Sachin Tendulkar

Bangalore: Sachin Tendulkar, a champion in his own right, has (through The Telegraph) warmly congratulated the peerless Viswanathan Anand.

“Anand has done India proud again... It’s a terrific achievement and one can’t praise him enough... My message is simple — well done and keep the India flag flying... I rejoice when any Indian achieves anything on the world stage and Anand’s truly a hero,” a delighted Sachin said on Sunday afternoon.

Both, indeed, have much in common. For example, they’ve remained absolutely humble and have always been perfect ambassadors for the country.

Speaking exclusively at the Grand Ashok, Sachin added: “I’ve met Anand only once and, so, can’t claim to know him very well... However, just one meeting in Mumbai made it obvious that he’s such a thorough gentleman... I’m aware he’s an inspiration to many and I hope this second world title will inspire many more.”

That shouldn’t be in doubt.

Asked if he was into chess, Sachin replied laughing: “Once in a while, I do play with my son (Arjun), that’s it... He seems quite fond of the game...”

Incidentally, despite Sunday being a day off cricket for Team India, Sachin chose to have nets. Clearly, after the blob on Saturday, he’s more keen to quickly get a big one against the Australians.

That’s determination, a quality Anand also oozes in abundance.