After a brief introduction, boys and girls of various age groups were divided into different units and it was time for them to begin receiving instructions from the coaches that included the former India batsman Vinod Kambli. "The objective of this camp and the ones that will follow is to ensure an all-round development of the youngsters," said Tendulkar.
The staggering progress of captain Virat Kohli has caught the cricketing world's imagination, so much so that he finds himself bettering a host of ODI records that were previously held by the Master Blaster. "Virat has developed immensely as a player over the years. I always saw that spark in him and always felt he is going to be one of the leading players in the world, not just of this generation, but one of the leading players of all time," reckoned Tendulkar.
Nevertheless, he also believes that comparing players of different eras is an exercise in futility. "If one has to go into comparisons, then I don't want to get into that. There were different bowlers who played in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, in my era and the ones who are playing today. Then, each generation played differently, there were different rules, different restrictions, different surfaces, different balls as well. So lots of things have changed," he asserted.
India will embark on the tour to Australia later this month, and like most observers, Tendulkar feels Kohli & Co. have a great chance of pulling off their maiden Test series win Down Under. "I think we have a huge opportunity this time. The Australian team does not look like the same side that it used to be in the past and with (Steve) Smith and (David) Warner not there, this is a chance for India to go out and do something special," he said.
The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) wants the bans imposed on Smith, Warner and opener Cameron Bancroft to be lifted before India come calling, but Tendulkar was not willing to get into the complex debate. "I would want to see good cricket for sure. They both (Smith and Warner) are world-class players. But, I don't want to get into that debate whether the ban should be reduced or not," he said.
Very rarely does India possess a battery of pace bowlers who are capable of influencing results, and Kohli's side is spoilt for choices. "It's good that the competition for places in the XI is heating up. Healthy competition is always welcome," he explained.
from Times of India https://ift.tt/2RxNJCd
