As the curtain comes rolling down on an illustrious career spanning a generation, I was just reflecting on the sort of impact he made to the common man and how he touched upon many of our lives. Just chronicling some of the moments and memories which had a lasting impact on me.
My earliest memory of him was during the Hero cup semi in Nov 1993 when he came on to bowl the last over with 6 needed to win for South Africa. Family and friends had got together and I vaguely remember my mom asking me to Kann Moodify with the tension building and it was a euphoric moment when he pulled it off and on the background was an ecstatic Henry Blofeld commentating (I've never heard him comment barring the hero cup) and scenes of an Eden Gardens crowd going into absolute raptures. Those days Eden was a fortress and the number would have touched 100,000. Then came the final and though it was a match dominated by the wily old fox Kumble who got magical figures of 6/12, it was Sachin's cameo at the end which took India to a respectable target of 225.
From 1994 there was more seriousness in myself as a cricket lover and Oh my Gawd how i can forget that eventful day getting up early in the morning watching this curly haired assassin open the batting and smashing a spectacular 82 of 49 balls, of course was a tad disappointed that he still didn't get his 1st ODI hundred as he had quite a few scores in the 80s till that time. However the wait ended in the Singer Cup, a quadrennial event which was held in Sri Lanka comprising of the hosts along with India , Pakistan and Australia. I fondly remember that was the first time i had bought the Sportstar dated 3rd Sep 1994 with the front cover having the pictures of the 4 skippers Ranatunga , Azhar, Malik and Taylor and then the moment arrived when i got to witness that elusive 1st ODI hundred which he so badly wanted (and so was I) when he took apart the Aussie attack to score a fine 110.
Then there was his much talked about wedding in 95 to Doctor Anjali Mehta. It was a very heavily discussed topic primarily because Anjali happened to be 4 yrs senior to him. In those days this was definitely uncommon and a big thing. Also he was just 22 at that time. And there was this magazine Sports World which splashed some lovely big photographs of his wedding. I remember buying it in a magazine shop opposite Mylapore Sangeetha (next to Ambika Appalam). Both the magazine and the shop have since became extinct.
Next was the 96 World Cup. There was so much excitement personally as this was the first WC I was ever going to witness and it was in the subcontinent. I bought that red color book by Gulu Ezekiel "Story of the World Cup" which covered the history of the World cup along with snippets and scores of the past 5 events. I just couldn't wait for the first ball to get underway between NZ and Eng on Feb 14th 1996. India's hopes was fully pinned on one man Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Imagine he had not yet turned 23 and that time itself he had to shoulder the burden of a billion people. And boy what a fantastic World cup he had. His 90 vs the Aussies and his trailblazing 137 vs Lanka (though both in losing causes) are still etched in memory. Though he was not able to take India all the way through , you knew this kid had well and truly arrived and there was entertainment guaranteed for years to come. Personally, yes i am biased I feel his 96 WC show was his best ever even eclipsing the stellar 2003 WC show in South Africa.
His hundred making continued from the WC and in April 96 witnessed him make his first hundred against Pakistan at Sharjah. He had put on a stand of about 200 odd with Sidhu who also scored a ton. This match again I have fond memories because it was the first time India ever crossed 300 in a One Day International. Azhar smoked the hell out of Ata-Ur-Rehman in the last over to enable India cross that coveted figure. (Yeah nowadays 300 is a joke, but it definitely wasn't back then).
His one day from rubbed into test cricket and in 96 he had a great tour of the Old Blighty scoring 2 hundreds in 3 test matches. Many of us tend to forget this and it was spoken more of being a tour marking the arrival and exploits of 2 up and coming young future stars Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.
The same yr 1996 also saw his first foray as Captain of India. He started off pretty well with a win over Australia in the first ever Border-Gavaskar one off test match. Also he captained India to victory in the triangular Titan Cup involving Australia and South Africa. SA showed their choking skills in the final after dominating with commanding wins in each of their games before. India also defeated South Africa in a home 3 test series 2-1, of which the first test in Bangalore saw the debut of another very special cricketer VVS Laxman.
