Every
Indian Cricket Fan claims a special kinship with Sachin Tendulkar,
remembers what he was doing whenever Sachin played a memorable inning.
And that boy from a small town, who was yet to attain teenage, was no
exception. He was going to his school that day to receive his annual
results. That boy had witnessed a personal tragedy during the annual
exams that year. He was also subjected to a conspiracy hatched by a
few classmates. His answer-sheet was seized by the flying squad as
some piece of paper was found near his desk, on which mathematical
formula were written. So there was apprehensions whether that boy
would be able to obtain required passing marks to go to the next
class. In fact, he had to score passing marks in 50 Marks only, as
his other 50 Marks copy was not going to be evaluated.
When he
reached his school at 9 AM that day, accompanied with his younger
brother, he was told that the results would be announced after 10 AM.
So in order to spend an hour, he, along with his younger brother,
went to nearby Library - “Naagari Pracharini”. And there, while
turning out pages of India Today (used to be a fortnight magazine
then), he read for the first time, about those two school cricketers,
who made a world record partnership of 664 runs at Mumbai's school
level tournament - Harris Shield. And the names of those school
cricketers were - Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli, whose pictures
were also published in that issue of India Today. It was April 30, 1988 that
day and an hour later, that boy discovered that against the odds, he
had obtained more than sufficient marks to advance to the next class.
Later, that boy shared the news of those Mumbai school cricketer's
unbelievable partnership with his longtime friend Rahul also.
That
boy observed that during the summers of 1988, a local Newspaper -
"Aaj", published a feature on its editorial page on those
school cricketers and wished that in coming days, the void created by
the retirement of Sunny, might be filled by this school cricketer
named Sachin Tendulkar. A couple of months later, an article appeared
in SportsWorld Magazine titled "Is Sachin Tendulkar the greatest
school cricketer ever". Recently, it was discovered that the
article was written by Harsha Bhogle, an unknown figure then. That
boy from a small town kept his eyes and ears open for every piece of
news that was related to that school cricketer – be it his Ranji
debut where he registered his maiden first class hundred or be it his
maiden Irani Trophy match in the following season, where he scored a
hundred which consequently fetched him a place in the National
squad.
Indian Cricket those days was in a transition phase.
Sunil Gavaskar had taken retirement in 1987, but Indian team still
possessed many a big names like - Legendary Kapil Dev, Dilip
Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Mohinder Amarnath
and Wonder Boy Mohammed Azharuddin - who then, was being considered
by many as the main contender for Sunil Gavaskar's records. Some new
players like aggressive Navjot Siddhu (particularly known for his big
sixes in Reliance World Cup matches) and technically sound Sanjay
Manjrekar (Son of Legendary Vijay Manjrekar) were also creating
ripples. Leg spinner Narender Hirwani's entry to the international
cricket was like Halley's comet.
India had lost a test series
in West Indies early that year and despite of the series loss, six of
senior players went to USA to play charity matches, without the
approval of BCCI. As disciplinary action, BCCI axed those 6 players,
while picking the team for Pakistan tour in the year 1989. So
favorable circumstances also played a key role in Sachin's selection
in that team.
That teenager boy still remembers the short
video clip broadcast on National News at 8:40PM that day, when Indian
team was about to leave for Pakistan tour and a reporter asked a 16
year old Sachin, "You are going to Pakistan tour where you will
be facing some of the fastest bowlers of the World like Imran Khan,
Wasim Akram and Aaqib Javed. Are you afraid?". "No, I am
ready to face any bowler." came a confident reply.
From
there on, everything is HISTORY......Karachi welcomed Sachin with
banners like "Cricket is not a game for BABIES", "Go
Back and Drink Milk". Though the series was dominated by Sanjay
Manjrekar, Sachin did has his moments. Then came the final Sialkot
Test, India was struggling to save the test match. India had lost 4
wikets before scoring 40 runs on the board and Sidhhu along with
Sachin Tendulkar were at the crease. A Waqar Younis ball hit Sachin
on his nose and he started bleeding. Spectators, including that boy,
were in a state of shock. It was a big blow to the confidence of a
teenage cricketer. But then, his partner Navjot Siddhu heard Sachin's
firm voice "Main Khelega". He played with a Handiplast on
his nose and along with Siddhu, saved the test for India. And who can
forget those 4 sixes in Abdul Qadir's over at Peshawar? Due to bad
weather, ODI was called off and to please spectators, a 20 over a
side exhibition match was played between India and Pakistan. Sachin
scored 18 ball 53 in that match, which could arguably be and must be
declared as the first ever T20 match.
