Sri Lanka vs India, 2017: Sachin Tendulkar opens up on supporting Virat Kohli and Co 

What's the story?

Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar said that his best wishes are always with the Indian team. He indicated to both the men and women's cricket team and stated that he will continue to support them even if they fail to deliver according to the expectations.

Opening about his support for the Indian team, Tendulkar said, "Our good wishes are always with the (Indian) team. Be it men's team or women's team." He also urged others to support the Indian team by saying, "Our good wishes are there, we will go with them, whether their performance is good or it is little less than our expectations. I will say that we will continue to support the team and I expect that you are there with me."

In case you didn't know...

India had a fantastic run in Sri Lanka during the ongoing tour. They dominated the three match Test series which ended with 3-0 in India's favuor. Today, the two teams are facing each other in the first encounter of a five-match ODI series.

Sri Lanka could mount 216 runs in 43.2 overs. They were off to a decent start but fell prey to the Indian bowling unit as their wickets started to fall like a pack of cards after they reached 139.

The details

As Virat Kohli and his men geared up to take on the hosts earlier today, Tendulkar spoke to the press about his belief in the former. He mentioned that the fans should extend their support to the Men in Blue irrespective of the performance they deliver.

Tendulkar stressed upon the fact that the focus should be on playing the game with utmost dedication rather than worrying about the result.

What's next?

India will aim at chasing down the score comfortably in order to establish a 1-0 lead in the series.

Author's take

Cricket is a game of uncertainties. It is not fair to expect a team to perform brilliantly and win every game that they are a part of. Sometimes, they can fail in performing up to the mark and end up on the losing side. However, that is not sufficient for a fan to withdraw his support for the team.

It is quite easy to sit in the comfort of one's living room and criticise the performance of a team. On the other hand, it is quite difficult to stand by the players when they are facing the wrath of a loss. Hence, one must cheer for their team even when they are striving to turn the game in their favour.

Moreover, fan's support acts as a huge motivation for the team. Thereby, fans play a major role in team's mental strength when they accept the victories and losses of the latter with equal grace.