India then went on to tour the Proteas and were pulverized black and blue. Despite the thunderous battering, if ever that tour is still remembered it is that breathtaking partnership between Azhar and Sachin with the latter going on to make a belligerent 169 and it needed a special effort from the high flying Adam Bacher to prevent him from continuing the onslaught further. It was vintage Sachin at his very best. India as a team continued to disappoint in the ODI's with losses even against minnows Zimbabwe and it again needed an extra special 100 by Sachin to take India to the final where they had to gun down about 240 in 40 overs to get India through.
Of course his captaincy encountered a rocky surface and it wasn't long before he stepped down. It reached an all time low when India set a target of 120 to win the Trinidad test vs Windies were bundled out for just 81 against Brian Lara's men.
Captaincy was gone and the batsman Sachin Tendulkar took centerstage. 1998 was a truly landmark year for Sachin, the batsman. He set the tone with a sparkling 95 vs Pakistan in the first final of the Silver Jubilee Cup. It was an innings that set the platform for very many great things to follow in the rest of the year. India eventually went on to win the cup with a last over heroic performance in the 3rd final by Hrishikesh Kanitkar in a final over hurrah.
And how can over forget the Sharjah blitzkrieg in April 98 where he decimated the Australian attack with 2 back to back hundreds in the desert storm. Sachin tormenting the Aussie bowlers with an over exuberant Tony Greig going absolute gaga will forever be etched in the minds of a gazillion cricket lovers. He was just invincible at this point of time and mind you he was just turning 25. The year continued with more glory and a truckload of centuries. Another of his special tons was the one at Chepauk where he bulldozed and trampled Shane Warne and the new spinner Gavin Robertson on his way to a majestic 155. If you have to define one year where a batsman left an impregnable impression with his strokeplay, consistency and domination it was 1998, truly a year imbibed in cricketing folklore for the exploits produced by the Bombay Bomber.
Year 99 and it was a historic occasion as the Pakistanis were touring India after a dozen years. The first test in Chennai witnessed an epic awe inspiring knock by Sachin when all others around him wilted under the pressure and were spun around a web by Saqlain. It was an innings withstanding immense pressure and the execution and character showed was impeccable. India however was not able to pull off a victory and the last 3-4 wickets fell like a pack of cards immediately after Sachin's dismissal. His most painful innings for sure. The Chennai crowd showed its sporting nature clapping and applauding the Pakistanis on their victory lap. For me personally it was a defeat hard to swallow and I felt after doing all the hard work he should have stayed on till the end and finished off the matter. Alas, it didnt happen. He did so much, still we take additional liberty and advantage of him. Selfish cricket fans (myself especially).
The 99 WC was a disappointment both for India and Sachin as a player who was quite below par barring a solitary hundred. However it was a time where he underwent a personal tragedy of losing his father.
Sachin again took the captaincy and after a fairly decent series vs the kiwis where he managed to rake in his then highest score of 186, it was time for down under in end 99. India fared miserably being whitewashed 3 zip by the Kangaroos. Of course, one will not easily forget that amazing 116 by him at Melbourne. It was more woes for the Indians in the tri-nation tournament not having gotten to the final. It was an ill fated second stint for Sachin as captain and you soon knew the writing was on the wall.
Things got worse with the match fixing saga and compounding further to the problems prevailing, India managed to lose a home test series vs the South Africans. Alas, it was surely time over for Sachin as captain.
Ganguly took over as captain and the first real test was against the mighty Australians who had come to India with an unbeaten 15 match win streak. It was dubbed as the final frontier for the Aussies to conquer and the win streak continued with a resounding win at Mumbai to stretch it to 16-0. Sachin waged a lone battle for India making 50's in both innings. The second test was known for the miraculous batting partnership between Laxman and Dravid and the hattrick by Bhajji to catapult India to an unlikely victory and snap the win streak of the Aussies. The see saw battle culminated in Chennai and what an amazing test match it was. Sachin's remarkable 126 along with fine performances by the others helped India pull off a brilliant win and made the Aussies wait a few more years before they could get a chance to conquer India again.
