‘I’ll let you know when I decide to retire, please don’t worry’

Copyright Daily DNA India - In a free-wheeling interaction with the media, Sachin Tendulkar says he realised the value of a century after scoring 99 of them. Excerpts: Is it relief, delight or disappointment? There are mixed feelings. We wanted to get to a good total. I was batting with Virat and we decided 275-280 is a good total. He mentioned this wicket was different from the one we played the other day. I think 290 was a good total. They needed 33 off the last three overs. I thought we were in control. But there were a few very good shots. How has the journey to the 100th century been? It's been a tough journey. I was batting well in Australia and was good in patches in England. I came so close but for some reason it was just not happening. In Australia, the first couple of matches I was really moving well but somehow the 100 was not happening. I am glad it's out of the way. I can focus on the matches now. You are treated as cricketing god. Did god test god today? First of all, I'm not god, I'm a cricketer, I'm Sachin. After scoring 99 tons you are made to realise the value of a hundred. It's not easy. It was a testing period. There were many guys who have helped me, many people who have prayed for me. Please continue to pray for me. The bowlers failed to defend 290. Did India fall 30 runs short? At the end of the day, you will have many opinions. The total was a decent one. Sometimes, you have to give credit to the opposition. They played good cricket, approached it really well. Our bowlers tried their best. This is just one of those things. If Australia can lose after scoring 434, then whom do you blame? What went wrong with the bowling against Bangladesh? Bowlers had a tough day. Everyday is different. Sometimes you can defend 225. At that point in time, no one questions the bowlers. These things happen. We don't have to panic. You have turned another stone into a milestone. What's next? I don't play for milestones. I play cricket. I want to enjoy cricket. It's a perception created by a few of you here because you guys write. I don't play for records. I have been batting really well. There are opinions, some for, some against. I don't read them. I have a job to do. Ups and downs are a part of life. There is no person who has not experienced it. It happens to all the players. It teaches you a lot in life. I never took things for granted. Luck is not always on your side. Old Trafford to Mirpur, sum up the journey please. The 100th ton was the toughest of them all. The 100th ton took so long coming. Were you frustrated? Yes, I got to be honest. I am human too. I have emotions. And I was frustrated. It does play on your mind. Did you become more human over the last one year? I was always human. What was the first thing that came into your mind after reaching the milestone? When did you realise that it was actually going to happen? I thanked God for whatever has come my way. You should not take things for granted. Till the end, you have to be on your toes. Whatever planning the team has, you have to execute it. After scoring 100, my job was not over. The 100 wasn't the only thing on my mind. To get a good total was the aim. I was sort of looking at the scorecard, at the run rate and avoided looking at my personal score. People were saying that you would quit after your 100th hundred... When I decide to retire, I will let you know. I won't hide it from you or from anyone. Please don't worry. I will play as long as I enjoy, as long as I can contribute. From the 99th to the 100th hundred, how did you handle the pressure? While the World Cup was on, you guys did not write much about it. That was not on our minds then. It was never on my mind. Just before the England series, there was a build-up that I didn't go to the West Indies because I wanted to score it in England. I mean you can't plan and score a hundred. There's nothing like that. You always go out to score a hundred. As a batsman, when you score a ton, it means you have contributed to the team's cause. Ask any batsman, he will say he wants to score a ton. But I am glad about the journey. It has tested my patience, my character. Somebody who has not gone through this will only have questions, not answers. Did you know that you didn't have an ODI ton against Bangladesh? Honestly, I did not know. I am not somebody who likes to get into statistics. I don't really do that. It would take up a lot of my time. I spend my time to practice instead. But it's a nice feeling. You took part in optional nets session (on Wednesday). Do you think it all comes down to commitment? It was optional. I wanted to hit a few balls. It's not that others didn't want to practise. I felt comfortable to come to the ground to get a feel factor. Pakistan are India's next opponents on Sunday. Your thoughts. Playing against Pakistan is always challenging. They definitely made me a better player. The process never stops. We keep making mistakes. You go back and don't want to commit that again. I want to enjoy my cricket. The next game is really important. We have got to regroup and rework our strategy.