The cold has attacked the remains of my degenerating brain. Completely frozen. The inability to write can be quiet frustrating. So here is an article I wrote for a magazine, People’s Post. It was written a few months back, but Sachin can never been out dated. Here it goes, the closest I can get to the legend:
Substance, Style and Sustenance – Sachin Tendulkar
The twenty something generation was born when Sachin made his debut and they grew up watching his centuries. The thirty something generation watched in awe as a boy of their age, created ripples through the world and they matured with the wave. For the sixty something generation, he is the son they always dreamt of and for the children of the new millennium he is a phenomenon. Only Sachin Tendulkar could be so much and more with such ease that everyone is left enthralled by his spell.
It has been two decades since the religion of cricket in India has found its messiah, and even today he remains as humble as any great personality could ever be. There is a poetic beauty to Sachin’s entry into cricket. His debut in international cricket was preceded by landmarks like a century on his first class debut (the first Indian to have done so) and unbeaten knock of 103 in the Irani trophy (barely a week before his test debut). But in his test debut against Pakistan he made 15 runs of his first innings (did not bat in the second innings) and his ODI debut was a second ball duck. Yet he went on to make centuries by the dozen and break records like karate expert would shatter a marble slab. It was not just about making a mark but also about strengthening it with each match, because there never was any doubt about him being special. It was just the question of sustenance, and in that ground, today he stands vindicated.
His philosophy is to keep it simple, both on and off field. Watching the bowler closely and picking up cues from his body language during the run up is Sachin’s secret to a shot timed to perfection. Off field too, he has made a conscience effort to be doubly careful of what he says and what he does, because no action of Sachin goes unseen and no word unheard. And yet every now and then he would be drawn into controversies, most often not related to the game, but because he is what he is. Accused of cutting a cake with the Indian tri-colour; placing the BCCI logo above the national flag on his helmet or not making custom duty for importing a car, they all seem to fall flat under the sheer talent, dedication and honesty of this man. The very fact that he was forthcoming about his oversights and apologies made this idolised figure even more humane. It seems that every time his professional excellence sky rockets him to success, he pulls him self to centre with his modesty.
The only low of his otherwise splendid career would be his stint as a captain, where he took over Mohammad Azharuddin and had a rather poor record of 4 victories and 9 losses in a total of 25 tests. It was like a black beauty mark put on a baby’s face to ward off evil. Otherwise Sachin’s untarnished cricketing life would have been too perfect to be true. Sachin’s failure as a captain was also probably a result of needing to watch over his shoulder and carry the burden of surrounding events which clipped the wings of this free and fearless batsman. There have been times when his body has given up, but never his spirit. And that is what has kept him alive so long in the game. He has seen cricket grow from its longer formats to the quick byte T20 and the progress of Indian Cricket through the ups and downs.
What is truly spectacular about Sachin Tendulkar is that all he did was to play the game brilliantly and honestly, but ended up being not just a great player who will be remembered through the annals of history but also an icon and brand value. Sachin sells. Almost everyone who follows cricket with the same passion as Sachin plays it, wants a part of him, in any which way possible. And that is just why whatever he endorses has an almost definite hope of success. For his fans it is about how close they can get to the man they hold high on a pedestal. For many it is about brushing their teeth with the toothpaste he endorses to driving a car which features the little Master in their commercials and more importantly owning a small part of the greatness that Sachin is.
New adjectives would have to be created for great personalities, but for Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar a new language with integrity and honesty as it grammar and pride and passion as its adjectives would have to be fashioned.
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