“I was so depressed and so upset with the way we had performed”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Legendary India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has revealed that he considered retiring following the national team’s disastrous performance during the 2007 World Cup.

India were knocked out in the group stages during that tournament after losing to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

“I still remember [after the] 2007 [World Cup] when I came back home, I was so depressed and so upset with the way we had performed,” Tendulkar said. “I actually thought of retiring then. I called my brother over, Ajit, and told him that I [did] not want to continue.

“The game has been cruel to us and I want to stop. That was when he said, ‘can you imagine in 2011 you are here at Wankhede stadium holding that beautiful trophy. That is when you should think of retiring’. That conversation really helped and it motivated me to go out and play with a purpose.”

Fast forward four years later and Tendulkar’s dream of tasting World Cup glory became reality as he hoisted the trophy above his head at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

“I did cry when I went out in the middle after the victory. I did cry,” he said. “This was the only time I had happy tears because that moment was just a priceless moment. That moment was something that you can only dream off.”

When asked what it is like playing against arch-rivals Pakistan, Tendulkar said: “It is a different atmosphere altogether. A game with Pakistan is not about pressure only on that day. In 2003, when we had to play Pakistan at Centurion, my friends had started talking about it a good 10 months ago. And they wanted us to win that match. Of course, we do not think that way.”