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Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar on Friday picked Australian Marnus Labuschagne as the player who most reminds him of himself, calling the fast-rising batsman a special talent with impeccable footwork.
In Sydney to coach a side at Sunday's charity fundraiser for the devastating bushfires in Australia, Tendulkar was asked to name the player who he thinks comes closest to resembling him at his prime.
"I happened to be watching the second Test match at Lord's between England and Australia. When Steve Smith got injured, I saw Labuschagne's second innings," Tendulkar responded.
"There is something about him. His footwork was precise. Footwork is not physical, it's mental. If you're not thinking positively in your mind, then your feet don't move," he added.
The 25-year-old Labuschagne became Test cricket's leading scorer last year with 1,104 runs. He broke into the scene after coming in as a concussion substitute for Steve Smith during the Ashes last August.
Tendulkar said Labuschagne's fine footwork is also a sign that he is a mentally strong player. "...because if you're not, your feet will not move. His footwork was incredible," he said.
Labuschagne has amassed 896 runs this Test summer, notching up four centuries.
"I don't like getting into comparisons. People have tried comparing me to a number of guys and I've said, 'Just leave us alone'," said Tendulkar. "Let's not get into comparisons and let us enjoy what both those individuals are doing. They are entertaining the entire cricketing world and it's a joy for us to watch.”
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