Sachin Tendulkar's rise from the Mumbai maidaans to the top echelons of world cricket is a stuff of legends. Under the guidance of famous coach Ramakant Achrekar, Sachin flourished in age-group cricket. School cricket in Mumbai has often produced future superstars, and several players with whom Tendulkar played in his youth days went on to make it big. Recently, Tendulkar recounted an incident on how he got his first pair of specialised cricket shoes from Mumbai and India teammate Pravin Amre, who is also his close friend.
Amre was Tendulkar's senior by four years at Shardashram Vidyamandir school. This happened after Amre returned from India's Under-19 tour of Australia.
"After he returned from there, Achrekar Sir told us: 'Watch his batting.' So, we would watch him very closely, and while observing his batting, we would notice what kit he was using, which bat, which shoes. We saw some fancy cricket shoes in his kit bag, and we were naturally fascinated by those shoes. Pravin told me: 'Score a hundred and take them!'," Tendulkar was quoted as saying by TOI.
"So, when I scored a hundred, I didn't have the guts to tell him that he had promised me a pair if I scored a hundred. But Pravin himself came to me, and the first good-quality pair of shoes of my life was given to me! I cannot forget that."
Amre reacted to the statement: "I just didn't expect Sachin to say that! I was really overwhelmed that he still remembered this gesture even after so many years. I had totally forgotten about it! This incident must've happened in 1987 or 1988. This is what makes Tendulkar truly a legend of the sport. It marks his greatness. I remember they were imported shoes, you didn't get such shoes in India back then. They were spike shoes for batting. I feel so proud that I gifted them to the right person, who went on to become perhaps the greatest cricketer ever!"
"After the programme, I told him it was just a small thing I did for him. But he replied by saying that at that point in his life, it was a big thing for him!"