Year end 2001 and it was time to tour South Africa again. A young dashing and dynamic batsman from Delhi, Virender Sehwag who had modeled his game from Sachin was making his debut in the first test and it was a treat to watch both of them score centuries and it was attacking stroke play at its real best. That was however the only positive for India as they ended up being pounded yet again by the Saffers.
In 2002 , India finally managed to beat the Windies at home after 31 years and the one test match in which India was victorious, Sachin came to the fore with a pugnacious 100. It was next the tour of England and India performed admirably well by drawing the series. The test which India won at Leeds saw Sachin scoring a resounding 193. Dravid and Ganguly also managed to score tons in the same game to take India to a magnificent win. And it happens to be the only time the big 3 scored a hundred in the same test innings. India also managed to pull off an unthinkable chase in the Natwest one day series final with 2 young turks Yuvraj and Kaif producing an emphatic performance. Sachin however failed in the big final but managed to score an ODI ton in England in an earlier game. India's form was on the upsurge in the ODI format where they were joint winners with Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy. All eyes were on the WC 2003 to be scheduled in South Africa.
The WC 2003 saw Sachin asserting his supremacy yet again with the bat. He was in tremendous form throughout the tournament and ended up being the leading run scorer by a country mile. He however managed only one century vs Namibia but his greatest knock was that utterly disdainful 98 he made at Cape Town against Pakistan. If ever an innings deserved a century it was this one. He was again unfortunate to miss out on a century by 3 runs vs SL. In the all important final however, Australia's target was too steep an order to climb and it was all over once Sachin was dismissed early.
Year end it was time to tour Aussies. It was Steve Waugh's farewell series and India as a team had put up an excellent show drawing the series 1-1. Sachin was in a bad patch of form having failed in 3 of the tests and he was under pressure to deliver in the final new year test at Sydney. And deliver he did in emphatic fashion scoring a career defining 241. An innings Lara rates as his best for the sheer will of trying to control not playing his favourite cover drive till he reached the magical figure of 200. Truly an innings of high competency and dedication.
It was then India's turn to tour Pakistan after 15 long years and also a homecoming for Sachin who made his debut there in 1989. India ended up winning both the ODI and Test series. Sachin scored a crucial 194 at Multab , however was largely overshadowed by Virender Sehwag's triple hundred and the puzzling move by Dravid to declare with Sachin just 6 short of a double ton.
From about 2005 onwards , I beleive he changed his game a bit. He was more sedate in his approach and looked to build an innings and you could perhaps sense a deliberate move on his part to curb his attacking strokeplay. The result was mixed as for me I always knew of him as an aggressive player and it was difficult to envisage him as being anything different. The way he used to steamroll attacks in the days of yore , this changed approach seemed somewhat unacceptable. Whatever said and done , some of his innings in the latter part of his career may not have been the most entertaining but made many realise that they were certainly crucial and helped the team's cause.
That all important 100 which he dedicated to the victims of 26/11 after the initial tone set up by Sehwag to overhaul Englands massive target of 387 in the 4th innings at Chennai stands true testimony to his courage and character.It was also a pleasure to see him score his 3rd consecutive hundred at the Sydney Cricket Ground (one of his favourites) in an ill fated and controversial tour. He followed it up with one more at Adelaide which was his last test century in Australia. In his final tour in 2011-12 , despite crossing 50 on quite a few occassions he didnt manage to get to the 3 figure mark even once which is a personal disappointment considering how well he always used to perform there.The crowning of India's achievements however was winning the VB series defeating a strong host side Australia in the finals. And again as Ravi Shastri often says cometh the hour cometh the man , Sachin was at the helm yet again steering the side by scoring a century and a 90 in the 2 finals.
And when India defeated the Kiwis in their own den , he was there again amongst the runs with a ton at Hamilton enabling India to take an early lead in the series. Also his 163 in one of the ODIs where he completely bullied the Kiwi bowlers was a treat to watch.Recently in 2010 , that commanding double century in Bangalore against the Aussies helping India retain the Border - Gavaskar trophy after falling 2 short of his 100 in the previous game was precious. Also those 2 centuries in his last trip of South Africa truly undermined his callousness and resilience.
