There is Sachin and there is everyone else...!!

"Behind the passion, hunger, success, ability, fame, riches, respect and love for the game, there lies a humble, level-headed and down-to-earth human being, so lovable to all"

February 22, 2010 - Sachin Tendulkar reached the pinnacle of glory never achieved in Men's ODI Cricket. He notched up an astonishing double hundred against a worthwhile South African bowling attack, in what turned out to be a series-clincher.

I was quiet occupied that day attending calls and reading messages - Only Sachin would have been busier that evening. A couple of my friends told me that I have got a very hot topic for my blog and I ought to write one on the Master's latest of many achievements.

But what do I write? I very well knew that had I started to write on that day, I would have continued to write even till now, because, no words are enough to describe him. It's high time someone finds a new adjective that can be mapped to SRT alone.


Therefore, I picked up a few instances (many by myself, few copied) to indicate the significance of what longevity actually means and how much has changed in the world over during his remarkable (still going strong unfinished) career.

When Sachin Tendulkar played his first match for India...

- I was 9 years old and was still to pass my 5th standard (I studied 5th class only once and I didn't struggle to clear it). Many of you who read, would have been much younger to that.
- Pete Sampras had not won a single Grand Slam title (Picked this fact from the Times Magazine). He won 14 later on and held the record for 7 years before his successor, Roger Federer won his 15th.
- His peers and contemporaries - MS Dhoni was 8 years old, Dinesh Karthik was 4 years old, Suresh Raina was 2 years old, Virat Kohli was 1 year old and Mohammed Ameer, who dismissed Sachin in the Champions Trophy 2009, was -3 years old.
- The Third Umpire concept was not there at all. The field umpires were making all those tough run-out and stumping decisions. And mind you, they were doing a remarkable job with minimal anomalies.
- The Premiership was not even in existence, Sir Alex Ferguson had not lead Manchester United to a single trophy triumph. He now has 34 of them.
- One of India's most charismatic Prime Ministers, Rajiv Gandhi was still alive.
- Petroleum was priced at less than Rs 10/litre in India (New Delhi)
- Shah Rukh Khan was totally unknown and Aamir Khan was 3 movies old as a hero.
- Microsoft's had not even launched Windows 3.0. Now we have crossed, 95, 98, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista etc and are at Windows 7.0

Forgive me for being majorly biased towards sporting incidents, the limitations in me deserve some liberty for being so.

Phew...!!! After all these, Sachin is still playing and Is he just playing??

He is tormenting, harassing and afflicting opposition bowlers, at the same time when he is delighting, enthralling and thrilling fans all over.

A few years before his demise, the great Don Bradman called his wife and pointing to the television, remarked about Tendulkar, "Look at this lad, the way he plays reminds me of myself". (I'm not exactly reproducing the conversation)

The same Don, had he been alive today and had watched the master play would have told, "Look at this lad, I think I would have come closest to have played like him"

Speaking about batting, it is fitting to conclude,

"When at the crease, Sachin Tendulkar batted - All the others merely tried to".

That is no exaggeration, purely merit-oriented appreciations which will still be miniscule when compared to what the Master actually deserves...!

Some blogs ago, I did ask - "WHAT more can a man do?". I feel low to have asked that, since I do realize, that this super-human can still do a LOT more. Ring him up today and ask what he wants to achieve in ODI Cricket next? (apart from the most obvious dream of winning a World Cup) I would be surprised if he doesn't say, "One more double hundred".



Now, time to have a crack at the knuckles of some of his (mindless) critics.
Read the links below...

http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/86759/
Posted in Jan 2006, Moin Khan (Remember him??!!!Can't understand what he was doing with a Pen)

http://www.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/287897.html
Posted in March 2007, Ian Chappell (Incredible batsman, Good Analyst but a very poor analysis from him on this front)

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2008/feb/25manj.htm
Posted in Feb 2008, Sanjay Manjrekar - We all know how he bats (in ODIs), No more comments

I Simply wonder, what these glorified writers will be doing at this point in time.
Holding their heads in shame and thinking, "What have I done? Whom did I speak about??" - For merely writing what crossed their minds when they were drunk, instead of putting their brains to work, they should be regretting.

Thanks Sachin for being Sachin, Thanks for that much-coveted double hundred which I was longing to see from your blade for at least 10 years now. I am proud to say and feel that the man with the purest of batting techniques plays for India.

(Forgive me mates, if this post didn't match your expectations. I'm still smiling and floating around thinking about the innings. It is too massive a feeling to sink-in in 10 days time)

Dedicated to Pradeepan, Naveen Goyal and Avinash who wanted me to write this blog.