NEW DELHI: Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday said he battled anxiety for a major part of his 24-year-old career before realising that his pre-game quirks were an important part of his preparation. Talking about mental health, which has gained significance in the COVID times with players spending lot of time in bio-bubbles, Tendulkar said acceptability is the key. "Over period of time I realised that besides preparing physically for a game, you have to prepare yourself mentally also. In my mind the match started long before I entered the ground. The anxiety levels were very high," Tendulkar said in an interaction organised by Unacademy.