Sachin compared fight against Coronavirus to Test cricket in plea to public

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Image Courtesy: AP/NY Times

From China to Europe, the COVID-19 Coronavirus that originated from the city of Wuhan has found its way into almost all corners of the world, even India. A total of 176 citizens have been tested positive as of now, along with the death of three patients. Amidst the travel ban, and general panic among the population, several iconic figures and celebrities have come forward to show their support and have provided some guidelines for tackling the further spread of the virus. Indian cricketing hall of fame Sachin Tendulkar has put up an interesting analogy, as the legend believes the pandemic can be fought with lessons from Test cricket.

Image Courtesy: AP/NY Times

A pioneer of the sport, Sachin Tendulkar has had an astounding 200 international Test match experiences in his decorated career that spun more than two decades. While discussions are going on to tackle the spread of the virus, the legendary batsman came forward with Test cricket as a guideline for the public.

In an exclusive interview with the Times of India, the former Team India talisman drew relevance of the ongoing battle against the Coronavirus with the prevalence of the red ball format among the craze of limited overs cricket.

“While the world battles the COVID-19, this is probably the time for all of us to draw lessons from the grand old format (Test cricket) of the game,” Sachin said in the interview.

“Test Cricket rewards you for respecting what you don’t understand. It makes you value the virtue of patience. When you don’t understand the pitch conditions or the bowler, defence becomes the best form of attack.”

Talking about the factors that function in a Test match, the Little Master emphasised on the necessity of ‘Patience’.

“Patience is what we require now, if we have to defend well. In  my entire life as a professional cricketer and beyond, I never thought I would see anything like this. Cricket in India and globally has come to a complete standstill.”

The 46 year old continued: “Test Cricket is about staging comebacks. There is always a second innings, if you’ve missed the first one. Different countries are at different stages of their fight against Coronavirus. But with a positive mindset, all of them can overcome this pandemic in their own ways.”

“All nations should consider themselves part of one team. They should talk to each other, keep themselves motivated, pat each other’s backs after a long day’s play and come back harder the next day to continue the fight.” he added.

Read Sachin’s full interview here.

The cricketing stalwart of India was also seen participating in WHO’s ‘#SafeHandsChallenge’, where Sachin spoke about the importance of properly washing hands in a Twitter video.

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