New Delhi: The legendary Sachin Tendulkar recently recalled how he got his first ‘good-quality’ pair of shoes from his former India teammate Pravin Amre. Tendulkar, who is known for his sharp memory, shared an anecdote from the late 1980s during a recent event in Mumbai. Amre, who was also present at the event, was left pleasantly surprised as Tendulkar recalled the heartwarming incident.
Long before he made his India debut, a young Tendulkar was once asked by his childhood coach Ramakant Achrekar to observe Amre’s batting. Amre, who was Tendulkar’s senior at the Shardashram Vidyamandir school and in the Mumbai cricket circuit, had returned after representing India U-19 on a tour to Australia.
Tendulkar, who was a teenager at the time and a budding young cricketer, was mesmerised after spotting a new pair of cricket shoes in Amre’s kit. Naturally, Tendulkar had his eyes lit up. Amre told him he can have the shoes if he scores a century in the next game.
“…we would watch him very closely, and while observing his batting, we would notice what kit he was using, which bat, which shoes. We saw some fancy cricket shoes in his kit bag, and we were naturally fascinated by those shoes. Pravin told me: ‘Score a hundred and take them!’,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
As it turned out, Tendulkar did manage to score a century in the next game, but didn’t dare to ask Amre about the pair of shoes he had promised. However, Tendulkar didn’t have to remind his senior, as Amre himself gifted him the new pair of shoes, lauding him for his hundred. Tendulkar confessed it was the first ‘good-quality’ pair of shoes of his life.
“So, when I scored a hundred, I didn’t have the guts to tell him that he had promised me a pair if I scored a hundred. But Pravin himself came to me, and the first good-quality pair of shoes of my life was given to me! I cannot forget that,” Tendulkar recalled.
The century from Tendulkar was the first of many as he went on to become one of the greatest batters of all time. The Master Blaster, who made his India debut in a Test match against Pakistan in November 1989, went on to score 100 centuries in international cricket, a record no one has managed to even come close to this date.
Tendulkar, who holds the record for the most runs in Tests and ODIs, notched up 49 centuries in ODIs and 51 tons in Test cricket. Virat Kohli broke Tendulkar’s record of most tons in ODIs with his 50th century during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Nonetheless, the Master Blaster still continues to hold the record for the most centuries in international cricket.
I feel proud that I gifted shoes to the right person: Amre
Amre, who was also present at the event, was moved by the fact that Sachin remembered his gesture from years back. The former batter, who played 11 Tests and 37 ODIs for India, said he feels proud to have gifted the shoes to the right person. Amre also praised the Master Blaster for his greatness, hailing him for remembering the incident.
“I just didn’t expect Sachin to say that! I was really overwhelmed that he still remembered this gesture even after so many years. I had totally forgotten about it! This incident must’ve happened in 1987 or 1988. This is what makes Tendulkar truly a legend of sport. It marks his greatness. I remember they were imported shoes – you didn’t get such shoes in India back then. They were spike shoes for batting. I feel so proud that I gifted them to the right person, who went on to become perhaps the greatest cricketer ever,” said Amre.