That Sachin is fanatically meticulous about his preparation became evident after a training session in South Africa ahead of the crucial World Cup game against Pakistan. The team had just finished practice at Centurion. We were walking up the 80-odd steps from the ground leading up to the dressing room .

Standard conversation on such occasions is about the match and the ground, and there is the usual speculation about the surface. Sachin noted the track looked good - the pitch hard, true, batsman friendly . But what caught my attention was what he said a little after... not about the pitch but the outfield.

Apparently he had walked round the ground and noticed that the outfield had a thick grass cover, and here is the interesting bit - the blades of grass around third man, he noticed, pointed away from the boundary, which meant they would slow the ball down. If the ball is played there, he said, there is a chance of an extra run because the ball will reach the fielder slowly.

I thought batting was about sorting out the bowler , the ball and the pitch. But the direction of blades of grass in the outfield! Phew.
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IMO, this is what sets him apart from other greats

Got it from Quora - Source.