Lost in the crowd surrounding Sachin Tendulkar following his match-winning knock in his last Ranji Trophy game, Mumbai's Dhawal Kulkarni today said it was the retiring legend's guidance that helped him hang around after being hit on the face by a sharp bouncer.
Tendulkar's farewell game ended in a manner befitting his iconic stature, as he almost singlehandedly guided Mumbai to a four-wicket victory over Haryana in one of the most keenly followed matches in the history of Ranji Trophy, here.
The 26-year-old pacer was associated in an unbroken 50-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Tendulkar and, despite having to endure a barrage of rising deliveries on a difficult pitch, Kulkarni stood firm.
"It was he who advised me to stay relaxed after I was hit, and it helped," Kulkarni, who was born on the day Tendulkar made his Ranji Trophy on December 10, 1988, said after Mumbai's four-wicket win.
Requiring 39 runs to win with four wickets in hand on the fourth and final day, Tendulkar went on to make a calculated 175-ball 79 not out, building his innings in the manner that has been the hallmark of his later years.
Kulkarni, who hit the winning boundary, remained unbeaten on 16 after grinding it out for 126 minutes.
