Eight years since his international retirement, Sachin Tendulkar is still the highest run-getters in ODI and Test cricket. The master blaster is still actively associated with the game mentoring the Mumbai Indians in the IPL and playing a few leagues here and there. In a recent interview with Indian Express, Tendulkar spoke about the first use of technology in cricket.
In modern times, technology plays a crucial role in the overall outcome of the game. However, such was not the case a decade and a half earlier. Tendulkar, during the interview, recalled a moment when he saw a laptop in the Indian dressing room in 2002. He wondered what use would that be in the game of cricket.
“Technology has changed everything. In 2002, a laptop was brought to the dressing room and I said, ‘laptop kya Karega dressing room mein? (What will a laptop do in the dressing room?),” Sachin told Indian Express in an interview.
Team Meetings Are Precise Nowadays: Sachin Tendulkar
Tendulkar further went onto add how the use of analytics and technology has brought a lot of difference to the game of cricket.
“Over a period of time, there was acceptance. Only if there is acceptance, will there be adaptability. Our team meetings started to be more precise. It was not left to individual imaginations. So, the meetings were not like earlier, where we used to say … “yaad hai na Melbourne mein outswing pe out kiya tha (remember back then at Melbourne, how we got them out)”. And after saying that, no one knew who was thinking about that Melbourne day and how we got the batsmen out” Tendulkar said.
The use of technology is almost mandatory in every series. It is all the more important in T20 internationals which is a fast-paced game and requires quick decisions to be made. DRS which has become an important factor of the game is now used in every ICC event and including the IPL. The DRS will be in use in the next ICC T20 World Cup as well.