Keep at it or just go away? It’s up to Sachin

While millions of Indian fans wonder how long Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid will keep going, the star batsmen are the only people who know the answer, writes Dennis Lillee.

While millions of Indian fans wonder how long Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid will keep going, the star batsmen are the only people who know the answer.

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Their decision to sit out the recent Twenty20 tournament in South Africa again had their legion of supporters contemplating that their international 50-overs careers might be drawing to a close. I wouldn't read anything into Tendulkar's duck in Saturday's rain-ruined one-day international in Bangalore.

But who knows what Tendulkar himself is thinking? I can relate to their situations, because they are in their mid-thirties — exactly the same age as I was when I drew stumps on my career after the home series against Pakistan in 1983-84. But I didn't have a pre-arranged plan to retire. It just so happened that I had had enough. All I wanted to do was go and lie on a beach somewhere. And it proved to me that the advice I had sought from Ian Chappell a couple of years beforehand was right on the money.

I asked Chappell "when should I retire? when is the right time?" His answer was short and straight to the point, "you'll know," he replied. That Greg Chappell, then 35, and Rod Marsh (36) also announced their retirement during the same Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground was pure coincidence. I guess we all had enough and lacked the desire to back up for an approaching tour of the West Indies.

India certainly showed in South Africa that its younger brigade is maturing well and Mahendra Singh Dhoni is revelling in the captaincy vacated by Dravid.

The washout in Bangalore made sure questions regarding India's 50 overs-a-side went unanswered but the make-up of the Indian batting line-up might be a bit clearer after Tuesday's game in Kochi.