Sachin Tendulkar-1

This is India 2030. Sachin Aashay Gune, asks his father," Baba, why was my name kept Sachin?" Sachin, then perhaps 10-12 years old is curious to know, like many of his 'name-alikes' the reason of his name being Sachin. His Father is nostalgic, about the mention of his hero....and like all other fathers of his age....and many elder to him and younger too...start the topic about a man whose fan-following equaled only to that of Mahatma Gandhi. And then begins a talk, which every Indian of Aashay's age loved to have at his age. He describes his son a phenomenon called a certain Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar...till his son is finally convinced that indeed, keeping to the common tradition of Hindus, his father has given him a name of GOD.
The above conversation is highly superficial, but it has in it, the essence of how this man has influenced Indians all over the world. Yes, a tribute to the greatest cricketer ever....Sachin Tendulkar.
I would like to add here the scenario in which this man made his mark in International cricket. It was India 1989. The country was reeling under a highly unstable government. Prime Ministers changed in a matter of months. India lacked a hero, after Sunil Gavaskar had retired from cricket. P.T Usha missing a medal in the olympics by one-hundredth of a second was a very good achievement in Indian sports. Hockey, as usual relied on its past glory. It was the time, when the telecom revolution was about to make a mark in India. That was the time, when a kid, 16 years old is not selected to go to the tour of West-Indies because he is too timid to face the likes of Marshall and a battery of Windies fast bowlers! When asked in an interview, if ready to face them, he confidently replied in a YES. In the next tour of India to Pakistan, however, he finds a place in the team. And when he makes his debut in his first ever test series....he finds the entire Pakistani audience yelling " Bacche, doodh pi...cricket kya khel raha hain"...( hey kid, go and drink milk, how come you are on a cricket field'?) How could that have felt...that everybody around is against you...and that too as a 16-year old kid? And in the same match....comes a bouncer from Waqar Younis...and strikes the kid's face. Blood oozes from his face. I am sure, any mother in India, watching that match live on television, would have missed a beat! The batsman at the non-striker's end rushes and asks the kid whether he wants to leave the ground....and comes a firm reply...'NO'. And the next ball from waqar is hit for a boundary. This was the kid...who later became a hero of the entire nation! He was Sachin Tendulkar! Unknown till that time, and the surname Tendulkar had achieved fame due to Vijay Tendulkar. Also, after that test series, there was an exhibition match of 20 overs between the two sides. Abdul Qadir, one of the best spinners in the world from Pakistan then was playing the match, alongwith Mushtaq Ahmed, one of the upcoming spinners. Sachin hit Mushtaq for 2 sixes in a single over. Qadir, asked Sachin openly...." Bacche ko kya mar rahe hon....dum hain toh uske ustad ko...hume...maar ke dikhao". (why are you hitting that kid...if you have guts, hit his mentor...hit me....)The answer was straight from the bat, by Sachin....Qadir, in his next over was smashed for 4 sixes.
This is why Sachin Tendulkar is a legend. a legend has always stories floating around him.Talking with the bat, became a habit for this man, perhaps after this incident. While players in his generation took to sledging...this man achieved everything without a prior boast, or even a declaration. His down-to-earth nature, and also the nature of not always keen to hog the limelight resembles a typical maharashtrian middle-class attitude.....a fact also associated with his mentor....Sunil Gavaskar. After this incident, a legend was born.....a legend which inspired an entire generation of people....and made them think that success was possible through fair means. ( Who would forget the scandal of harshad mehta, that happened at almost the same time, when Sachin made his debut). A legend, to whom the nation owes, in having some of its name in the International Sports Arena. Every kid of that era wanted to be a Sachin Tendulkar.
The first memorable incident in my mind about this man, was in the world cup 1996 match against Kenya. That was the time, I was getting an interest in cricket. Me and my grandfather used to watch cricket matches for hours. Sachin hit an unbeaten 126 to win the match for India. And then the entire world cup batting was his! He went on to score 80 in the next match against the West-Indies, a 90 against the Australians and a whooping 137 against the Sri Lankans. Thanks to the loose efforts of the Indian team, we lost against the Aussies and the Lankans. But then later, thanks to an unbeaten 106 by Vinod kambli against the Zimbabweans, India could qualify for the quarter finals. The Quarter finals was against the Pakistanis, in which Sachin played a moderate and quick innings of 31....but the most painful moment in the world cup was in the semi-finals against Sri lanka.!!! In the semis, the bowlers did a good job in restricting the Lankans to 251. When the Indian innings began, Sachin was at his explosive best...and scored a quickfire 65. He was unlucky to be dismissed stump-out off the bowling of Jayasurya. However, later....the Indian batting fell like a pack of cards...with the team reaching the score of 120/8. The crowd at Kolkata, could not bear this sight....and started a havoc at the stadium, and the match refree Clive Lloyd decided to favour the match to the Lankans. A weeping Vinod Kambli is still remembered by die-hard cricket fans...as an effect of that match! I still remember, myself loudly abusing the Indian team...and also ultimately crying loudly for the loss. I was 9 years old then....and the result was undigestable for me. My father ultimately came and consoled me. How I felt sorry...and why only me...the nation felt sorry for a one-man effort of Sachin! But then, by that time, it was a ritual for the Indian team, to loose when Sachin did not score..and win when he played well!

Now on, I would focus on all the memories that I have of this great man. I have started with world cup 1996....and with each passing year, I would add the memories associated with it!
To be added in the subsequent articles on the maestro....