"On a train from Shimla to Delhi, there was a halt in one of the stations. Sachin was nearing century, batting on 98. The passengers, railway officials, everyone on the train waited for Sachin to complete the century. This genius can stop time in India!"
There will be a myriad of articles felicitating Sachin Tendulkar's 100th international century when he eventually gets it, but I felt like writing one today, not to praise his mastery of the game, for which there are enough, but about the person that I see in him.Yes, I was also one of those who couldn't see his guilty face when he walked back to the pavilion after making just 18 runs in the World Cup final. But the guilt on his face today was not any batsman in the world would've had to endure. He walked back after making 94 and the disappointment in the crowd was still the same. It wouldn't have been hugely different even if these were not the occasions of the World Cup or his 100th century. The truth is we just can't see him make anything less than a 100, every match. Such is the expectation that he has been shouldering for two decades now.
What makes him the person that he is? "Excellence is not impossible, if you marry a phenomenal work ethic to the talent that you are born with. Combine that with perseverance, and you've Tendulkar". True! But I would say he is probably one of the most praised as well as criticized.
He has heard a billion comments from a million people who never in their life have played a game of cricket. Yet he listens to them modestly. In fact, his disposition to listen to everyone did not make him a good captain. But that is not his fault, that is his character. You may not find him talk inspiringly on the mike, but that is not his fault again, he is just shy and reserved. He may not be the person who excels in pressure the most. Still, that is not his fault, that is his personality.
He is the best when he is his natural self, and that is to be the child that he is. He runs between the wickets as if just that one run was needed to win the match. He is elated taking a catch as if that one wicket was needed to gain the match. He doesn't take guard without a match practice the previous day. He doesn't face a ball without his helmet on. Because to him every match is his first. Because he knows he can't take things for granted. Because he knows he still has so much to learn. But more interestingly, because he knows he has to go on. And on. And on.
There will surely be another day for Sachin, but time we took lessons not just from his bat, but from his heart too.
I'm sure this is one of the most heartfelt articles about Sachin ever:-)
ReplyDeleteWish he gets to read it :-)
I think he embodies the true ascetic spirit that the game is more important than the player. I say ascetic because the entire Indian philosophy talks about how the "self" is not important, but its everything taken as a whole that is important. Its obviously super duper hard to practice (and hence why people love Ayn Ran), but at least in cricket I think he has managed to practice that to a good level - end result being that the self and the game and everything becomes good as a whole !
ReplyDeleteGopa.