And what a history beckoning moment it was when he became the first cricketer on the planet to reach the all encompassing mount number of 200 in a One Day International. I was on an audit and nobody was really interested to work , all that was happening was constant refreshment of the Cricinfo site . It was a signal that he was back in business as he showcased his ebullient strokeplay against a formidable South African attack. Just months before he scored a career defining 175 vs the Aussies in an ODI at Hyderabad almost taking India to the threshold of victory chasing 350. In some ways one could say this 175 was the prerunner to the bigger and larger 200.
It was World Cup time again in 2011 and there were few things to mend. First thing was avenging revenge for the disastrous showing in the previous edition in 2007 and secondly one got the feeling that Sachin was playing his 6th and last World cup. Even God was under pressure as it would have been a cardinal sin if Sachin for all his silver lining career didn't end up being a world cup winner. The script was perfectly written and Sachin's dream finally came true with India being crowned World champion. He left an everlasting impression in this edition too with 2 masterclass centuries against England and South Africa. More than even India winning, I wanted Sachin to be a world cup winner for all he had done and thank goodness it happened.
And then there were some disappointments. Many expected him to retire at least from the One day game considering he had achieved it all and capped off his career with a world cup win, but it didnt happen. His retirement decision only he knows best but what was disappointing was the struggle to get to his 100th hundred. I so sincerely hoped he would get there in that WC semi game itself where the Paki fielders too helped his cause by contributing with numerous missed catches.But he ultimately fell for a shaky 85. And then followed that 90 in the Oval test vs Eng (sadly you need to go as back as 2002 when he last hit a test hundred at Pommie land failing to score one in the following 2 tours). After that it was so painful to see him fall again in the nervous 90's after scoring a 93 vs WI in his home Mumbai test and then the stumble at Sydney when he again reached close to the monumental figure. (It also meant his final tour of Aus will not have a century by his side despite him scoring at least one in 4 tours previously). And then the moment finally arrived in Dhaka when he carved his way to a laborious and grinding 100 against the Bangladeshis. The 100th hundred should have been a more grandesque affair but it was muted and in a way more of a relief than a celebration. Yes, it was all sans style and grace but whatever, you have to give it to the man for again setting the benchmark by becoming the first player to score 100 INTERNATIONAL HUNDREDS.
I for one have always been a Sachin fan but can never classify myself as a "Fanboy". I have got irritated and disappointed with him on many occasions, a criticism I still hold is that he should have won more games chasing. Also being someone who was always numbers crazy and conscious, its a tad disappointing that he did not make a hundred in his last 23 tests and this includes 8 tests each against the English and the Australians - 2 oppositions he always thrives to do well. Was hoping silently that he would finally get that one biggie in his final test but it didn't happen. Also it was heartbreaking to see him fall repeatedly in the 90's especially in ODI's. If only he had converted a 3 quarter of them he should have had a minimum of 60 hundreds in both version - Tests and ODI'S. But the minor quibbles aside, the joy and happiness he provided far outweigh the disappointments.
Many who follow the sport of cricket would never have known you personally but through your willow you have influenced , entertained and impacted a generation of cricket lovers in the last 24 years. Its hard to digest that the razor sharp straight drive, the glorious Cover Drive, the upper cut six, shouts of Sachiiinnnnn Sachin will all soon be history of the past.
For me personally it has been a roller coaster ride in the last 20 years. So many highs, lows, ecstasies and also some disappointments. You have left such an indelible impression on me and am sure a billion other cricket fans. You've contributed so much in making my childhood all the more memorable. So many memories have been kindled and I'm sure if I rack up my brain further, more and more will flow. Its truly been a journey of a lifetime.
There will be a few trickling of tears when the moment sinks in to realize that this cricketing journey has reached its final ultimate destination and not going to proceed any further. With a heavy lump in my heart, I would just like to say Thank you for everything you have done. #ThankYouSachin.
