"We have plans for SL bowlers" : Sachin

Sachin Tendulkar spoke to espnstar.com in an exclusive chat after the Indian team wrapped up its camp in Bangalore.

By Mukul Sachdeva

Q: So, how was the break and what all you did all this while?

ST: A lot of different things. It’s not a great feeling being away from the team or the game but then I get to spend time with my kids, help them with their small things, be with my close friends. I was in the UK for a while, watched some movies, relaxed at home. It was good fun.

Q: Now, you are all set for the triangular.

ST: Oh yes. The camp has ended on a positive note and the team looks pretty solid and hungry. Sri Lanka is one place which is not very free scoring. In that regard, it will be a challenge for some of the strokeplayers in our team. As boundaries can be difficult to come by, there will be a lot of running between the wickets involved.

Q: Going by that you feel that Sri Lanka and New Zealand have an edge over India since they are a fitter side or rather better fielding side?

ST: No, you cannot say that. We are an extremely good fielding unit and we turned around games with our fielding. It is a misconception to assume that New Zealand and Sri Lanka have an edge over us. We run well between the wickets, our run out conversion is good, our catching ability is amongst the best, our bowlers are much more disciplined as they don’t bowl wides and no balls. I think we are three evenly matched teams.

Q: On the last tour we handled Ajantha Mendis really well. Do you think we have decoded the Mendis mystery?

ST: These are the contests created by the media. Ajantha Mendis, Muthiah Muralitharan or Chaminda Vaas are all good bowlers and we as a team respect them. At the same time we have a plan for each one of them. On the last trip batsmen like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir handled Mendis and Murali really well. I think we can build on that. These youngsters bring a fresh approach and mindset which then rubs off on others which helps the team produce good results.

Q: What do you think of Rahul Dravid’s inclusion in the team?

A: Oh, it should be help the team. He brings in a lot of experience on the table and also a lot of skill. I think his will be good value addition to the team.