As the world starts to salute the master, as the word spreads, as once again little master prepares to pad himself up, as once again he sets his foot on the ground, with the sky in his eyes and the Indian population behind him, I stand amazed at him not crushing under the pressure. I am more amazed at his ability to wear down the age, and the wisdom has still not left him. His failures in the past and the "Elephant in Dressing Room" did not slow him down. Standing amazed at 26 years of age this guy looks at that 36 year old with admiration of an icon. A person who is majestic not because he scored centuries, runs , took wickets , fields well but because when he carries his bat to the 22 yards, along goes a steady head over sturdy shoulders, flexible legs and a whole lot of expectation from a hundred million fans.This my friends is lot of it, because the margin of error is so less, that a small mistake may be compensated in match, but lives longer in articles like these and criticism that follows. A judgmental error is mammoth in terms of reputation at stake.
There was this one person who was going in as a traitor and openly challenges the person who is heavy in dressing room, taking much more space and letting others suffocate. One who is sitting at the top and not letting better cricketers take the opening slot, and Sachin just read it. He must have felt it too, but the answers are never given vocally. He had his ways.
When he is claimed to be wearing down and playing only for sake of it, only for WC 2011, he comes back scoring most vital runs and innings that won him Innings of the year. Nothing much has changed since he came, he re-defined the cricketing standards, and Indians adopted it. It is no surprise that kids grown up imitating him are now world class batsmen, and they proudly say so. The world is changing, he started when India were no where, and carried his career through times when no one can imagine Australia leaving number 1 spot, but he carved his career. He was a part of team which reached zenith in ODI and Test Rankings. In the time when India were to be taken number 1 spot to the time India needed to maintain it, he was the man who relentlessly scored centuries, just to keep his country at that position where it is today.
This innings might come as a feather in his career, but again, its real heart break for him to achieve it. The world will praise him, the God of cricketing world will sit in temple of heart of each Indian, who helpless by emotions will now expect him to score the target once more. Just once more, and that too each time he plays. The Fool Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, does not realise the appetite he has for runs is no match for expectations we have for him. I call him a fool, because he tries to woe all of us with his majestic batting, and we instead of beading out gems, try to collect stones and throw at him ( which he said and then converted them into milestones). Sachin is no longer an icon, no longer a phenomenon , but is now a way of life. He can not grow out of cricket, the sport he excels in, but has definitely let it grow with him.
The master stroke continues ....
