'Nobody would have expected a win at Perth': Why Pravin Amre calls India's win in Australia 'very rare'

NEW DELHI: The unveiling of a memorial dedicated to the legendary cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar at the iconic Shivaji Park in Mumbai is a significant event that aims to honour his contributions and inspire the next generation of cricketers.

The memorial, which will be unveiled on December 3 by cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar and politician Raj Thackeray, serves as a testament to Achrekar's lasting impact on the sport.

Former Indian cricketer Pravin Amre, who was coached by Achrekar, emphasized the importance of this memorial, stating that it will serve as a motivating factor for aspiring cricketers.



"For us, it's a really, really big moment, simply because we all know the contribution he made for us... and not only as cricketers, our careers as coaches have also been successful because of our guru Achrekar sir," Amre told PTI. "This is what we wanted because our guru used to be at the Shivaji Park all the time, he used to call it 'karma bhoomi' and the unveiling of the memorial is happening here, that's the biggest thing for us and this can be motivating for the new generation."

"We started under him as school cricketers, then we became college cricketers, we played for our respective offices, then Ranji Trophy and then for the country. He was on that journey with us, from a school cricketer to Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar," he added.

"He never compromised with hard work, he made sure that our performance speaks. He taught us about respecting the game, that's the biggest thing," Amre said. "He lived a very simple life. Come rain or sunshine, he was there at Shivaji Park 365 days for so many years. He has got a special place in every player's heart."

As the Indian team continues their tour of Australia, Amre emphasized the importance of taking it one Test at a time, building on the confidence gained from their impressive win in Perth.

"Nobody would have expected a win at Perth. The way we came back after getting out for 150 and then getting them for 100 (104 runs) and winning comfortably... that has set the tone," he said. "Cricket is a game of confidence and that will give a huge confidence to India, but we should think about just one Test at a time."



"India will take that advantage, it is very rare to start 1-0. That's the biggest achievement. We have also been to Australia, we know how tough it is to win the first Test match," he added.

He also has some words for Team India's rising star Yashasvi Jaiswal.

"For any cricketer, when you perform in Australia, you feel very happy and satisfied. The sky is the limit for them, they have to just keep a balanced head and also enjoy the success. It's an opportunity to come back as a Man of the Series or a performance of that type for Team India because we need that - scoring in Australia is like gold. Because they are batting well, they must ensure they contribute more. It's not a matter of being a senior or a junior, you are in-form, take the responsibility and contribute to India's success," he said, heaping all the praise on the youngster.


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