Virat Kohli’s Team India is the best, says Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar, the face of world cricket since he burst on to the international scene as a 16-year-old in 1989, led India in only 25 of his world record 200 Tests, but he was the captain behind every captain who led during his 24-year career. Catch live conversation with Sachin Tendulkar here.

The man who retired in 2013 with pretty much every batting record --- the most Test and ODI appearances, aggregate and centuries --- has always loved to play the mentor in his own quiet way.

It was to Sachin Tendulkar that India skipper Virat Kohli turned to after a rare low on the 2014 Test tour of England, and the result is there for all to see as he powers on with the bat and as a leader.

Here are the highlights of Tendulkar’s session at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

12.25pm: Sachin Tendulkar will be a big draw on Day 2 of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. He is expected to speak on a range of subjects like domestic cricket, the revival of Test cricket and of course IPL. Catch the live discussion with TV journalist Nikhil Naz here.

12:30 pm: Test cricket is not dying. It’s about the big rivalries. There was a time when everyone wanted to beat West Indies. Then came Australia. These rivalries are dying.

12:35 pm: Getting not angry on a cricket field was a strategy. The battle against McGrath was great. We fought on the field, but off it, we were great friends.

12:37 pm: In 1987, when Gavaskar scored 97, it was a great knock because he scored the runs on a difficult surface. It was about skills like footwork. This is what makes an innings special.

12:38 pm: To engage the crowd, there must be an even contest between bat and ball. the Wahab Riaz spell against Shane Watson makes cricket special.

12:42 pm: It will be a good idea to play back-to-back Test matches on a home-and-away basis. It will make the matches more exciting. Let India host two Tests at home and then let England host India in the next two. Don’t know if that ever will be possible.

12:45pm: BCCI has always been supportive. The ways things have been managed only helped cricketers. Not everything can be perfect. Things can be better so that India remain the No. 1 team in the world.

12:48 pm: Virat Kohli’s team has the right balance. The batting line is very strong and there is great balance in batting and bowling. More importantly, you have the best man in the dressing room, Anil Kumble.

12:53 pm: Stop making tailor-made pitches. Let’s make green-top pitches in India and make our batsmen and spinners play on them. We need to make our bench strength get used to foreign conditions.

12:55 pm: Let’s have two sets of pitches for domestic cricket. Greentops and then turning tracks. If we can do that, we will be prepared for any condition. India needs to travel better and that also means playing with two different balls and that means harnessing the Kookaburra ball.

12:57 pm: Let’s look at our athletes and give them the exposure they need. We can have them perform during the breaks during IPL and ODI matches. They will know how to perform in front of huge crowds. Plus our sports fans will know who they are. It will be a great idea to create sports awareness. India will then become a sports nation.

1:00 pm: We can’t pull down our athletes for not winning medals in Rio Games. We need to appreciate the work they have put in. We must give our athletes the exposure they need in India.

1:02 pm: As a nation we are less participant. We comment by watching TV. I would want everyone to be more participative. This will help their lifestyle. Fitness is key and as a nation we tend to spend more time on the dining table. We love our parathas. But the day we learn to balance food and fitness, we will become a great sporting nation. Health is wealth. Swach Bharat and Swasth Bharat are interlinked.

1:05 pm: We need to transform lives in villages. It not about physical health but all the mental health. We must care for special people, particularly special children. We must have the ideal father.

1:09 pm: Now the rapid fire round.

1:10 pm: Feared Hansie Cronje as a bowler. Brain Lara was the best. He was a special package.

1:11 pm: Roger Federer my favourite non-cricket hero. No questions asked.

1:12 pm: Virender Sehwag’s batting was special. Never knew what was coming next.

That’s the end of a brilliant session. Sachin Tendulkar wraps it up brilliantly and he is presented a caricature by the famous New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly.