, he will say to himself there is nothing that I have not achieved. If I probably went on for six more months like him, it wouldn’t have helped me or cricket,’ Ganguly added.
Lara also said it may not be easy for Sachin to settle into a retired life. ‘He will immediately feel a gap in his life. When you have spent a majority of your life playing cricket and following a dream, you wonder what to do after it all ends. But Sachin is a successful man, he will quickly get back on his feet,’ he said. On Sachin’s life after 19 November, Sourav said, ‘Sachin’s got so much to contribute to Indian cricket and world cricket. ’ Sourav also said: ‘I will put Sachin ahead of Lara as we played in the same team.’