Yashasvi Jaiswal story is that of an unbroken spirit that is focused on achieving its goal of playing for Indian cricket team and the young talent got a major shot in the arm, as he met the legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.
Yashasvi, whose story about struggle and living in tents with groundsmen, selling panipuri to make ends meet was featured in IndianExpress.com, will be showing his talents for the India U19 team when they tour Sri Lanka.
Yashasvi was informed that Sachin Tendulkar wanted to meet him by none other than Sachin’s son and Yashasvi’s fellow U19 teammate Arjun Tendulkar.
“Arjun asked me to go home because he said ‘Papa wants to meet you personally. You go by yourself’. So I went like he’d asked me to,” Jaiswal told this paper before not surprisingly adding, “I became very nervous when I saw him.”
Jaiswal was put to ease by Sachin, as he was told to ask any questions he had in his mind about cricket and Yashasvi admitted to preparing a list of queries for such a meeting.
“I asked him about how to control your emotions while dealing with the pressure of a big match. Sir told me you should not think about the result but just enjoy the pressure,” said Jaiswal.
“He told me, ‘As much as possible, once you’ve faced a ball keep looking at the bowler. Every bowler gives a clue of what he’s about to bowl, and understand those clues. Your job is to keep looking at him till the time he walks back to the mark. It’ll improve your focus and will stop you from
thinking about unnecessary things’,” Jaiswal revealed a special advice from Sachin.
“I told him that I got out thrice while playing the cover-drive. He asked me to get into the nets and practice more. He told me to try and play even the spinners along the ground during practice. Against the pacers, the first focus of a batsman, he said, should be on stretching your front foot forward and playing a defensive stroke. Then only if it’s necessary should you go through with the cover-drive,” said Jaiswal.
Tendulkar even correctly pointed out why Jaiswal was getting out in the same manner.
“You must not have brought your front foot out completely and that meant you were playing the cover-drive to balls which were slightly wider than the ones you should play’,”Jaiswal revealed.
Jaiswal was excited about meeting his idol in his own home and with Sachin playing a dotting host. However, there is a small regret though. “Oh, I didn’t take a picture with him. I walked out while talking to him,” he exclaimed.
