"Visualized myself batting alongside Tendulkar with hanging ball" - Robin Uthappa on his early days

Indian batsman Robin Uthappa has opened up about how his practice with the hanging ball in the early days made him believe he could play for India.

Robin Uthappa was just about eight and a half years old when he played at the U-13 level for his state Karnataka. He was very clear from that point in time that playing cricket was going to be his forte and was determined to don the blue jersey one day.

Robin Uthappa - Lofted Off Drive pic.twitter.com/R51CQByLIx

— G. (@oygautam) May 17, 2021

In an interview with The Grade Cricketer, Robin Uthappa explained how he would visualize himself batting for long hours alongside some of the Indian greats like Sachin Tendulkar.

"At the age of eight, I knew that this (playing cricket) is what I want to do for the rest of my life and I knew I would play for India. I would spend hours playing with the hanging ball. As a young kid, I would visualize myself batting alongside Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman. That is literally how I spent my mid-teens and teens. I believe that had a huge role in me believing that I would play for India because I used to visualize myself batting for long hours," Robin Uthappa said.

Robin Uthappa on Sachin Tendulkar's battle with pain during the 2007-08 CB series

Sachin Tendulkar also scored his first ODI century in Australia during the 2007-08 CB series

Robin Uthappa was a part of the Indian team that won the historic 2007-08 Commonwealth Bank (CB) series Down Under. Towards the business end of the series, Uthappa was slotted in to open alongside the great Tendulkar.

The youngster was privileged to bat alongside one of the best-ever to play the game of cricket. Robin Uthappa revealed how Tendulkar dealt with niggles and pain throughout the series to ensure India emerged triumphant.

"Paaji (Sachin Tendulkar) played through a lot of pain in that Commonwealth Bank series. He was not okay physically and there were times where he would wince in pain. But he always put the team ahead of his pain," Uthappa asserted.

1992, 2nd Final of World series at SCG, Tendulkar scored 69 but India lost by 6 runs.16 years later, at the same venue in the 1st Final of CB series, Tendulkar scored 117* and Ind won by 6 wickets.#OnThisDay pic.twitter.com/LGkIivZn0f

— Prithvi (@Puneite_) March 2, 2021

Currently approaching the twilight of his career, Uthappa might not be within the radar of the national selectors. But there is no denying the fact that at his peak, he was one of the most exciting batsmen to watch in white-ball cricket.