Bengaluru, Oct 12:Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday said that the Bengaluru Test was in a critical stage and the team that handles the pressure well will end up on the winning side. The batsman, who smashed his sixth double century in the first session of play, stressed on the importance of keeping the target as low as possible to give India the best chance of winning.

Excerpts

On India’s first innings

[We were] disappointed to lose five wickets in the span of 45 to 50 runs in the morning but such is the game. I think we have come back very well. The bowlers did a fantastic job. It’s going to be a big day for us tomorrow. The Test match is at a critical stage. It’s all about how we deal with pressure and apply ourselves.

On whether the six he hit to reach 100 was at his son’s suggestion

I think that was a joke and I am sure everybody is old enough to understand that. Sometimes you play the shots, sometimes you don’t. If you consider the number of 100s I have scored and the number of 100s I have completed with a six, you wouldn’t want to do that.

On how he physically copes with long innings

The support staff Nitin Patel, Amit and Mane kaka, they have been instrumental in keeping me fit. [They have] kept me going. These three guys have really worked hard. I was determined to stay because it was not just about runs but also about time.

On the Chinnaswamy wicket

It has become slower and the cracks have widened. Obviously it is not an easy track to bat on. You have to give [yourself] some time to adjust to the bounce and pace.

On the target India are likely to chase on Day 5

The lower the better. We don’t want to chase a big target.

On scoring 11 centuries against Australia

I just got to know that I have got 11 hundreds against Australia. I don’t believe in counting. It feels nice. To score runs against a top side is obviously satisfying and it has been a great challenge playing against them.

On whether he was aware of becoming the highest run-getter on the Bengaluru ground

When you have got such a big screen, you can’t miss such facts. Whether I wanted to know or not, I had no choice.

On batting alongside both Suresh Raina and Murali Vijay when they scored their first 100s respectively

I think scoring the first 100 is always special and I am sure the players will never forget that however many more 100s [they] score after that. All these guys have been really working hard. It is wonderful to see the guys working hard in the nets for big games and also becoming successful. It is wonderful for our cricket and [the players] deserve it.

On his terrific form

Honestly, I have not done anything differently. It’s been exactly the same, possibly I am hitting more balls now. Gary [Kirsten] has helped me and he throws millions of balls at the whole team. The bowling machine and Gary are competing [as to] who gets tired. He doesn’t seem to get tired. He has been instrumental [to our team’s success]. Obviously when the team is doing well, everything is going well for you, you try and get better each day. That’s what I have been trying to do. I want to get better and do something special.

On the swinging fortunes in the match

We know that if our opposition has scored 470 and it is there on the board, you have to chase it to stay in the game and then at one stage also on the top of the game. These challenges are something we all look forward to. We don’t want to take anything for granted. It’s going to be exciting and that’s what I can say. It’s going to be a wonderful day.

On mentoring Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina and Cheteshwar Pujara

I enjoy interacting with them. And it doesn’t matter whether they are the newcomers. Even when I was a youngster, I always enjoyed interacting with players - that’s how you learn more about the game. I [have] played [for] 20 years but that doesn’t mean that I know everything about cricket. It’s important to be a student of this game. That’s when you can actually learn and get better. Learning never stops. It gets better if you are open-minded. I enjoy interacting with [junior players]. Whatever my experience [has been] I [like to] share with them.