Had To Beg And Plead For Opener's Slot in 1994, Reveals Sachin Tendulkar

Recalling old times, Sachin revealed how he pleaded to open the innings in an ODI against New Zealand, back in 1994

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar’s contribution to the game remains unmatched till date. Known as the ‘God of Cricket’, the former skipper is one of the gems of the game the world has ever witnessed. He may have had excelled on the field exceptionally for 28 long years, but there was a phase in his life when he had to beg for the opener’s slot. The batting legend, on Wednesday, recalled those times and revealed how he pleaded to open the innings in an ODI against New Zealand, back in 1994. The motive was to play in an aggressive manner, which wasn't the norm back in those days. “In 1994, when I started opening the batting for India, the strategy used by all the teams was to save wickets. What I tried to do was slightly out of the box. I thought I could go up front and take the opposition bowlers on. But I had to beg and plead to give me a chance. If I fail, I won't come after you again,” Tendulkar said in a recent chat show. “In that first match (against New Zealand at Auckland), I scored 82 off 49 balls, so I didn't have to ask again if I would get another chance. They were keen for me to open. But what I'm trying to say here is, don't be afraid of failure,” he said. India, under the captaincy of Mohammed Azharuddin, beat New Zealand in Auckland in that match with Tendulkar opening the batting for the first time with Ajay Jadeja.