In a career spanning over 24 years, Sachin Tendulkar has got most of the batting records to his name and as he turned 40 today, former captain Dilip Vengsarkar said that the senior India batsman will have to take a re-birth to break his own records.
"I wish him a long innings. It is tough to tour South Africa (in November) and there he will complete 200 Test matches. That is an outstanding achievement. People come and ask me who will break Sachin's record. I don't think anybody can break his record. I think he will take re-birth, it will be Sachin Tendulkar to break his own record," Vengsarkar said.
Speaking at the launch of a book written on Tendulkar by New Delhi-based journalist Vimal Kumar, Vengsarkar recalled how a young Tendulkar had told the Bombay coach that he could have faced the last over of the day's play in the Ranji match against Hyderabad instead of sending the night watchman.
"We were playing in Hyderabad and they had scored some 180 runs. We had to bat an hour at the end (of day's play) and were 40 for two. I had signaled the dressing room and asked Kiran Mokashi to pad up. In the last over, unfortunately a batsman got out and Kiran came into bat. He was bowled two balls later and that was the end of the day's play.
"Sachin told our coach 'there was no need to send Kiran I would have batted that over'. That confidence he exuded at a very young age. And the coach came to me and told this and I was amazed to see his confidence. Next day I had a 120 run partnership with him," the former chief national selector said.
Vengsarkar also remembered how he had asked a 15-year-old Tendulkar to bat at the India nets at CCI and had to convince former World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev to bowl a few deliveries to the youngster.
