Perth innings in 1992 shaped my career: Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar says his career took flight following the Test innings of 114 on a bouncy WACA track in 1992 against a hostile Australian attack in Perth.

"One innings that changed my career or gave shape to my career was in Perth, 1992. Perth, at least at that time, was regarded to be the fastest wicket, and the hostility of the Australian fast bowlers was something which was difficult to handle. I was able to score a 100 and I was only 19," he told school children in Mumbai on Wednesday.

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"And just two matches before that I had scored a hundred in Sydney, but they were two different kinds of surfaces. I knew that Perth was the kind of wicket which I would not get to play anywhere in the world and If I can bat on Perth and score runs then I am possibly equipped to go on any other track which is fast and bouncy and score runs there."

"My career was just starting. I had done well for a couple of years by then, but it really took off after that Perth innings because I felt I was ready to take on the world. By no means I was over-confident, but I became a confident cricketer where any challenge put up against me, I was equipped to face that," he added.

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His response came when he was asked by a student -- he was chatting with Ryan International school children in the north west Mumbai suburb of Malad -- to rate his best Test century out of the 51 tons he had scored. Sachin also hit 49 ODI hundreds to make it a round 100 centuries.

Tendulkar said though his father, the late marathi poet Ramesh Tendulkar, was not interested in cricket, he supported him when it came to choosing his career, and he would do the same with his children.

"My father didn't decide that I should play cricket. He gave me the freedom to express myself. Above all, he found out what I was interested in and, of course, it was with the help of my brother (Ajit Tendulkar)."

"My father was not interested in cricket at all, but it was my brother's initiative. My brother said we need to make him join a summer camp and partially also because I was a very naughty kid. That is how my career started," Tendulkar recalled.

"I want the same thing to happen to my children. My son (Arjun) enjoys cricket. Earlier he enjoyed playing football and then it was chess. Now it is cricket."

"So whatever he wants to be in life, all I have asked him is to be sincere and honest. I have told him that I will support you and guide you in whatever you want to be in life."

"So is the case with my daughter (Sara). She wants to follow her mother's footsteps. She wants to become a doctor or go to the medical side. So it is their choice."