*****************
Some
years passed by and that boy from a small town was now doing
graduation from Gorakhpur University. The year 1994 was just started,
he was still in his teenage and during all these years, he had
followed religiously the progress of those two school cricketers, of
which he had first read in India Today on April 30, 1988. Sachin
narrowly missing Napier (1990) hundred and missing a chance to become
the youngest ever to score a test hundred, Sachin's first test
hundred at Manchester (1990), which saved the test for India. Sachin
grabbing a Man of the Match for the first time as a bowler against
West Indies at Sharjah (1991), one of the best Sachin innings at
Perth (1992), Sachin Tendulkar becoming the first Asian Cricketer to
play for Yorkshire and then the final Sachin over at Hero Cup
Semifinal, when he didn't allow Proteas to score 6 runs off his 6
balls.
On the other hand his schoolmate Vinod Kambli was a
little late to enter into the arena. When Sachin was picked for
Indian team, then only Vinod Kambli could find a place in Mumbai
Ranji squad. So his international inning was also late and he found
first chance in National Test Squad as late as 1993 (Although he made
two brief appearances in ODI squads in 1991 and in 1992 B&H World
Cup). He celebrated it by scoring an ODI 100 against touring England
side on a day, which was Kambli's birthday. Then he scored back to
back double hundred in test matches and by doing so, emulated Sir Don
Bradman. Kambli didn't stop there, but scored two more test hundreds
while touring Srilanka the same year. By then Sachin had scored 6
test hundreds in 27 test matches, whereas, Kambli had already scored
4 test hundreds in his first 7 test matches. Kambli was scoring runs
so prolifically those days that for a brief period of time, he
out-shined Sachin too. “I am no longer Sachin's batting partner, I
am Vinod Kambli” was a SportsWorld Cover story those days.
That
teenager from small town could not resist his temptation to watch
these players live. So one day, he left his Room at Gorakhpur,
pretending that he was going to his home town. Being a known
home-sick, his room-mate little had to suspect. A five something
hours journey and he was there in the capital of his state –
Lucknow, where a Test Match was going to be held for the first time
between India and Srilanka. He stayed at a Lodge near Charbagh where
charge were as little as Rs 35/- for 24 hours. He reached KD Singh
Babu Stadium, with a wish that India would bat first. He bought a
ticket for the day for Rs. 75/-, which used to be a big amount for a
student those days. Luckily, India won the toss and elected to bat
first. After a cautious start when first wicket fell, he saw Vinod
Kambli approaching to the pitch. It was January 18, Vinod Kambli's
birthday again and he was expecting another big inning, like the one
Kambli played an year earlier, on his birthday. The joy did not last
long though as Kambli soon got himself run out. That teenager
watching from the stands, felt great disappointment as well as
extreme pleasure at the same time. Disappointment for Kambli, who got
out so cheaply and pleasure to see for the first time in his life,
his favorite player, Sachin Tendulkar was entering the ground.
*****************
When
Sachin reached on the pitch to give Navjot Siddhu company, the entire
stadium got charged up. Since then, it was an easy ride. Batsmen were
playing with so much ease. Those days, three spinners were common in
a test match. India had Anil Kumble, Venkatpathi Raju and Rajesh
Chauhan. Srilankan team had also three spinners in their playing
eleven. Siddhu was known to be ruthless against spinners and he chose
a relatively new off-spinner to go after. He hit as much as 8 sixes
in his inning of 124 (perhaps maximum for a test inning under 125),
but it was the new off spinner who had the last laugh in the end and
gave the breakthrough to Srilanka by sending Sidhu back to pavilion.
That new off – spinner later went on to take his first five wicket
howl in that inning. Perhaps no one had any clue that some 16 years
later, when this off-spinner would be hanging his boots after playing
one last time against Indian team, he would have taken as much as 800
test wickets. Yes, that off-spinner was Muttiah Muralitharan.
Sachin on the other end, was calm and cool, not tempting to
the flighted deliveries being bowled by the spin trio. Still he kept
scoring runs and when the days play ended, he was batting on 88*.
