Tendulkar was playing for the ‘Rest of India’ in the Irani Cup. He was batting on 85 with the team going nine down. Gursharan, who was the vice-captain of the side, came out to bat despite a “broken hand” after being convinced by late Raj Singh Dungarpur.
“That was my trial match for the Indian team. Gursharan wasn’t supposed to bat, but he listened to Raj Singh and came out to bat and eventually helped me get my 100. And I got selected to play for India after that. Later, Gursharan also became a part of the Indian cricket team. I thanked him profusely there, because it was a big thing for him to come out with his broken hand. His intent, his attitude mattered the most to me. That touched my heart,” Tendulkar said during an Ageas Federal Life Insurance event on Tuesday.
“In those days, there were benefit matches for retired cricketers. So I told him in New Zealand, ‘Gushi, someday or the other, you will retire. You can’t play for a lifetime. But the day you retire and you get a benefit match, I promise I will come and play.’ And I’m glad that I was able to play his match,” he added.
Tendulkar got a call from Gursharan when the latter played the benefit match, and he indeed fulfilled his promise.
“I told him, ‘Gushi, I had promised you in New Zealand (in 1990) that I will play in your benefit match, and 15 years later, now that you have decided to host the benefit match, I will definitely come and play. That’s my promise,” Sachin said with a smile.
“These memories still stay with me. And today, I can proudly say, whatever I promised, I fulfilled,” he added.