THE GOD OF CRICKET-SACHIN TENDULKAR

1999 Cricket World Cup: As a 6-year old, cricket seemed too complex a thing for me way back in 1999. I used to wonder what was so special about the game that hooked the attention of all grown-ups. My association with cricket was restricted to the plastic bat I owned which was used by me for purposes other than batting. There was something called the World Cup going on then. It was the topic of discussion everywhere around me. And there was this guy called Sachin whose surname I could not pronounce properly for a long time. I remember breaking his surname into parts, as in 10-dool-kar, and pronouncing it. I had no idea who he was, what he did, where he was from. All I knew was he was omnipresent. In the discussions of every cricket fan, on the front pages of every newspaper, in every TV commercial, on the walls of every other shop, one simply could not ignore the enigma called SACHIN TENDULKAR.

1999-2003: Soon, my knowledge of cricket became better and better. Those were interesting times in Indian Cricket. The entire batting order used to revolve around Sachin Tendulkar. The manner in which he used to hold the innings together match after match was something special. Being a novice cricket fan, it really hurt to see India lose at times because nobody supported Sachin at the other end. It was also a time when I realized that I have missed some of the greatest knocks of the master blaster. The Sharjah knocks against Australia, the hammering of Shane Warne in the home test series due to which he reportedly had “nightmares”, the fighting century against Pakistan in the famous Chennai test in which he almost won the game for India single-handedly, the 186* against New Zealand at Hyderabad which remained his highest ODI score for a long time, are some of the finest knocks of the master blaster. When I watched those innings’ subsequently, it was hard for me to contemplate how a human in flesh and blood could play cricket such poignantly.

2003 Cricket World Cup: This World Cup was a turning point in the history of Indian Cricket and also in the way an average Indian cricket fan perceived the game. Team India’s road to being the runners up itself was astonishing and the way in which Sachin played throughout this World Cup stamped his authority on the game. The game against Pakistan is one of my fondest memories till date. It was on the day of Maha Shivaratri and at Centurion, Sachin was batting as if he was doing a modern day rendition of the Tandava of the Mahadev. The likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar were at the receiving end of a Tendulkar blitzkrieg. The six off Shoaib Akhtar over backward point, which is heralded as the “shot of the century”, remains to be my favourite sight in cricket.

2003-2011: This was a period of a roller-coaster ride for Team India. Many overseas victories, some embarrassing losses, a shock WC exit, leadership changes, back to winning ways, the #1 ranking – Team India experienced everything during this phase. But, it was also a time when the master scored some of his finest masterpieces. Who can forget the 241* at the SCG? And what about the series winning knocks against the Aussies in the CB series finals? Every knock of Sachin seems to be better than the other. It is hard to comprehend that a man of 36 years could score a mammoth 175 runs against Australia while chasing a towering total at Hyderabad. And if this was not enough, a few months later, he went on to make history by becoming the first cricketer to score 200 runs in an ODI. I vividly remember that match against South Africa at Gwalior. Right from the first ball one sensed that history was about to be re-written. Having said that, one feels the same way every time the master blaster comes to bat. “Sach” is the impact of Sachin. A billion hearts palpitate every time he comes out to bat. The tricolor on his helmet, the fiery eyes symbolizing the intense desire to represent the country, the emotional connection he makes with the fans, all amalgamate into something called the idea of India. It gives you a feeling that “Sachin is India, India is Sachin”.

2011 Cricket World Cup: The only thing missing from the master’s cabinet was the coveted World Cup trophy. By his own admission, it was something he dearly wanted. Several critics wrote him off but as they say, “man proposes, god disposes”. Destiny beckoned him on April 2, 2011 and after a long wait of more than 20 years, he finally lifted the World Cup with tears in his eyes. The entire country cried with him. Only a god-like figure can move a nation in such a manner.

24^th February, 2013: As destiny had it, I too had my opportunity of seeing Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. It was at one of his favourite hunting grounds – M.A, Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai. One simply cannot understand certain things unless one feels it oneself. Watching Sachin Tendulkar come out to bat on Day 3 of 1^st Test between India and Australia, it was as if time stood still. One could sense that something was special. The line between humanity and divinity was blurred like never before. It was, as they say, “The Tendulkar Moment”.

SOME QUOTES ON SACHIN BY LEGENDS

Mathew Hayden : "I have seen God, he bats at no. 4 for India"

Viv Richards : "He is 99.5% Perfect.. I'll pay to watch him play. I think he is marvelous. I think he will fit in whatever category of Cricket that has been played or will be played, from the first ball that has ever been bowled to the last ball that's going to be. He can play in any era and at any level."

Sir Don Bradman : "I saw him playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes."

Dennis Lillie : "If I had to bowl to Sachin I would bowl with a halmet on. He hits the ball so hard"

Filmstar Amitabh Bachchan : "I have delayed my shoots many times to watch Sachin bat"

Javed Miandad : "He loves cricket and with his hardwork, focus and commitment he has truly become a outstanding ambassador for the sport at a time when commercialism is so rampant.”