Sachin Tendulkar Profile | INDIA

Full name Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Born April 24, 1973, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra

Current age 36 years 61 days

Major teams India, Asia XI, Mumbai, Mumbai Indians, Yorkshire

Nickname Tendlya, Little Master

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak, Legbreak googly

Height 5 ft 5 in

Education Sharadashram Vidyamandir School

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MS Dhoni Interview - 'Sehwag will play a crucial role in Tests'

After demolishing the New Zealand bowling attack with consummate ease in One-dayers, explosive opener Virender Sehwag will once again be crucial for India to dominate New Zealand in the Test series starting on Wednesday, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said.

Speaking to reporters on the eve of the first Test, Dhoni said he wants Sehwag to play his natural game.

"We want him to play the way he wants to play, because that is his natural style. We all know if he gets going he can dominate the bowlers and all of a sudden you see the bowling attack rattled," the 27-year-old said.

"We have seen if he plays for two hours or three hours, he is a batsman who is capable of getting big scores. He is not the kind who gets out in 30s or 40s; 50s or 60s. If he gets going, he gets big scores."

With India chasing an elusive Test series victory in New Zealand, something they haven't achieved in 41 years, Dhoni knows the importance of an in-form Sehwag up the order.

The right-handed batsman can change the course of the game in one session by pulverising any bowling attack into submission.

"We don't want individuals to change their game. That is the strength, because of which they are part of the Indian team. Definitely in between you may want them to curb your natural game, but more often -- about 80 per cent of the times -- we want them to play their natural game," Dhoni explained.

However, the wicketkeeper-batsman also made it clear that the team's success over the last 18 months wasn't based on individual performances alone but depended largely on a collective effort.

"We don't rely on individuals. If you see our record in the past one and a half year, we don't really depend only on batsmen. The bowlers have come out with plenty of aggression on flat tracks. They bowled the right lines and have got the best batsmen out because of their consistency and execution of plans. We don't rely on just batsmen or bowlers, we have been good totally as a team."

Speaking about the three-match Test series, the India captain said he expects New Zealand to come back hard after losing the One-day series 3-1.

"New Zealand lost the One-day series, but that doesn't mean they are not a good side. They are a very competitive team, especially when it comes to exploiting the conditions out here. We expect tough cricket over the next 20-25 days," Dhoni said.

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MS Dhoni interview

1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni…you have already played some scintillating knocks in your short career for India, so has the world seen your full potential yet or there’s much more to come out of you?
Yeah I think I have done reasonably well because my innings of 148 at Vizag was I think I had done almost everything in that. But the main thing is the consistency levels. So I think the expectations are very high and I have to score runs at regular intervals and whenever the team needs. So that’s one point, I have been working really hard on.
2. What’s the secret of the 'Dhoni Power'?
I even don’t know the secret because I really don’t do the Gym works and all. But I started off as a footballer, so the training I did over there is helping me a lot.

3. And what about the story about the 4 litres of milk that you have daily?
Actually it is just a bit exaggerated. I love milk and I just have 1 litre of milk every day. Previously it used to be just plain milk, but now its shakes or whatever... like hot chocolates in any form.

4. One big question now, can Dhoni ever repeat or play a better innings than the 148 he hit against Pakistan at Vizag?
Yeah hopefully I am looking forward for it. With the new form of play that of the powerplays and all, if I get a chance I would really like to go even 1 run more than the 148. Obviously I like to get a 150. It’s not easy to repeat this kind of performance at the international level. But with this powerplay, I think it can be done. It’s not impossible, if I have done it once, I can do it once again.

5. What would happen if a batsman like Sehwag or Dhoni bat all the 50 Overs in a One Dayer?
I think we would be looking forward for a score of 350 or above. Easily 350 or more because there are batsmen who are even more devastating than even Virender Sehwag or myself like Shahid Afridi, like Adam Gilchrist and they are big hitters at the international level. With this powerplay rule, 350 would be a gettable score especially in the sub continent.

6. Dhoni, now you have played 5 years of first class cricket and about 1 year of international cricket, so who has been the most difficult bowler you had faced so far and the best 6 you hit?
Hmmm…I think the best six, I have hit was in Kenya. I think I hit a Pakistani medium fast bowler. So I stepped out and hit him, it was a quite a long six and may be it was a 150 yards six or even more than that. I think that was the best six and the best bowler I have faced… I think I have faced lots of them. I mean I have faced bowlers who are very difficult on different kinds of tracks. So there are lots of bowlers like that both at international and domestic level and I wouldn’t like to name any one of them.

7. Where was that six, was it over the covers?
No it was straight down the ground, over the bowler’s head and over the camera man’s head and over the parking lot and it was gone.

8. 19 One Day Internationals and 525 runs, where do you think you are heading towards in your career?

Aaah…hopefully I would love to score as many runs as possible in the One Dayers. Obviously I love to score some runs at the Test Level too.

9. How do you spend your day when you are not having any cricket to play?

Actually I love music, I love driving particularly bikes. I love my bikes, I love playing computer games, I play quite a bit of badminton when I get time. But I love bikes more than anything.

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