'0 0 1': Tendulkar's sequence of scores before he got down to changing cricket

Invited to attend Sachin Tendulkars first match of his life by the player himself his friends returned home disappointed as the batsman they had gone to cheer for was out for a golden duckThe colonys main batsman made some excuses to his group of supporters and convinced that the dismissal was not Tendulkars fault the same set of audience thronged the ground for his second match but to their horror he let them down one more time with another firstball zeroFor the third match Tendulkar avoided calling his friends to the ground hoping for a change in fortunes But the move did not bring him any luck and all he could do was open his accountTendulkar nonetheless was relieved with that one run and went back from the ground feeling happy heralding the beginning of a journey that would change the face of cricket foreverIn the first match of my life I called all my friends from the Sahitya Sahwas I was the main batsman of the colony and I called them to watch All my friends came and I got out on the first ball which was quite disappointing Tendulkar said on WednesdayI made some excuses which were usually acceptable in gully cricket I said actually the ball was low and they all agreed In the next match I called them again and I got out on the first ball I made an excuse again and said this ball was a little high it flew away from there and it was the fault of the pitch and not mine But in the third match I said I wont call them as I would be wasting their time I thought I will go alone added the little masterAlso ReadlsquoBazballrsquo all the wayTendulkar said that was when he understood the importance of scoring one runI went and scored one run I remember that I played 56 balls and I got out on one run But somewhere I was happy iquest I scored one run I went back to Bandra from Shivaji Park and that bus journey was a pleasant bus journey because I had scored one run he saidI realised the importance of a single run that is scored because later everyone used to tell us that one run can cost you that either you can win or you can loseBut it was such a big transformation In the first two matches I had two scores of zero and then scored one run and went home iquest that one run changed my mood said Tendulkar who is the only batter in history to have scored 100 international centuries across formatsLegendary batter Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday revealed playing gully cricket with a straight boundary back at his first home in the city helped him develop his trademark straight drive which was later perfected by his coach Ramakant AchrekarTendulkar said since he used to play with boys above his age and there would be space constraints at his home at Sahitya Sahwas in Bandra he was forced to look for hits down the wicket which would fetch him four runsMy favourite shot one which goes behind bowler straight drive that was my favourite shot And I started playing that shot at the Sahitya Sahawas because there were no fielders behind the bowler Tendulkar said during an Indian Street Premier League ISPL eventWhen I went to Shivaji Park and started practising with Ramakant Achrekar sir he would tell me that I should show my full face of the bat that is the safest way to clear a ball said Tendulkar adding that playing with the tennis ball was one of his earliest memories of cricketWith agency inputs