My earliest memory of him was during the Hero cup semi in Nov 1993 when he came on to bowl the last over with 6 needed to win for South Africa. Family and friends had got together and I vaguely remember my mom asking me to Kann Moodify with the tension building and it was a euphoric moment when he pulled it off and on the background was an ecstatic Henry Blofeld commentating (I've never heard him comment barring the hero cup) and scenes of an Eden Gardens crowd going into absolute raptures. Those days Eden was a fortress and the number would have touched 100,000. Then came the final and though it was a match dominated by the wily old fox Kumble who got magical figures of 6/12, it was Sachin's cameo at the end which took India to a respectable target of 225.
From 1994 there was more seriousness in myself as a cricket lover and Oh my Gawd how i can forget that eventful day getting up early in the morning watching this curly haired assassin open the batting and smashing a spectacular 82 of 49 balls, of course was a tad disappointed that he still didn't get his 1st ODI hundred as he had quite a few scores in the 80s till that time. However the wait ended in the Singer Cup, a quadrennial event which was held in Sri Lanka comprising of the hosts along with India , Pakistan and Australia. I fondly remember that was the first time i had bought the Sportstar dated 3rd Sep 1994 with the front cover having the pictures of the 4 skippers Ranatunga , Azhar, Malik and Taylor and then the moment arrived when i got to witness that elusive 1st ODI hundred which he so badly wanted (and so was I) when he took apart the Aussie attack to score a fine 110.
Then there was his much talked about wedding in 95 to Doctor Anjali Mehta. It was a very heavily discussed topic primarily because Anjali happened to be 4 yrs senior to him. In those days this was definitely uncommon and a big thing. Also he was just 22 at that time. And there was this magazine Sports World which splashed some lovely big photographs of his wedding. I remember buying it in a magazine shop opposite Mylapore Sangeetha (next to Ambika Appalam). Both the magazine and the shop have since became extinct.
Next was the 96 World Cup. There was so much excitement personally as this was the first WC I was ever going to witness and it was in the subcontinent. I bought that red color book by Gulu Ezekiel "Story of the World Cup" which covered the history of the World cup along with snippets and scores of the past 5 events. I just couldn't wait for the first ball to get underway between NZ and Eng on Feb 14th 1996. India's hopes was fully pinned on one man Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Imagine he had not yet turned 23 and that time itself he had to shoulder the burden of a billion people. And boy what a fantastic World cup he had. His 90 vs the Aussies and his trailblazing 137 vs Lanka (though both in losing causes) are still etched in memory. Though he was not able to take India all the way through , you knew this kid had well and truly arrived and there was entertainment guaranteed for years to come. Personally, yes i am biased I feel his 96 WC show was his best ever even eclipsing the stellar 2003 WC show in South Africa.
His hundred making continued from the WC and in April 96 witnessed him make his first hundred against Pakistan at Sharjah. He had put on a stand of about 200 odd with Sidhu who also scored a ton. This match again I have fond memories because it was the first time India ever crossed 300 in a One Day International. Azhar smoked the hell out of Ata-Ur-Rehman in the last over to enable India cross that coveted figure. (Yeah nowadays 300 is a joke, but it definitely wasn't back then).
His one day from rubbed into test cricket and in 96 he had a great tour of the Old Blighty scoring 2 hundreds in 3 test matches. Many of us tend to forget this and it was spoken more of being a tour marking the arrival and exploits of 2 up and coming young future stars Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.
The same yr 1996 also saw his first foray as Captain of India. He started off pretty well with a win over Australia in the first ever Border-Gavaskar one off test match. Also he captained India to victory in the triangular Titan Cup involving Australia and South Africa. SA showed their choking skills in the final after dominating with commanding wins in each of their games before. India also defeated South Africa in a home 3 test series 2-1, of which the first test in Bangalore saw the debut of another very special cricketer VVS Laxman.
