When he started his international career in November 1989 against Pakistan in Pakistan in 1989, no one doubted his talent. However, there were many who doubted his longevity, especially after that bloodied nose from a Waqar Younis delivery in Sialkot, save one man… one of the gatekeepers at Manchester. After Sachin Tendulkar got his first international hundred (119 to be precise on August 14, 1990) and helped India save the game against England, the veteran guardian of the gate (no one remembers his name, but his comment) had said, “Believe you me, I have seen (Sir) Donald Bradman… this kid will be better than Bradman.” Since then calamities have hit India, riots have broken across the country, religious strifes have rocked India, governments have come and gone, but even then one name has always brought solace to the country… Sachin Tendulkar.
As he completes his half century in life Monday, one can just say THANK YOU for giving the country innumerable moments of joy and ecstacy. Never had anyone, not even the hockey greats had brought India under one platform, the way Tendulkar did. The nation prayed for him and with him everytime he hit the 22 yards with his ever-broadening willow. West Indian legend Vivian Richards was once asked as to whether Tendulkar was a greater batsman than him. Interestingly Viv had a very funny answer to the question. “You know there are two names synonymous with cricket. We often say ‘let’s play cricket’. Well you can always say instead of the word ‘cricket’, ‘let’s play ‘Gary’ (Sir Garfield Sobers) or ‘let’s play ‘Sachin’. They have made cricket the hearthrob of millions, so I should not be compared to someone like an iconic Tendulkar. He has redefined the game,” Richards had told the journalist. Coming from a man like Richards the comment ends, the debate as to who should be considered the greatest batter in the last 50-60 years. Twenty four years, 200 Tests, 463 ODIs, one T20 International and more than 34,000 thousand runs don’t necessarily describe ‘Sach’ as many people call him. What makes him a standout among others is to face the challenges and evolve as a player during his international tenure. Here was a man who transformed his game as per the needs of the hour, a man who set benchmarks for others to follow and one who overcame everything including career-threatening injuries. Nothing, and literally nothing could disturb his focus from the game.
A couple of years back, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was asked as to who were the most hard-working cricketers he had seen in his career. It did not take MSD, one second to answer. “In my career, I would say that Sachin was the most hardworking I have seen, close behind is Virat (Kohli),” Dhoni had stated.
“Just dump all those therories like ‘Sachin is god-gifted… etc’. What he has become is due to his sheer hard work… a player who had great cricketing ethics and one who made positive use of every practice session, who always had something to learn from every training period.” For those who have Sachin from close quarters, there couldn’t have anything closer to the truth. Coming back to the man himself, Tendulkar hated to lose… be it on the cricket arena, badminton or squash courts and table tennis board. And mind you he could hold his own against the top badminton or table tennis players of India, such was his game sense. There have been many occasions, when Tendulkar has vented out his frustrations at the way bowlers have let the team down, but never in public. He has lamented the fact that he never had the pace attack that a Dhoni or a Sourav Ganguly had during his tenure as Indian captains. More than anything else, he has never allowed the pressure of 100 million Indians who always wanted a century from him whenever he took guard, get to him. It probably would take a whole newspaper to describe the quintessential humble man that Tendulkar is. Despite his cricket-god stature, and in India that can be pretty unnerving, ‘Sach’ has always been very down to earth and his humbleness somewhat symbolises his greatness. However, behind all that soft and demure exterior, Tendulkar had a ‘killer’ and ‘stubborn’ attitude whenever he walked on to the field. His steely determination can just be summed up by the century in the 1999 World Cup against Zimbabwe only a few days after his father’s demise. There couldn’t have been a more poigant moment in the annals of the game in the 20th century when Tendulkar looked heavenwards after reaching the three-figure mark.
Till today, this very moment, Tendulkar has remained a servant of the game. “It gave me the opportunity to represent the country for 24 years. What more can I want from the game,” Tendulkar told Ravi Shastri during a recent interview. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more. It is the game that has given me everything, so I am forever indebted to the game,” he added. As he reaches the half-century milestone in life, one can just wonder at his longevity and incredible feats A champion in the true sense of the word.
