I enjoy cricket like a 16-year-old: Tendulkar

New Delhi: So much in India has changed since 1989 that you can now virtually not recongnise the country, but there has been one constant indulgence and that person's name is Sachin Tendulkar. CNN-IBN's Sports Editor Gaurav Kalra spoke to the Indian batting maestro, who completed 20 years of international cricket on November 15, 2009.

CNN-IBN: Do you still remember the Karachi morning of November 15, 1989?

Sachin Tendulkar: Yes, I remember. I remember that we fielded first and after the first day, I was so tired that I went to hotel and went to sleep at 6:30 and then woke up at 8:30. I had dinner and then again went on to sleep. Salil Ankola was my room partner and I remember discussing with him that how tiring the first day in Test cricket was and I never thought it will be that tiring.

CNN-IBN: At 16, you were a Test cricketer.

Sachin Tendulkar: Yes, at 16 I got an opportunity and I was grateful but it was an experience. That match was something. It was Kapil Dev's 100th Test match and also Waqar Younis' debut Test.

CNN-IBN: Did you experience stage fright at that point? Did you ever think this is not where I belong just yet?

Sachin Tendulkar: I definitely felt that way. When I was going out to bat in the first innings, the entire stadium was going berserk and it was Wasim Akram bowling from one end and Waqar Younis charging in from the other. I didn't know what was happening.

For a good six-seven minutes, I had no clue what was happening. That entire innings is kind of a blur now. I don't know precisely what happened on each ball. Normally, I do remember but I don't remember much of that innings. But I remember when I got out and came back inside I told myself: 'what have you done? This was not expected out of you. You were supposed to go out there and do well.' I was extremely disappointed and I started doubting my ability and I started thinking if I really belong here.

CNN-IBN: What will you say have been the highest and the lowest points in your international career of 20 years?

Sachin Tendulkar: There have been many wonderful moments. But if I have to single out one, it has to be the 2003 World Cup match against Pakistan. The entire atmosphere was something special. Exactly a year before that, people had started counting the number of days left for that match. So that has to be the special match. And the lowest point probably was the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.

CNN-IBN: Twenty years is a lot in modern sport. You have to play so much that you have been ravaged by injuries. Has there ever been an occasion where you have said: 'this hurts too much. I have done enough and now I need to give up.' Has that thought ever come into your mind?

Sachin Tendulkar: Not like that. At no stage, I have felt that I should stop and I have had enough. There have been occasions when I have felt that my body is not feeling great. I need to work harder in the gym and get myself in a good condition.

I precisely remember the tennis elbow injury. It was the worst injury I have had so far. It was a difficult phase. I tried every possible treatment but nothing worked. After getting operated which was the last option, and I was pushed to an extent that I had to undergo a surgery.

After that, again I was not feeling great. By then I had become so impatient, I wanted to get back to action and I wanted to start playing. My progress was not taking place at the rate one would have expected. But the doctors said that you just need to be patient. It will get better. Everything will be fine. It just requires time. In between the pressure was so much. I was getting scared at times that I may not be able to play cricket again. I could not even lift my son's cricket bat. There was no strength and there was vast amount of muscle loss.

I was just praying to God that I get one more opportunity. I don't want to stop playing cricket. There are some crazy things I have done. I could not sleep at night. So, I used to go for drives alone. I was so mentally disturbed because I did not want my career to end.

CNN-IBN: A lot of people have spoken of this rivalry between you, Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting. When you see them performing, do you see them as competition?

Sachin Tendulkar: Not really. I have followed Brian's cricket closely. He is a good friend of mine. We shared various things with each other. We discussed how he would approach a particular match or, what would be my mental setup. But at no stage I felt we have competed as such.

CNN-IBN: Recently, Sunil Gavaskar told CNN-IBN that if there was one little area of concern with Tendulkar's legacy it will be in his two stints as captain, he was a little inflexible. In your own mind, do you see captaincy as a failure.

Sachin Tendulkar: I don't because captaincy has a lot to do with how the team performs. And by no means, I am saying that the players didn't want to perform. Every time a player walks out, he wants to do well.

But when we went to Australia, on the entire tour, we never went past 25--260 runs. How are you going to win if you score 250 runs in a Test match? All these factors are there and I don't blame anyone. Some times, it's just luck.

I remember when we were playing in Sharjah and I was captain and against the West Indies, a leg-spinner was bowling and I sent Robin Singh up the order but he got out on the first ball. There was flexibility. But exactly a week later, Azhar was the captain and he promoted Robin in Bangladesh against Pakistan and the same Robin Singh played brilliantly. He scored 86 or 88 in no time. Not that he didn't want to do well in Sharjah but sometimes things don't work out.

CNN-IBN: You have spoken about the passion for playing for India. Do you feel that the energy of the young brigade in the current Indian team has given you them impetus to go on in international cricket or are your goals completely self-driven?

Sachin Tendulkar: How I feel personally is more important. I may have youngsters in the team but if within me (the motivation) is not there, then it can never happen.

I feel very strongly about cricket. Cricket has given me everything in life and even today I enjoy cricket like a 16-year-old. The enthusiasm, the satisfaction, the art of out-thinking the opposition is what I love.

CNN-IBN: Did the 175 against Australia in Hyderabad hurt more or the 136 against Pakistan in Chennai because of the performance you put in but still your team lost

Sachin Tendulkar: I think both hurt me a lot. I know everyone was happy but in a team we think differently and as a player we think differently. I was disappointed. I was happy that I was able to go so close but my hurdle was not crossed and I felt terrible.

CNN-IBN: Will we be talking in five years time, celebrating 25 years of Sachin Tendulkar in international cricket?

Sachin Tendulkar: I don't know about that. But I want to thank the entire nation for all the support and for all the love.

CNN-IBN: We will put a little more pressure on you and ask you to get 13 more hundreds so that you can have 100 hundreds.

Sachin Tendulkar: May be by god's grace but I will continue to enjoy the game and what has to happen will happen.