Long after this age is gone, long after may be even one day cricket is replaced by some other variety of the ever changing game, long after may be all prominent cricketers of today having retired, whenever there is a debate in one of those many pubs, over one of those many glasses of beer there will b one name. Like a phoenix his name will rise and make an identity of its own among the cricketing geniuses of the age gone by.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar- a name in India that is only next to God for this cricket hungry nation. Youngsters emulate his style, batsmen envy his quest for perfection and bowlers fear him as the one guy who can tarnish their career if not their bowling economy.
Even before he took guard in Gwalior his place as a cricketing God in India was set. Having amassed the highest number of runs in Tests and One-dayers alike his credibility as a batting maestro was something every Indian could vouch for. If his devout worshippers had any reason to quibble it was because of that lack of one record shattering innings under his belt. Brian Lara bosted of the highest test score of 400 whereas Saeed Anwar and a little known Charles Coventry shared the ODI record of 194 runs. While Lara fell out of love for cricket Saeed Anwar was a one hit wonder for Pakistani cricket. As for Charles Coventry people often asked Charles who?
147 balls later Tendulkar had set the record straight becoming the first batsman in the history of 39 years of ODI being played to score a double hundred in one innings.
The great Sir Donald Bradman saw himself in Tendulkar’s batting style and many still do consider Sachin second only to him. True, no one comes close to Bradman’s amazing average of 99.94 or his 29 centuries from just 52 test matches but one should keep in mind that Bradman never played a ODI which is more demanding on the body. That Tendulkar is breaking records a little short of 37 years in age in itself testifies for the little genius’s greatness.
Spin legend Shane Warne made no qualms declaring Sachin as his top contemporary cricketer of all times. More or less his twitter posts as Sachin neared his double century in Gwalior bears testimony to this fact.
For over a decade now he has made the nation dream with hope whenever he is on the pitch. He has made a billion pair of eyes follow him, pray for him, cry for him but yet he has not been bogged down by the immense burden of mass expectations. His bat spoke for them all- those perfect nudges and the cherry goes flying past the boundary ropes. He is the perfect example of how to keep ones head steady while dealing with stardom. 20 years into cricket never did he once let go of his quest for perfection.
It is said that when Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar comes out to bat the nation switches itself off and switches into Tendulkar. He is the dreams of millions of Indians on the pitch, a super hero who wins hearts with his sweeps and pulls if not the match.
The craze called Tendulkar knows no speed breakers, and it can be put in no better words than this poster being held out for the cameras by one of the fans when the master blaster was going full guns against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
"Go and commit mistakes, they would be ignored cause even God watches him when Sachin bats."
(Writer is another insane cricket fanatic. Daring enough to leave the assignments and write a post. Crazy enough to offer the editorial services for the blog. Free of cost off course. He can be reached at soumava.haldar@gmail.com)
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