India then went on to tour the Proteas and were pulverized black and blue. Despite the thunderous battering, if ever that tour is still remembered it is that breathtaking partnership between Azhar and Sachin with the latter going on to make a belligerent 169 and it needed a special effort from the high flying Adam Bacher to prevent him from continuing the onslaught further. It was vintage Sachin at his very best. India as a team continued to disappoint in the ODI's with losses even against minnows Zimbabwe and it again needed an extra special 100 by Sachin to take India to the final where they had to gun down about 240 in 40 overs to get India through.
Of course his captaincy encountered a rocky surface and it wasn't long before he stepped down. It reached an all time low when India set a target of 120 to win the Trinidad test vs Windies were bundled out for just 81 against Brian Lara's men.
Captaincy was gone and the batsman Sachin Tendulkar took centerstage. 1998 was a truly landmark year for Sachin, the batsman. He set the tone with a sparkling 95 vs Pakistan in the first final of the Silver Jubilee Cup. It was an innings that set the platform for very many great things to follow in the rest of the year. India eventually went on to win the cup with a last over heroic performance in the 3rd final by Hrishikesh Kanitkar in a final over hurrah.
And how can over forget the Sharjah blitzkrieg in April 98 where he decimated the Australian attack with 2 back to back hundreds in the desert storm. Sachin tormenting the Aussie bowlers with an over exuberant Tony Greig going absolute gaga will forever be etched in the minds of a gazillion cricket lovers. He was just invincible at this point of time and mind you he was just turning 25. The year continued with more glory and a truckload of centuries. Another of his special tons was the one at Chepauk where he bulldozed and trampled Shane Warne and the new spinner Gavin Robertson on his way to a majestic 155. If you have to define one year where a batsman left an impregnable impression with his strokeplay, consistency and domination it was 1998, truly a year imbibed in cricketing folklore for the exploits produced by the Bombay Bomber.
Year 99 and it was a historic occasion as the Pakistanis were touring India after a dozen years. The first test in Chennai witnessed an epic awe inspiring knock by Sachin when all others around him wilted under the pressure and were spun around a web by Saqlain. It was an innings withstanding immense pressure and the execution and character showed was impeccable. India however was not able to pull off a victory and the last 3-4 wickets fell like a pack of cards immediately after Sachin's dismissal. His most painful innings for sure. The Chennai crowd showed its sporting nature clapping and applauding the Pakistanis on their victory lap. For me personally it was a defeat hard to swallow and I felt after doing all the hard work he should have stayed on till the end and finished off the matter. Alas, it didnt happen. He did so much, still we take additional liberty and advantage of him. Selfish cricket fans (myself especially).
The 99 WC was a disappointment both for India and Sachin as a player who was quite below par barring a solitary hundred. However it was a time where he underwent a personal tragedy of losing his father.
Sachin again took the captaincy and after a fairly decent series vs the kiwis where he managed to rake in his then highest score of 186, it was time for down under in end 99. India fared miserably being whitewashed 3 zip by the Kangaroos. Of course, one will not easily forget that amazing 116 by him at Melbourne. It was more woes for the Indians in the tri-nation tournament not having gotten to the final. It was an ill fated second stint for Sachin as captain and you soon knew the writing was on the wall.
Things got worse with the match fixing saga and compounding further to the problems prevailing, India managed to lose a home test series vs the South Africans. Alas, it was surely time over for Sachin as captain.
Ganguly took over as captain and the first real test was against the mighty Australians who had come to India with an unbeaten 15 match win streak. It was dubbed as the final frontier for the Aussies to conquer and the win streak continued with a resounding win at Mumbai to stretch it to 16-0. Sachin waged a lone battle for India making 50's in both innings. The second test was known for the miraculous batting partnership between Laxman and Dravid and the hattrick by Bhajji to catapult India to an unlikely victory and snap the win streak of the Aussies. The see saw battle culminated in Chennai and what an amazing test match it was. Sachin's remarkable 126 along with fine performances by the others helped India pull off a brilliant win and made the Aussies wait a few more years before they could get a chance to conquer India again.
