Not enough competitive rivalries in Test cricket anymore: Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar believes that rivalries within sports teams pique the interest of public and keeps the game interesting. 

“In order to keep the crowd engaged, there needs to be a good competition between the bat and the ball, but unfortunately," Tendulkar said, “I feel there aren't enough competitive rivalries in Test cricket anymore.”

However, the legendary cricketer clarified that Test format of cricket is not dying, rather, “Mind set of people is changing,” Tendulkar said during HT Leadership Summit on Saturday. 

Here are the highlights of his speech: 

On Test Cricket: 

#Test cricket is not dying. Mind set of people is changing; 
#I feel there aren't enough competitive rivalries in Test cricket anymore
#There isn't much diff in the laws of cricket between ODI and 20-20. However, the laws change a lot for Test cricket
#The new generation is used to seeing a couple of boundaries in T20 cricket. We need to bring something new to keep them engaged

On team rivalries: 

#When you start creating rivalries, people's level of interest rises
#In order to keep the crowd engaged, there needs to be a good competition between the bat and the ball; 
#If you want to engage the crowd in the stadium, what you do on the ground is important. 

On handing opponents: 

#I decide when to take the ball not the bowler. Similarly I decide when to talk to opposition.
#As a cricketer, I never liked confronting opponents or getting into retaliation. I decide when to speak to a bowler and not him. 

On cricket authorities:

#Speaking as a cricketer, I have always received a lot of support from the BCCI and MCA

On current Indian team: 

#The current Indian cricket team reminds me of how we, as a team, used to be. 
#Our cricket team has the right balance. Just needs some direction

On bowling techniques: 

#I would want the first innings of a match to be on a green top; 
#Our spinners need to know which areas to bowl in the first Innings on a green top
#The toss allows a captain to have a 10% advantage at most. A toss doesn't decide the outcome of a match

On other sports in India:

#Our athletes are champions and we need to stand up, applaud and appreciate them
#Spectators complain that we don't bring enough medals. They need to understand how difficult and gruelling athletics is
#We need to build our nation and bring the culture of sports to India
#I want our people to step out of their drawing rooms and participate in sports. As a nation, we need to work on being fit

On his term in Rajya Sabha:

#The most important thing for me as an MP is I'm now getting to do things that I didn't get to do while I was a cricketer

On Swachh Bharat Mission:

#As a UNICEF Ambassador, I wish to say that Swacch Bharat (Clean India) and Swasth Bharat (Fit India) go hand-in-hand