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MUMBAI: Fast-rising West Indies batsman Kirk Edwards on Sunday conceded he finds it difficult to concentrate on his fielding when Indian batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar is at the crease.
Tendulkar, the world's leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, needs just one more hundred to complete an unprecedented century of centuries, having already made 51 in Tests and 48 in one-day internationals.
“Sometimes, I find myself focusing on him (Tendulkar) so much that I am not focusing on my fielding,” Edwards told reporters ahead of Tuesday's third and final Test against India in Mumbai.
“I think it's the same thing for yourself as it is for me. The guy is a legend, so we are all in awe of him to see him bat.
“I admire (Rahul) Dravid and (Venkatsai) Laxman. I admire a majority of those guys, but playing a game with Sachin was something special. It's a memory that I will live with forever.”
Edwards has impressed with his consistency since making a century on Test debut against India in the drawn third and final match in Dominica in July.
He has so far scored two hundreds and as many half-centuries in five Tests, his best coming in the second and final match against Bangladesh in Dhaka when he cracked 121 and 86 just before the India tour.
Edwards also caught the eye in the second Test against India in Kolkata as he scored a half-century in his team's strong second-innings batting performance.
“Everytime I go out to bat, I try to lay a solid platform for my team. You have to try to understand how the pitches play and try to adjust your game.
That's what I am doing in the process of learning,” said Edwards, 27.
The West Indies batsman said the team's morale was high ahead of the last Test, especially after their impressive batting display in Kolkata where they posted 463.
“I think we were pretty confident as a team even before the second innings. Of course, we will be going into this Test match with confidence as well,” said Edwards.
The West Indies trail 2-0 in the three-Test series after losing the opening match in New Delhi by five wickets and the second by an innings and 15 runs.
