Sachin Tendulkar gave a rare interview to Star Sports, which was broadcast in India on Monday. Here are a few highlights: Why do you wear the Indian flag on your helmet?
I am obviously very proud to be an Indian, and the flag just goes with the uniform - and when I am representing India, it's right there on my forehead, it's something special and I feel proud to wear it.

How do you still manage to motivate yourself for every game?
First of all, I don't take things for granted, and when so many well-wishers are watching you, it is a motivation in itself and I want to do well for you guys and for the country. When I go out there I want to perform well, and I hate losing.

Do you think you are evolving as a batsman?
I have found ways to score runs and I think my style has changed a bit. I remember earlier people used to say "Why do you need to hit the ball in the air so much?" and when I didn't hit the ball in the air in Nagpur [against Zimbabwe earlier this year] they asked me "Why didn't you hit the ball in the air?" I am just trying to do what is good for the team, because it is a team game. You also have to analyse the situation of the game, and that is what I have been doing.

How did you feel when you were first selected for India, for the 1989-90 tour of Pakistan?
I was too young to realise what was happening. I was only 16, which was in a way good for me, because I had plenty of security around. The standard of playing was completely different. The experience in my first Test match was terrible. I didn't know what was happening, and the first 20 to 25 minutes I spent in the middle were not pleasant. I thought it was my first and last game, and nobody was going to pick me after that.

What do you remember about your first Test hundred, at Old Trafford in 1990?
How can I forget my first century. This was a very special moment. We were on the verge of losing, and had to play almost five hours to save the game. I really enjoyed scoring that hundred, and the most memorable point of that innings was when I reached my eighties. I decided I would not get out, because I had missed my hundred in New Zealand [he had been dismissed for 88 at Napier in Feb 1990]. I decided that I would score a hundred and see the whole day through.

What was it like captaining India, and would you like to do it again?
To be honest, I am not really thinking about it right now. I stepped down a couple of years ago and I just want to give myself some time. When I am ready I will let the concerned people know of it and let it be their call then, but I have not ruled it out either. I think all the players face some amount of insecurity; when you reach this level you just have to deal with all sorts of pressure. At one point I felt that the team needed to give more that 100% to win, especially when playing overseas. I'd said in a meeting that whether you fail or perform well is immaterial, provided the effort is 100%. But if you haven't given 100% don't expect any support from me.

Why have you not been able to finish off more matches for India?
To be very honest, I have been very disappointed with myself for not having done that for quite some time, and I have also disappointed the fans. I totally accept that. It is the one thing that I would like to improve on, to stay not out and come back as the victorious side in the dressing-room - that feeling is incomparable. But on the other hand, I have played in some innings where it has really mattered a lot, but it has not been in the fourth innings, like against Australia in Chennai in March 1998 [Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 155 as India, trailing by 71 runs on the first innings, won by 179 runs]. I remember saying aloud in the dressing-room that anyone who scores over 75 runs in the third innings of the match will have played the most important innings of his life. But I don't want to cover it up, I fully accept that I haven't been able to do it and it is something I would like to improve on.

Do you remember all your dismissals?
I remember most of them - if not all, 99% maybe.

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