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Master vs Guru


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This article is from TOI website - not sure how reliable it is: http://worldcup.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1862776.cms

What triggered the Sachin-Chappell rift MUMBAI, April 5: We all know in fairly graphic detail what went wrong between 'former' coach Greg Chappell and his 'once-favourite' pupil Sourav Ganguly on India's tour of Zimbabwe in 2005. That is history and Sourav has, since, returned to the fold and 'settled down' in the side, as you would expect from a senior pro. But what went wrong between India's finest batsman, Sachin Tendulkar, and Chappell that they had to fight a proxy war in the media? According to a source close to the Indian team, the first cracks in the Sachin-Chappell relationship appeared at the start of the 2006-07 season when the coach told the media very bluntly that Sachin, who was still recovering from a troublesome tennis elbow, was far from being fit. Sachin, who was feeling low, perhaps felt let down by his coach?s comments. However, he did not take it to heart and moved on. Dogged by indifferent form, Sachin was first sounded out by Chappell in South Africa that he might have to bat in the middle order in the home series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka. A day before the Nagpur match against the West Indies on January 21, Greg Chappell mooted the idea again to Sachin Tendulkar in the presence of Dravid, to which the Master Blaster replied: "I would like to open." Chappell took pains to explain the logic behind such a move, pointing out that with Yuvraj?s fitness still a matter of concern and Ganguly back at the top of the order, the middle-order needed his versatility and experience. Sachin merely repeated: "I would like to open." According to the source, at this stage Chappell told Sachin that it was not a question of what he wanted to do, rather what the team wanted him to do. Sachin agreed reluctantly. However, sometime later that evening, Sachin went to Dravid and insisted on opening. Dravid conveyed Sachin?s wish to Chappell next morning and a fuming coach laid it down for Sachin: "Bat at No. 4 or warm the bench." Sachin didn?t argue any more. After he scored a fine hundred at Vadodara against West Indies when Chappell went up and congratulated him, Sachin retorted: "I did my job." That was as bad as it got before the World Cup where it definitely got worse even though there wasn?t any showdown between the two.
GC getting a 2nd term meant a definite threat to SRT's career. GC would have probably pulled a Ganguly on him. So SRT talking to the press on behalf of the "seniors" seems like a sham - its more about "self preservation" here than "team-man-ship". What a cess pool??!! :shrug:
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Re: Master vs Guru

Moving one of the world's best ODI openers down the order without his buying into it is absolutely absurd. I would lay the blame on Chappell (50%) and Dravid (50%) for this one.
SRT wasnt setting the world on fire at the opener's spot either. He was cr@p no matter where he batted the last couple of years. IF the above piece is true, puts these squeaks, "I will bat wherever the team wants me to", "I'm merely playing the role the team needs me to", in better perspective.
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