Year end 2001 and it was time to tour South Africa again. A young dashing and dynamic batsman from Delhi, Virender Sehwag who had modeled his game from Sachin was making his debut in the first test and it was a treat to watch both of them score centuries and it was attacking stroke play at its real best. That was however the only positive for India as they ended up being pounded yet again by the Saffers.
In 2002 , India finally managed to beat the Windies at home after 31 years and the one test match in which India was victorious, Sachin came to the fore with a pugnacious 100. It was next the tour of England and India performed admirably well by drawing the series. The test which India won at Leeds saw Sachin scoring a resounding 193. Dravid and Ganguly also managed to score tons in the same game to take India to a magnificent win. And it happens to be the only time the big 3 scored a hundred in the same test innings. India also managed to pull off an unthinkable chase in the Natwest one day series final with 2 young turks Yuvraj and Kaif producing an emphatic performance. Sachin however failed in the big final but managed to score an ODI ton in England in an earlier game. India's form was on the upsurge in the ODI format where they were joint winners with Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy. All eyes were on the WC 2003 to be scheduled in South Africa.
The WC 2003 saw Sachin asserting his supremacy yet again with the bat. He was in tremendous form throughout the tournament and ended up being the leading run scorer by a country mile. He however managed only one century vs Namibia but his greatest knock was that utterly disdainful 98 he made at Cape Town against Pakistan. If ever an innings deserved a century it was this one. He was again unfortunate to miss out on a century by 3 runs vs SL. In the all important final however, Australia's target was too steep an order to climb and it was all over once Sachin was dismissed early.
Year end it was time to tour Aussies. It was Steve Waugh's farewell series and India as a team had put up an excellent show drawing the series 1-1. Sachin was in a bad patch of form having failed in 3 of the tests and he was under pressure to deliver in the final new year test at Sydney. And deliver he did in emphatic fashion scoring a career defining 241. An innings Lara rates as his best for the sheer will of trying to control not playing his favourite cover drive till he reached the magical figure of 200. Truly an innings of high competency and dedication.
It was then India's turn to tour Pakistan after 15 long years and also a homecoming for Sachin who made his debut there in 1989. India ended up winning both the ODI and Test series. Sachin scored a crucial 194 at Multab , however was largely overshadowed by Virender Sehwag's triple hundred and the puzzling move by Dravid to declare with Sachin just 6 short of a double ton.
From about 2005 onwards , I beleive he changed his game a bit. He was more sedate in his approach and looked to build an innings and you could perhaps sense a deliberate move on his part to curb his attacking strokeplay. The result was mixed as for me I always knew of him as an aggressive player and it was difficult to envisage him as being anything different. The way he used to steamroll attacks in the days of yore , this changed approach seemed somewhat unacceptable. Whatever said and done , some of his innings in the latter part of his career may not have been the most entertaining but made many realise that they were certainly crucial and helped the team's cause.
That all important 100 which he dedicated to the victims of 26/11 after the initial tone set up by Sehwag to overhaul Englands massive target of 387 in the 4th innings at Chennai stands true testimony to his courage and character.It was also a pleasure to see him score his 3rd consecutive hundred at the Sydney Cricket Ground (one of his favourites) in an ill fated and controversial tour. He followed it up with one more at Adelaide which was his last test century in Australia. In his final tour in 2011-12 , despite crossing 50 on quite a few occassions he didnt manage to get to the 3 figure mark even once which is a personal disappointment considering how well he always used to perform there.The crowning of India's achievements however was winning the VB series defeating a strong host side Australia in the finals. And again as Ravi Shastri often says cometh the hour cometh the man , Sachin was at the helm yet again steering the side by scoring a century and a 90 in the 2 finals.
And when India defeated the Kiwis in their own den , he was there again amongst the runs with a ton at Hamilton enabling India to take an early lead in the series. Also his 163 in one of the ODIs where he completely bullied the Kiwi bowlers was a treat to watch.Recently in 2010 , that commanding double century in Bangalore against the Aussies helping India retain the Border - Gavaskar trophy after falling 2 short of his 100 in the previous game was precious. Also those 2 centuries in his last trip of South Africa truly undermined his callousness and resilience.
