Sachin Turns 47: An Interesting Tale On When 'Master Blaster' 'Learned' ABCD Of Cricket From A Taxi Driver In West Indies

On Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar's 47th birthday, ABP News sports journalist Kuntal Chakraborty takes you back in time and reveals a fascinating tale that unfolded 18 years ago in the Caribbean

Sachin Tendulkar

He is known as the 'God of Cricket' in the cricketing fraternity and the world of sports at large. The entire cricketing world followed the grammar and technical aspect of his batting through the last few decades. But do you know when Sachin Tendulkar had once approached a taxi driver from the Port of Spain to learn about the ABCD of cricket. On master blaster's 47th birthday ABP News sports journalist Kuntal Chakraborty takes you back in time and tells you this exclusive story that unfolded 18 years ago. India was on the tour to West Indies. The first Test match started from April 11 in Guyana and West Indies had piled up a massive total of 501 runs in their first innings at the Georgetown cricket stadium. India were 395/7 in reply as Sachin scored 79 runs. A single ball couldn't be bowled on the last day as bad weather and rain played a spoilsport . The next destination was Port of Spain and the match was to start from April 19. Indian cricket team reached the pictereque island three days prior to the start of the second Test match. On April 17 after the practice session was over, Sachin Tendulkar decided to go out for his lunch. Sachin invited former wicket keeper Deep Dasgupta and opener SS Das to join him. As soon as they went out of the hotel lobby , the cricketers got hold of a taxi and Sachin sat in front just beside the cabbie . Deep Dasgupta and SS Das were at the back seat . Deep narrates the story . " Sachin asked the cabbie , what is the popular sport here ? The driver answered cricket . It's cricket man ! Is it ? Continued Sachin and told him that he knows about baseball but doesn't know about the basic rules of cricket ". Deep further narrates , " Sachin told him that we have come from America as tourists . The master blaster told the taxi driver that he knows about the words pitcher , catcher and batter .... Does cricket have any similarities with baseball ? Sachin continued the prank but the cabbie failed to pick it up and took it seriously. He tried to teach who all are called the batsmen, bowlers and fielders and spoke about the ABCD of the game and Sachin Tendulkar like an obedient student listened to him ". "In between Sachin had asked the taxi driver, who is the best batsmen in the world at the moment "? The answer came in a flash. Sachin Tendulkar from India and Brian Lara from the West Indies are the best. Sachin Tendulkar while talking to the cabbie was looking outward and as a result the taxi driver couldn't identify him. SS Das from the back seat was showing his interest to reveal it to the cabbie that he is sitting beside the batting maestro but Sachin asked him not to do it as he loved the prank and moreover the fact that the cabbie couldn't recognise him. Deep recalls, " It was about twenty minutes taxi ride and Sachin looked outward while paying the cabbie and immediately jumped out of the car". All three broke into laughter after this. Sachin , Deep and Shiv Sundar Das had a lovely lunch that afternoon. In a couple days Sachin batted brilliantly to score a hundred in the first innings of the match. The master blaster scored 117 runs off 260 deliveries with 14 boundaries. India scored 339 in the first innings and eventually defeated the Caribbeans by 37 runs.