Sachin Tendulkar shares the advice given to him by Sunil Gavaskar for improving his batting

Sunil Gavaskar is undoubtedly one of the greatest cricketers India have ever produced. ‘The Little Master’, as he is fondly termed as, celebrated his 72nd birthday on Saturday. On this occasion, Sachin Tendulkar put a special post to wish Gavaskar on his day and also shared a piece of precious advice given to him by the legend.

Tendulkar has graced the 22 yards like no other since the time he made his debut at a very young age back in 1989. Recounting one such early moment from his career, he described the bilateral series against England in 1990 which he was a part of.

During the Lord’s Test of that tour, Sachin was shown the way back to the pavilion for just 27 runs. After the match, Gavaskar advised him on his batting and the words of wisdom stayed with the Master Blaster for the rest of his career.

“We have interacted on various occasions but I remember, the first time I started playing for India in 1990 after the Lord’s Test match where I was dismissed for 27, trying to nudge a ball which was not in line.

“I could have left the ball but I got out at second slip. That time he walked up to me and said (in Marathi) ‘Let go of the ball outside, play close to your body.’ And that stayed with me,” Tendulkar recalled.

Happy Birthday Gavaskar Sir.
Wishing you a year full of good health and happiness. pic.twitter.com/LMyzkbOrDT

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) July 10, 2021

The irreplaceable legacy of Sunil Gavaskar

Gavaskar was probably one of the greatest opening batsmen of all time. He was often renowned for his technique and concentration. Even after years of his retirement from international cricket, the batting maestro stays the living coaching manual for many budding cricketers.

Gavaskar faced the deadly bowling attack of the then superior West Indies side without a helmet on and always was admired for his hunger for runs. He carried the hopes of the nation on his shoulder and even now stays as relevant as ever when it comes to cricket.

His love for the game is evident when he is seen taking the charge of the commentary box and speaking about the beautiful sport. Gavaskar was also the first batsman to score 10,000 Test runs. He achieved this feat on March 7, 1987, in Ahmedabad.