Sachin Tendulkar smashed 49 ODI and 51 Test centuries while serving Indian cricket for 24 years. Before retiring from all formats of the game in November 2013, Tendulkar had represented India in six World Cup tournaments.

But all of this might have never happened. Because on his debut for India versus Pakistan in Karachi, Tendulkar felt completely out of place, and had almost convinced himself that he’d never play for the country ever again.

On the latest episode of Breakfast with Champions, Tendulkar recalled how he thought it would be his last innings. “First innings of my life, in Karachi, I thought it would be my first and last innings. In the first match, I had no idea. Waqar Younis bowling from one end, Wasim Akram going full-throttle from the other. And they had just started to reverse-swing the ball. To go there and play suddenly, I was completely out of place,” he said.

Tendulkar was then motivated by his seniors in the team, who suggested he should give himself some more time. “I took advice from everyone in the dressing room and they told me to spend some more time on it. They said ‘this is international cricket. You’re playing possibly the best bowling attack in the world. Give them that respect.’ Second innings of my life, I scored 59 runs. I got back to the dressing room and looked at myself and said, ‘You’ve done it',” Sachin told the host of the show, Gaurav Kapur.

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