We Salute you : 20 years and the journey continues…….

This piece is tribute to my hero and certainly to the hero of millions of people not only around the country but the whole world.
People say everything changes with time. It certainly has for Sachin Tendulkar. Close to 25 years back, he would have been playing in the Gully of his street and today he is a world icon.
But few things haven’t changed for him. The hunger, the determination and the willingness to do a notch better than the previous inning.
Sometimes it’s really difficult to comprehend how can somebody remain so grounded despite so much adulation showered on him? People call him the living legend, the God, the worlds greatest batsman, and the moment you hear him speak, you will feel, is he the man?
There was a time when people admired him for his cricket but later people witnessed that with the consistency of runs, he also has been so consistent in handling the adulation that he has been bestowed upon.
I have grown up watching an admiring this great man. Excerpts of a few moments of his cricketing life which has left an imprint in my mind. I was tempted to write on and on but then chose 10 of his best innings to share it in this post.
1. 1989 Pakistan,Sialkot: It was Sachin’s first test series against the arch rivals Pakistan, not to be forgotten that India was touring Pakistan after a long time. This 16 year old was thrown into the hot pan where India were playing against the best bowling attack of that era- Imran,Wasim and Waqar at their prime and Quadir as wily as a fox with his Leg spin and googlies. They deliberately targeted him with short deliveries and once got hit on the nose by a bouncer from Waqar. The physio cum doctor (I remember it was Dr. Irani) ran to have a look at him. It was suspected that the kid would just walk out until a voice came over- “Main Khelega”. He went out to score a half century which helped India draw the test match. That day it proved he was not shy of battle and ready to fight it out for his country. Everybody knew a hero was born.

2. 1992, Australia, Perth: The fastest pitch in the world, the bounciest had developed huge cracks. The Australian attack was at its blistering best. As Sachin walked, they had close catchers around him. Every other person who understands Cricket would agree with me that you would not put a fielder on a short cover or short mid wicket on a bouncy pitch where the bowlers were bowling short. It was done to tame this 19 year old. To send a message, boy you are supposed to be at high school! He responded with cuts, square drives and pulls. In a short while both the fielders were taken off. He went on to score a century which still remains a record till date for the “youngest centurion on the Australian soil”.A battle was one by the little kid teaching lessons to the big daddies of cricket.

3. 1998,Sharjah, U.A.E. : India was playing not only against the Australians but the nature which was determined to put India out of the triseries involving India,Australia and New Zealand. India had to make certain amount of runs to qualify for the finals. Sachin started well hitting all bowlers for boundaries. India was on course until a sandstorm came in from the adjacent deserts. It was so strong that it forced all the players to leave the field, but Sachin refused to leave. He was too focused on the task ahead. Even the nature had to give up against the grit of this little champion. The targets were revised and now India had a mammoth target to achieve in a curtailed match. The storm was not yet over for the Aussies, the difference this time it was coming from the masters bat. Sachin eventually got out (to an unfortunately wrong decision by the Umpire), but not without seeing India romp to the finals. This inning was followed by another one in the finals where he did the job of leading India home to a tournament victory. The successive centuries left Warne admitting that he had nightmares of Sachin dancing down the track to hit him for sixes. The master had thumped his supremacy on the game.
4. 1999,Bristol, England : Sachin’s worldcup journey had come to an abrupt ending with the sad demise of his father. He had to travel back to India to be with his bereaved family. India lost without him against a relatively weak Zimbabwe team. The country was missing him badly. The family felt that the only way to get out of this tragedy was to ask him to join the team. Probably for the only time in his life he was pushed to play cricket. He went out to bat against the Kenyans and scored a belligerent century. This time he was not only fighting against the bowlers but against his own emotions. It was an extremely emotional moment when he looked at the heavens after scoring the century. So many eyes would have got wet that day.
5. 1999,Chennai,India : What a knock that was? Sachin had developed cramps in his back. It was getting extremely difficult for him to hold the bat. The Chennai heat was sapping. He had scored 139 against immense pressure, humidity and pain. He wanted to finish the match at the soonest because it was getting impossible for him to even hold his bat. He misread the Doosra from Saqlain and looped a catch in the air which was gleefully accepted by Wasim. Indian batting folded up in no time and we lost the match by a whisker. A match which was so winnable just passed out from our reach. Sachin could not come out to accept the Man of the Match award because he had not yet recovered from the anguish of that defeat. With him the country cried.

