The Magnificent Case of Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar has broken yet another batting record. This might sound monotonous and predictable but it is still a tremendous achievement. The great man has scored the first ever double century in One Day International cricket.

I would like to share something I wrote sometime last year when he completed 20 years in international cricket.

The Magnificent Case of Sachin Tendulkar

In his first test match at Karachi in 1989, he was left with a bloody nose and a blood soaked t-shirt. His crime? He had dared to attempt a cover drive against the fastest bowler in the world Waqar Younis, he had dared to not be intimidated by Imran Khan and Wasim Akram in their own back yard. The audacity of the 16 year old boy shocked the world as he refused to leave the field, deciding instead to bat on and fight it out. If test cricket is what differentiates the men from the boys, then there never was a more quintessential example as a 16 year old boy proved his manhood. 20 years, 30000 runs and about 80 international centuries later, we know that boy as Sachin Tendulkar, a legend, a phenomenon, a champion.

Although I was first introduced to cricket back in 1992, I had very little understanding other than the fact that I was to celebrate like everyone else around me then and not ask too many questions. It was not until 1995 that I began to understand the game a little better, began to understand the concept of bat and ball. Very soon I had also learnt to be jealous of the fact that the best batsman in the world was an Indian. Nope, no way, Saeed Anwar was a better batsman, and soon the world will acknowledge.

This continued for a couple of years, when I would vociferously argue about Saeed Anwar’s superiority over Sachin Tendulkar and I had good reason to because for a couple of years in the mid 90s, they were neck and neck in terms of the number of ODI centuries. Back then, Desmond Haynes held the record for most ODI centuries and I was hoping Anwar would break his record before Tendulkar and prove to the world that the best batsman in the world played in the Pakistan cricket team. Alas, that was not too be as Anwar suffered a slump in form and Tendulkar went to not only break the record but leave Anwar way behind in terms of number of centuries.

Around this time, I also realized that not only was Tendulkar ahead of Anwar in ODIs, he was also way ahead of him in Test cricket. Australia toured India around this time for a test series hailed as Warne vs Tendulkar, the best spinner in the world vs the best batsman in the world. I was obviously on Warne’s side, hoping he would win the battle and prove once and for all that Tendulkar was no big deal. Alas once again Tendulkar broke my heart as he darted Warne all over the park in that series like a school boy and such was the effect of the maestro on Warne that he later admitted to having nightmares of Tendulkar coming down the track and smashing him.

I had to find someone else. This someone else happened to be the burly Inzamam ul Haq, who had been hailed by no less than Imran Khan himself as an equal of Tendulkar and Lara. Yes, I had found my new hero, Inzamam was the best batsman in the world.

My argument this time? Inzamam’s ability to win matches for Pakistan, his ratio of match winning centuries much superior to Tendulkar’s. I would listen to Imran Khan speak about Inzamam and then copy those arguments in my case for Inzamam, he was a great player of fast bowling, has so much time, and has tremendous ability to handle pressure.

Amidst all this, there was also a weak cricket fan inside me, who for some reason enjoyed Sachin Tendulkar’s batting, who wanted him to score runs, score centuries, win matches, just for the sheer pleasure of watching a champion perform like a champion. It was a strange contradiction, because on one hand I wanted him to be dismissed especially when he was playing against Pakistan, but at the same time, I wanted to just watch him bat, play those exquisite cover drives.

It is a contradiction that I have had to live for a long time. Tendulkar has hurt me many times, his innings at Centurion against Pakistan in 2003 ensured in Pakistan’s humiliating ouster in the first round. I remember a shot he played against Wasim Akram in the first over, a back of a length ball bowled by Wasim, which has often given him wickets, timed with perfection and placed with disdain between cover fielders for a four. That was in the first over, and that told me that the champion was at his best today, and that mean he could dismantle a bowling attack comprising of Wasim, Waqar and Shoaib, which is exactly what he did.

By this time, his mastery, excellence and sheer genius had finally broken me, I began to believe without any shame and hesitation, that he was truly the best batsman in the world, a champion, a character worthy of respect and admiration. My mother had once told me a long time back when I used to be furiously jealous of Tendulkar that she could not help but admire him. Soon I began to admire the genius as well.

Today I no longer have to fight any contradictions inside me. In 2004 he was unbeaten on 194 against Paksistan in Rawalpindi when Rahul Dravid declared the innings and it upset me as I knew he deserved a double century that day. I have no shame in acknowledging that there is Brian Lara, Inzamam ul Haq, Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid, and then a few notches higher, there is Sachin Tendulkar, if not in terms of cricketing talent, then in terms of his impeccable commitment, sheer strength of character and utmost humility.

That sums up Sachin Tendulkar for me. Today, when the world stands up and celebrates 20 years of Sachin Tendulkar, I feel proud because the best batsman in the world today is also my hero.