London: The Test series is still a few days away but England have started the mindgames with pacer James Anderson saying that his team needs to make sure that it does not treat senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar "with too much respect in the middle".
"There has been much talk that this may be Sachin Tendulkar`s last Test series. I do enjoy bowling against him as testing yourself against the best is what playing at this level is all about," Anderson wrote in his column for a daily ahead of the four-Test series starting November 15 in Ahmedabad.
"And there is no question in my mind that he has been one of the best batsmen - if not the best - for 20-odd years. But we have to make sure we do not treat him with too much respect in the middle," he said.
Anderson said admiring Tendulkar too much would take away the competitive edge.
"I do know that people have said they love watching him bat and maybe too much of that kind of admiration could dull your competitive edge.
"I`ve never been aware of succumbing to that myself but maybe subconsciously, because you respect him for what he has done in the game - 100 international centuries is some achievement - and the way he has conducted himself, you want to get him to respect you back," he said.
"The Sachin factor is quite something to experience. I`ve played in games here in which the Indian supporters seem more interested in his batting than how their team are doing, when Sachin getting out is the signal for a mass exodus."
Anderson said he wouldn`t mind getting booed by the crowd if he manages to dismiss Tendulkar.
"I will be seeking to make myself pretty unpopular with the locals in the weeks ahead. The bottom line is that we treat everyone with the same respect, whether they`ve played one Test or 100 and that goes for trying to earn their respect, too," he said.
The pacer was also all praise for Indian comeback man Yuvraj Singh, who has made a successful return to international cricket after recovering from a rare germ cell cancer.
"The return of Yuvraj Singh to the Indian side will complete a remarkable story, after all he has been through since the Test series against us at home in 2011," he said.
"I cannot begin to understand how devastating it must have been for him to be told he had lung cancer. Not so long ago, such a diagnosis would have been akin to a death sentence and it is incredible that he can be playing top-level cricket again so soon," he added.
Anderson hoped that England`s star spinner Graeme Swann, who has had to rush home to attend to his unwell daughter, would come back to join the team soon.
"Graeme Swann`s trip home to be with his wife and baby is a reminder to us all of the kind of issues our families back home have to deal with.
"Family always comes first. We are hoping and expecting he will be back with us in time for the first Test but, if he needs more time at home, we are 100 per cent behind him," he added.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.