6. 2003,Centurion,South Africa : India was going into this game with an undefeated record against the Pakistanis in the World cup tournament. The Pakistan team scored 274 on a good centurion pitch. India required a brisk start at the top. Sachin along with Sehwag provided the same. Sachin looked in ominous touch hitting Shoaib for a six past the third man region. Waqar and Wasim were dealt with no respite either. He felt shot by 2 runs from a much deserving century, but the counter attack helped India maintained its undefeated record which still stands unbroken till date.

7. 2008, Sydney,Australia : Sachin was struggling against the ball angling away in that series. He had got out thrice trying to play a shot through the covers nicking one to the keeper or the slips. He was determined not to repeat this shot in the third test against the Aussies. He went onto score a double century against the Aussies on his favourite pitch. This test was remembered for reasons except cricket(the racism allegations on Bhajji and the woeful umpiring decisions) but nobody can take away the speciality of Sachin’s innings where he had scored a double tonne without playing a delivery outstretching his arms to play a cover drive. This man always had a backup short.

8. 2008,Sydney,Australia : The stage was set. Sachin was playing on his favourite ground. The SCG. Some unwanted comments were flowing that he does not perform in the big games(It was quite a foolish argument though). Another faction of people were talking about the limited cricket left in him. People believed he looked jaded and was no more a free flowing batsman of the past. The Indian had not won a tournament in Australia post the 1985 world championship of Cricket. The champion took onto him to turn all odds in favour of him. He scored a century, and silenced the critics by not just scoring runs but piling them by bludgeoning the Australian attack. It was in the same innings he was hit by a beamer from Brette Lee. Brette instantly walked towards him to apologize. He smiled at it and went to take his stance. It was the section in the audience which was hooting Lee hereafter. Such was his composure and dedication towards his goal.

9. 2008 Chennai,India : The English had come back to play the test series as a mark of solidarity towards the people who were killed in a barbaric attack on Mumbai. The English played exceptionally well for the first four days and left a daunting score for India to chase. India had to choose between a draw or a win, and Sehwag provided the dream start with a power-packed filled half century. Sachin took over from him and made a 103 to take India home. He later admitted that he felt the same vibes and tension of the 1999 Chennai test against Pakistan. This time he didn’t leave the game for the rest and took the onus on himself to score the winning runs. He dedicated this victory to the terror attack hit victims and said that if this victory brought a smile to them for a second, their job was done. We all knew that the fans love him but here was one such instance when the God said that he loved the fans in the same way.

10. 2009, Hyderabad, India : Australia had piled up 350 runs and it looked improbable if not impossible for India to achieve that. But Sachin had other plans. He counter attacked the attacking Aussies and scored 175 runs. Just when it looked we were on the course of victory, a slower delivery kissed the bottom of his bat and looped in the air to be caught by Craig White. It was such a sulking moment for him. Indian batting faltered like a pack of cards and we lost by 4 runs. One of Sachins best innings made him heavy hearted again. The nation was deeply saddened but acknowledged the masters innings with full praise.

There have been numerous such innings from the great man and I can just go on and on describing each innings.
There have been great cricketers but what separates them from the master is the way he handles the game on and off the field.
He is an inspiration for so many kids, a star in so many eyes, an envy for so many batsman.
I just fail to reconcile with the fact that how would I watch a game without him. I rather not worry about that as of now as he looks determined to play for many more years to come for the country.
He said it in the post match interview at Hyderabad when asked what motivates him to go on and on and tumble records after records – "I care to play for the country which is a motivation enough to give my best shot each time I walk in".

I salute to this great exponent of Cricket. May you score tonnes and tonnes of runs and let us dance to the tunes of Sachinism.