Lillee's hand behind Sachin's transition from 'wannabe bowler' to 'batting wunderkind'

Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar's transition from wannabe medium pacer to 'batting wunderkind' was reportedly enhanced by a 'nudge' from Australian legend Dennis Lillee.

Although the Little Master originally dreamt of being a fast bowler when he enrolled in Lillee's Madras Rubber Foundation coaching classes as a fresh-faced youngster, Lillee took one look at his modest physical dimensions and knew it could not happen.

According to News.com.au, Lillee recalled that a 12-year-old Tendulkar, along with about another 150 students, came along for the first or second session that he had in the Foundation, adding that for him, the batting maestro was just a young kid coming along like every other one.

Lillee further said that he advised Tendulkar to 'stick to batting', which he did to rise to international glory.

The report mentioned that when Tendulkar returned to Lillee's academy two years later as a still tiny 14-year-old, his batting talents had soared to extraordinary levels, and the young boy had changed his fast bowling plans to transform himself into a 'killer' batsman.

Lillee further reminisced that the short, thin young Tendulkar smashed his fast bowlers at the Foundation all over the net, adding that all the things that he had taught to his fast bowling students were being easily broken by the teenaged batter.