That teenager was restless that night. Whether he would be going to
witness a Sachin Tendulkar 100 live tomorrow? Every now and then
Napier (1990) comes to his mind, where Sachin was playing on 80* when
the days play ended and the next morning, when entire cricketing
world was expecting Sachin to break the record of youngest player to
score a test century, he got out after adding eight runs. The fear of
Sachin dismissal before completing his hundred was growing by every
passing moment. It was too long a night for the teenager.
Next
morning, that teenager went to the stadium pretty early, only to find
that there was dense fog all over the ground. Play was delayed. After
prolonged wait, it was sometime past 11 AM, when the play resumed and
in the very first over of Pramodaya Vickramasinghe, Sachin smashed
three or four boundaries to reach his 7th test hundred. Was he the
same Sachin, who was playing so calmly a day before. There was no
doubt that Sachin too had a sleepless night and was in a hurry to
complete his century. Sachin had two century partnerships during his
innings – first with Siddhu and second with Indian captain Azhar.
Before he was dismissed on 142, Sachin played some of the finest
shots and hit as much as 22 boundaries. Later on, every Indian
batsman (including Azhar and Manjrekar) raised expectation, but got
out when he was set. India won the match by innings margin, thanks to
one of the greatest match winner India has ever produced – Anil
Kumble.
*****************
Around
20 years ago, that Lucknow test match was the first occasion, when
that teenager from a small town, with scarce means, was so crazy to
watch his favorite cricketer on field, live in action. In the
following years, the craze for his favorite cricketer was increased
by every passing day. He was attracted to stands many a times and
witnessed some of the great innings live at Green Pak, Kanpur and at
Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi. But recently, he willingly opted not to
watch Sachin batting in those IPL/CL T20 matches, due to his personal
dislike for the particular format and its adverse impacts on Cricket
and Cricketers at large.
That teenager from a small town is
now a grown – up professional and a resident of a Metro city. His
favorite cricketer is playing his final 200th Test Match and despite
the capablilities, he will not be witnessing his favorite and one of
the greatest cricketer's final innings from the stands, due to his
professional commitments. The craze for the game is still there and
the love for his favorite cricketer has not diminished either. Like a
billion other, he too understand that he would never be going to see
from the stands, his favorite cricketer bat again. “Sachin
Tendulkar playing for India”, was not a DREAM of Sachin only, it
was also a DREAM of those who were aware of Sachin's exceptional
talent well before he played for India, and this DREAM, will again be
a reality one last time, before going into history. But it was Sachin
who has taught him, that whatever may come, one must give top
priority to his professional commitments.
Some 15 years ago,
Sunil Gavaskar had predicted that Sachin Tendulkar would be making
100 International centuries and 15K test runs and had warned Sachin
that if he would not be crossing these milestones before retirement,
he would be angry with Sachin, he would come and catch Sachin. When
that boy from a small town, started following his favorite cricketer,
he too developed some sky high expectations from his favorite
cricketer, some of which were achieved, whereas others left
untouched. If I were Sunil Gavaskar, some 15 years ago, I would have
warned Sachin not to retire before getting these additional
milestones – A triple century in Test Matches, a century of
centuries in First Class Cricket and emulate WG Grace while never
stop playing First Class Cricket. Ambitions know no limits.
Memories
you gave us uninterruptedly for the past 25 years can not be summed
in just 25 lines, in fact a full fledged book would be insufficient.
Cricket will never be same without the presence of that 5 feet 5 inch
tall figure on the pitch, playing those out of this world cover
drives, square drives, straight drives, pulls, cuts, paddle sweeps
and without those useful change bowling at times with a mix of leg
cutters, leg spins and googlies. Apart from on the field
achievements, your down to Earth behavior off the field won as many
hearts. When a regional party was spreading hatred on the basis of
region, you came forward and said, “I was born in Mumbai, but I
play for India”. You simply turned down 200 million offer for a
liquor ad and never did liquor or cigarette ad throughout your life.
You always kept your welfare activities away from Media attention.
Life stories of a billion fans are incomplete without the presence of
a full fledged chapter on their favorite cricketer and a wonderful
human being named SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR.
A BILLION SALUTES
to your mesmerizing journey and to your FINAL CHAPTER ON THE FIELD.
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