Ian Chappel draws lessons from Tendulkar's initiative and determination in fight against COVID-19

Former Australia skipper Ian Chappell has cited the example of an innings played by Sachin Tendulkar to make the world aware as to how the battle against coronavirus can be won.

Chappell also compared the pandemic to a five-day Test match, saying that displaying patience is of utmost importance right now.

"The current testing times are demanding a lot of citizens around the world. I have learned that rules that apply to athletes prospering at sport are also helpful in living life. With the COVID-19 pandemic biting hard, citizens of all countries are being asked to display - among other attributes - patience, determination, and a bit of initiative," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Chappell as saying.

"These are qualities essential to playing Test cricket at a high level. To highlight the point I've chosen two particularly influential innings, he added.

Chappell then went on to talk about Tendulkar's knock of 155 runs against Australia in Chennai in 1998. Along with Tendulkar's knock, Chappell also talked about Australian Ian Redpath's knock as well.

"The first one is a Sachin Tendulkar masterpiece in Chennai in 1998. His brilliant second-innings 155 won the Test for India, but it wouldn't have happened without the initiative displayed by Tendulkar in the lead-up to the series. Tendulkar asked former India allrounder Ravi Shastri on how he should cope with champion Australian legspinner Shane Warne if he went round the wicket to bowl into the rough," Chappell said.

"Shastri's reply was tinged with common sense. 'Because of my long reach,' he replied, I had a defensive antidote to Warne bowling in the rough, but you don't. You will have to devise an attacking option to combat Warne bowling in the footmarks," he added.

Chappell then went on to talk about how Tendulkar followed the advice of Shastri and utilised it on the fourth day of the Test match.

"Fast forward to the fourth day of a tightly contested match where India is in trouble. Tendulkar, having been dismissed cheaply by Warne in the first innings, strides to the crease with his team two down and only 44 runs in front. The ball is spinning sharply and Warne, boosted by a four-wicket haul in the first innings, is confident," Chappell said.

"It's rare that a Test match is so finely balanced on the fourth day with the champions of each team doing battle with each other. At that moment the result was on the line. Tendulkar's determination and initiative were rewarded when he put his well-thought-out plan into operation. He immediately attacked deliveries pitching in the footmarks, and after a series of electrifying shots reached and cleared the boundary, Warne reluctantly went back over the wicket. Tendulkar had won the battle and India would go on to win the Test," he added.

Talking about Redpath's knock against West Indies in 1976, Chappell said: "Combine Tendulkar's initiative and determination with Redpath's patient courage and you have some of the qualities required to survive this devastating pandemic."

As per CNN, the coronavirus pandemic has infected 1.7 million people and killed more than 108,000 around the world.

The World Health Organisation had termed COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11.