Sachin Tendulkar gritty knock in year 1998 is how to fight COVID-19: Ian Chappell

Melbourne: Former Australia captain Ian Chappell feels the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is like a five-day game, saying the need of the hour for everyone is to show patience, determination and initiative which are key features of a Test cricketer. Chappell gave the example of two "influential innings" of Sachin Tendulkar and fellow Australian opener Ian Redpat, which according to him, displayed all the three qualities needed to bail out of the current situation.

"The current testing times are demanding a lot of citizens round the world. I've learned that rules that apply to athletes prospering at sport are also helpful in living life."

With the COVID-19 pandemic biting hard, citizens of all countries are being asked to display -- among other attributes -- patience, determination, and a bit of initiative. "These are qualities essential to playing Test cricket at a high level," Chappell wrote in a column for espncricinfo.com.

Chappell chose Tendulkar's innings against Australia in a 1998 Test in Chennai, where he dominated Shane Warne.

"To highlight the point I've chosen two particularly influential innings. The first one is a Sachin Tendulkar masterpiece in Chennai in 1998. His brilliant second-innings 155 won the Test for India, but it wouldn't have happened without the initiative displayed by Tendulkar in the lead-up to the series," the Aussie legend said.

"Tendulkar asked former India allrounder Ravi Shastri how he should cope with champion Australian legspinner Shane Warne if he went round the wicket to bowl into the rough."

Shastri's reply was tinged with common sense. 'Because of my long reach,' he replied, 'I had a defensive antidote to Warne bowling in the rough, but you don't. You'll have to devise an attacking option to combat Warne bowling in the footmarks'."

Chappell said Sachin Tendulkar took his senior teammate's advice very seriously and prepared himself ahead of his faceoff against Warne.

"Following that sound advice, Tendulkar spent time at the MRF nets -- where he deliberately scuffed an area outside leg stump -- facing the wristspin of former Indian leggie Laxman Sivaramakrishnan," he wrote.

"Fast forward to the fourth day of a tightly contested match where India are in trouble. Sachin Tendulkar, having been dismissed cheaply by Warne in the first innings, strides to the crease with his team two down and only 44 runs in front. The ball is spinning sharply and Warne, boosted by a four-wicket haul in the first innings, is confident."

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