Hard to imagine life without cricket: Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is on the verge of history. Not many cricketers can dream of playing two decades in international cricket. Graham Gooch was the last to do so. Now the Mumbai batsman will join that elite list when he completes 20 years of international cricket in November.

Who can forget the baby-faced Tendulkar starting his career as a 16-year-old against the Pakistani pace battery -- comprising the legendary Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis -- and coming out with flying colours.

The ace batsman, who is currently the highest run-getter in Tests (12,773 runs -- 42 hundreds -- in 159 matches) and One-Day Internationals (16,684 runs -- 43 hundreds -- in 425 matches) still vividly remembers what spurred him to such a long career.

"I remember during my first international tour, to Pakistan, Kapil Dev had challenged me to play at least 10 years for the country and I am glad that I have doubled that. I am quite pleased with what I have achieved so far.

"It is a great feeling to complete 20 years in international cricket. It was always a dream to play for the country; didn't think when I started that I would play for so long," said Tendulkar at a function to launch adidas's range of cricketing equipment in India.

Despite giving his all to the sport in the last 20 years, it is hard to see the 36-year-old hanging his gloves anytime soon.

"Cricket is an integral part of my life and it is hard to imagine life without cricket," he asserted.

Tendulkar also admitted that he is very fussy when it comes to the cricketing gear he uses.

"I am very particular about bats, about pads, about gloves and about shoes. I can get fussy to a certain extent because I want to get everything right. Cricket is so important for me that I cannot compromise on anything and this has been my habit right from my early days."

Asked how he decides on which is the best bat for him by just knocking the middle of the blade, he replied: "The bat speaks to me and that is how I can make out whether it is a good bat or not."

Over the years, Tendulkar was laid low many a time with injuries, which some expert believe was due to the weight of the heavy bat he uses. But the batting ace differs, and with good reason at that.

"I have spoken to specialists who believe that if I use a lighter bat it will have more impact on my elbow. I have tried using lighter bats but it didn't work, maybe because it didn't have a similar bat swing," he said.

Adidas has introduced cricket bats, balls, protective gear, including gloves, pads, helmets and other accessories which will be priced between Rs 549 and Rs 13,999. The hardware products have undergone high-performance evaluations with the England and Wales Cricket Board at the Loughborough University's Performance Training Centre.