Last week we had the grand retiring of Sachin Tendulkar.
Arguably amongst the greatest batsman to have played the game, I had wondered
for many years what would happen to the Indian cricket team when this man
retires. I explained the significance of this man to my cricket entertainment
and what he meant to me.
I remember first reading about Sachin in the papers when
this young school boy smashed to a world record partnership in a school match. He
and Vinod Kambli plundered a hapless bowling attack and were heralded as the great
potentials for international cricket. Then he got chosen to play Ranji and the Irani
trophy ties where he smashed another set of runs. For us Sachin was our prodigy,
our Bombay boy who we all owned a part of. We were instrumental in his success.
We wanted him to play for India as soon as possible and the newspapers
reflected our opinion which was taken note of by the selectors. That was our
dream. He was our favorite son.
We followed him to Pakistan and I still remember the way he
tore Abdul Qadir, the legendary leg spinner in the one day match and announced
his arrival to one day cricket. Our family was very clear – here was the
greatest champion of world cricket. He was here. I have great memories of
watching cricket with my dad, spending full days watching a game of cricket on
TV. India were a bunch of high potential
losers. We were too soft to play the new age of cricket. We had talent but as
dad would often say – no temperament. Till we had Sachin. In ODI’s he would
come in at 4down or 5 down and get a limited number of overs to play. I remember
dad and me clamoring for Sachin to open the innings. And lo behold. I remember
waking up early morning in a Panchgani hotel room to see Sachin walk in and destroy
the bowling attack. He used his technique to play lofted shots and forever
imprinted himself on the game. And then came the era where we only had hopes on
one man. We would get in watch till he got out. I remember having the greatest
of stress while he was batting. On one hand you would enjoy his batting and the
fact that he took the bowling to shreds but at the same time you knew he could
not get out. If he did – we would have no hope left. We would lose the match,
the plot and our pride. It was him that the entire hopes were pinned on. I
remember my brother and me hanging our heads in disbelief as he would get out.
Match is over. I remember seeing the wild frenzy of the opposite team as they
did a naked dance and celebrated wildly as they got the man. It was clear why the entire 22 men were on the
field. 11 to get him and another 11 to keep him there. And the world was
watching who would win – and when.
My dad was such a Tendlya fan that even when the maestro was
on bowling side, he would insist that the ball be given to him while bowling. He
was convinced that some magic would happen, and invariably it did. He would
pick a wicket, stop the flow of runs… whatever. He would bowl legspin to a
right handed batsman and switch to off spin for a leftie. He would bowl seam up
and swing it both ways. What a guy. He was born to play cricket. I remember
when he suddenly started sweeping. It was something he started later in his
career and I remember when he first played a reverse sweep. The result was a boundary
(against South Africa).
He gave us such joy, such a joy! Statisticians have commended
and condemned him at varying intervals. People hated him later and called him
selfish. There have been many undercurrents. I surely stopped arguing with
them. Sachin was not a number to me. No number would suffice for the man. I don’t
even care about his test cricket. For me it was his one day cricket. I thought
that was the only thing he born to play. He was the poster boy of the
generation to which I belonged to. Being two years elder to me our growing up
has run parallel. I grew up with him and I feel I too have a hand in his fame,
fortune and run of luck and form. Being a Mumbaikar Sachin is my brother, my
loved one – who taught the world that you can be technically correct and yet
score fast and be a joy to watch, that you can be calm and yet very aggressive,
that you can contribute by your enthusiasm and your verve. Even though you
might never be a gifted fielder but you try hard at what comes your way and yes
– your throw will always be hard. No soft throws.
My captain always taught me – look at Tendulkar play. He hits
the ball and does not eye ball the bowler. He simply looks down and almost
apologetically taps the pitch. It’s like he is saying ‘sorry, shot lag gaya. Ball
aisa tha, shot toh lag gaya’. No chest thumping, no blood letting, but mind you
– he wanted to win as badly as anyone else.
The other thing I learnt from him is that if you are a great
payer – the same qualities will make you a bad captain. On his retirement people
opened up and admitted that as a captain he would expect the same from others. For
someone who is a natural at things, its impossible to explain or motivate
someone to do something. The genius refuses to understand whats so tough. Lesser
mortals cringe and awe at achievement.
Some things may easy to me. They were simple when I did
them. And it irritates me no end when I see my team not being able to
understand it. I learnt that while they can’t do the same, they can do
something else that I could never.
Captainship is about patience and lifting your team to do beyond their
abilities not match up to yours. Your ability is not the point here. It doesn’t
count. What counts is the team. The team must work together and play above the weight.
Sachin, in his failings also taught me that. You can’t be hanuman and you can’t
win on your own.
Finally I am sure the stats will show that whenever we
relied too much on one man – we invariably lost. For all his brilliance he
never won us the world cup. We won it when he was just one of the spokes of the
well-oiled machine – important but the only keystone. When the rest of the team
looks at the man for inspiration and not awe – when the team is happy to have him
and not solely dependent – when everyone knows their role in relation to the
game and not in relation to the man – that is when magic happens.
Good bad – I have a strong personality. It weighs in on the
team at many times. I have learnt to control it a fair bit, reign it in but
more importantly give power to the second in line to lead. To push the boundaries
of their own, in their own identity.
Sachin was a genius who held our hearts with amazing care. But
that was his failing as well. He knew, we knew he could do it – that’s why most
of the time he might have failed. You might be the greatest ever but it takes
11 to make a team. All 11. And you cant pull it for long. Even the best have to
just do their bit… the rest pulls it alongside.
I really love him and I can’t really see the criticism of
the man’s averages. Playing and playing when you can’t get out is something
stats will never capture. Understanding the role of a batsman when you play is
something stats can’t ever decipher. Stupid people.
You don’t mess with Tendulkar you miss with my memories, my
hope, my life.
This may be an automated marketing gimmick from BCCI but to me and his family - I think this is the best i have seen. it means a lot for some stupid emotional reason. Thanks dude.
