'Aggression should be in your game' - Sachin Tendulkar opens up on the U19 World Cup final brawl

The ICC U19 World Cup 2020 final between defending champions India and eventual winners Bangladesh was an intensely fought encounter. In the end, the young Tigers pipped India by three wickets to claim their maiden silverware but it was not without its fair share of heated moments between the young colts.

The writing was on the wall from the very outset with the players getting involved in a heated exchange of words. But it was really after Bangladesh pulled off what can only be termed as a historic win, that the matters escalated to the hilt.

The International Cricket Council reprimanded two Indians- pace bowler Akash Singh and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi — and three Bangladeshi players — Mohammad Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain and Rakibul Hasan, for breaching the Code of Conduct. Following the incident, cricketers from both sides have garnered criticism for failing to keep their feelings in check in the heat of the moment.

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is someone who knows how to keep emotions in check better than anyone else. Commenting on the brawl that ensued in the finals, the 46-year-old said how an individual reacts to such situations boils down to what kind of character he is.

“One can only make an effort to teach individuals, but then a lot depends on the character of an individual,” Sachin Tendulkar was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

“In a crunch moment, one should be able to control certain things and not forget that the whole world is looking up to you. They are following certain things,” he added.

‘There is a method to do it’: Sachin Tendulkar

Tendulkar added that while aggression is a big part of the game, it does not mean hurling verbal volleys on the opposition.

“So, I think those are the moments where controlled aggression helps. One needs to be aggressive but being vocal and saying foul things doesn’t mean that you are aggressive,” Tendulkar claimed. He reckoned that aggression is something that should be reflected in how an individual approached batting or bowling.

“Aggression should be in your game, the way you bat or bowl-that aggression which helps the team and not goes against it. Everyone is aggressive. If somebody doesn’t say anything or if somebody doesn’t do anything it doesn’t mean that he is not aggressive. We all want to go out and win. There is a method to do that. You can’t cross the line,” Tendulkar added.

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