You had to be awake to play Warne:Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar, one of the few to have played the game even longer than Shane Warne, paid tribute to his old sparring partner after Warne announced that he would retire at the end of the current Ashes series. Tendulkar and Warne enjoyed some memorable contests, with Warne once admitting that Tendulkar's batting - especially in the series in India in 1998 - gave him nightmares
According to Tendulkar, Warne would always command a special place in the game's annals. "He's surely one of the greatest players to have played this game," he said. "Above all, I think he's a wonderful person. He's a good friend and what he's been able to achieve for Australia is something special. There are not many guys who can stand next to him and say that they have done similar things. You don't get to see such cricketers every day."
As for what had made Warne so special, Tendulkar pointed to his legendary accuracy and a spirit that remained unbowed no matter how tough the situation. "You had to be awake to play Warne [smiles]," he said. "There was no breathing space at all. Warne being such a fierce competitor, you knew that at no stage could you bat him out of the game. He was always coming back at you. That kept me on my toes.