Sachin Tendulkar asks India to be wary of Imran Tahir

The former India middle-order batsman reckoned the leg-spinner will be one of South Africa's leading bowlers, and looked forward to an 'exciting' series against a formidable side, in an event in Mumbai where he was appointed the brand ambassador of Oxigen Services, the digital payment solution firm

"[Imran Tahir] possibly might be one of the leading bowlers [in the upcoming India-South Africa contest," says Sachin Tendulkar. Tahir, a limited-overs specialist for South Africa, is included in the Test squad for the four Tests against India

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar today advised the Indian players to be wary of South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir in the upcoming home series against the Proteas. “Imran Tahir is one good bowler. They will have to play against him properly and he possibly might be one of the leading bowlers,” the 42-year-old Tendulkar said here. Tendulkar, was speaking at an event where digital payment solution firm Oxigen Services signed him as its brand ambassador.

India will play 3 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), 5 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 4 Tests as part of the Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela series. “I think our (current) team is fantastic team, extremely talented guys and committed guys, I know lot of things are said about players, but I know when it comes to cricket there are no short cuts. I know that guys are committed and it’s a fantastic team,” Tendulkar said.

“This series is going to be an exciting series be it T20 [or] ODI. [But] for me, obviously, the Test series is something I am looking forward to... Great team balance... both sides of the fence,” he added. “I have never played against a South African team which was an ok side, they were always a very, very strong side and it’s no different right now, [with] AB De Villiers, Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn and More Morkel [in the team],” he said.

Recalling some of his face-offs against South Africa cricket teams, Tendulkar singled out the 1994 Hero Cup semi-final. “When South Africa first toured India in 1991 (three years before that event), that was an incredible experience to play against South Africa, because to see their faces... they were completely shocked to see 100,000 people at Eden Gardens, and the response couldn't have been better and I was extremely happy and I thought we are going to South Africa, which we did in 1992...”