And what a history beckoning moment it was when he became the first cricketer on the planet to reach the all encompassing mount number of 200 in a One Day International. I was on an audit and nobody was really interested to work , all that was happening was constant refreshment of the Cricinfo site . It was a signal that he was back in business as he showcased his ebullient strokeplay against a formidable South African attack. Just months before he scored a career defining 175 vs the Aussies in an ODI at Hyderabad almost taking India to the threshold of victory chasing 350. In some ways one could say this 175 was the prerunner to the bigger and larger 200.
It was World Cup time again in 2011 and there were few things to mend. First thing was avenging revenge for the disastrous showing in the previous edition in 2007 and secondly one got the feeling that Sachin was playing his 6th and last World cup. Even God was under pressure as it would have been a cardinal sin if Sachin for all his silver lining career didn't end up being a world cup winner. The script was perfectly written and Sachin's dream finally came true with India being crowned World champion. He left an everlasting impression in this edition too with 2 masterclass centuries against England and South Africa. More than even India winning, I wanted Sachin to be a world cup winner for all he had done and thank goodness it happened.
And then there were some disappointments. Many expected him to retire at least from the One day game considering he had achieved it all and capped off his career with a world cup win, but it didnt happen. His retirement decision only he knows best but what was disappointing was the struggle to get to his 100th hundred. I so sincerely hoped he would get there in that WC semi game itself where the Paki fielders too helped his cause by contributing with numerous missed catches.But he ultimately fell for a shaky 85. And then followed that 90 in the Oval test vs Eng (sadly you need to go as back as 2002 when he last hit a test hundred at Pommie land failing to score one in the following 2 tours). After that it was so painful to see him fall again in the nervous 90's after scoring a 93 vs WI in his home Mumbai test and then the stumble at Sydney when he again reached close to the monumental figure. (It also meant his final tour of Aus will not have a century by his side despite him scoring at least one in 4 tours previously). And then the moment finally arrived in Dhaka when he carved his way to a laborious and grinding 100 against the Bangladeshis. The 100th hundred should have been a more grandesque affair but it was muted and in a way more of a relief than a celebration. Yes, it was all sans style and grace but whatever, you have to give it to the man for again setting the benchmark by becoming the first player to score 100 INTERNATIONAL HUNDREDS.
I for one have always been a Sachin fan but can never classify myself as a "Fanboy". I have got irritated and disappointed with him on many occasions, a criticism I still hold is that he should have won more games chasing. Also being someone who was always numbers crazy and conscious, its a tad disappointing that he did not make a hundred in his last 23 tests and this includes 8 tests each against the English and the Australians - 2 oppositions he always thrives to do well. Was hoping silently that he would finally get that one biggie in his final test but it didn't happen. Also it was heartbreaking to see him fall repeatedly in the 90's especially in ODI's. If only he had converted a 3 quarter of them he should have had a minimum of 60 hundreds in both version - Tests and ODI'S. But the minor quibbles aside, the joy and happiness he provided far outweigh the disappointments.
Many who follow the sport of cricket would never have known you personally but through your willow you have influenced , entertained and impacted a generation of cricket lovers in the last 24 years. Its hard to digest that the razor sharp straight drive, the glorious Cover Drive, the upper cut six, shouts of Sachiiinnnnn Sachin will all soon be history of the past.
For me personally it has been a roller coaster ride in the last 20 years. So many highs, lows, ecstasies and also some disappointments. You have left such an indelible impression on me and am sure a billion other cricket fans. You've contributed so much in making my childhood all the more memorable. So many memories have been kindled and I'm sure if I rack up my brain further, more and more will flow. Its truly been a journey of a lifetime.
There will be a few trickling of tears when the moment sinks in to realize that this cricketing journey has reached its final ultimate destination and not going to proceed any further. With a heavy lump in my heart, I would just like to say Thank you for everything you have done. #ThankYouSachin.
1 comment:
A slightly smaller note on FB of the same write-up.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/rajiv-shankar/a-trip-down-memory-lane-with-sachin-tendulkar-/10201549522274406
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