By Richard Sydenham
LONDON, July 17 - India's record-breaking batsman
Sachin Tendulkar said on Tuesday that he was enjoying the game
as much now as in 1990 when he was 17 and playing his first
Lord's test match.
Tendulkar, who has scored more test centuries (37) than
anyone, is on his fourth test tour of England and will feature
in the first of three tests at Lord's on Thursday. Time on the
road has not affected his appetite for cricket.
"I am absolutely enjoying it and that is the reason for me
to walk on the cricket field," Tendulkar told reporters at
Lord's. "The rest of the things follow. The most important thing
is my love for the game.
"If I feel I am not enjoying it as much (as I used to) there
is no reason to be out there. But at this time I am really
enjoying going out into the middle. It's the love for the game
that takes me out there on the field and it's wonderful."
Tendulkar's first Lord's experience was when he watched
India win the World Cup on television in 1983 and his first
visit was as a spectator with a travelling Mumbai cricket club
when he was 14.
His first test there ended in defeat when Graham Gooch
scored 333.
Tendulkar has never scored a test century at Lord's, though
did make a three-figure score in a charity match in 2005. But
that is not enough for him.
"I don't want to put any pressure on myself that I have not
been able to do it," said Tendulkar, who has scored 10,922 runs
in 137 tests. "This is a ground where all the batters dream of
getting a hundred -- I'm no different."
Tendulkar, 34, who warmed up with 171 against England Lions
at the weekend, refused to say this would be his final England
test tour but said the next likely trip in 2011 or 2012 would
require a "special effort" for him to be back.
Tendulkar, softly spoken and thoughtful in his manner, is
not one for revealing too much about his plans in public and he
explained why even his family are not privy to his goals.
"I do have targets because I think it is important that when
you are sitting back in your room you know what you want to
contribute. Those are my targets, to contribute to the best of
my ability.
"(But) I never disclose my targets. There are certain things
which I just keep to myself, which nobody knows about, not even
my family knows about. It motivates me and pushes me to go out
and give my best."