As the news of Sachin Tendulkar’s imminent retirement
started pouring in there was this strange feeling of “I know it was coming but
I still want to see you play..”. One of
my childhood sporting idol was Sunil Gavaskar so naturally I grew up on a
staple diet of classic batsmanship. When Sachin came on the horizon it was very
clear that this kid had lot of talent. I was not sure if he would really make
it big. Indeed, he really did make it big! Not only is he one of the all time
cricket greats but also the best in the contemporary era of cricket.
Over the years having observed Sachin so closely there are
certain virtues that I feel are an immense learning for me:
Maximizing Talent
When Sachin started playing there were few more upcoming
cricketers with lots of talent like Vinod Kambli. For the initial few years it
seemed like both are going to have identical career paths. However, after 24
years Sachin stands tall – God of cricket. During his initial years Sachin like
most cricketers of his age would come in play his shots and score a quick fire
30 or a 40 and get out to a rash stroke. However, he quickly realized the need
to put a price on his wicket. He really made the bowlers earn his wicket and
what followed were long innings, centuries and match winning knocks. He quickly
made it a habit to expect a century every time he walked out to bat. He has truly shown that talent alone can
take you only so long; however, couple it with passion, focus and
dedication and nothing is impossible to achieve.
Courage
Several examples can be illustrated to demonstrate Sachin’s
courage but there are two instances that
I would like to highlight:
Sachin in his debut series against Pakistan in 1989/90
facing the likes of Imran, Wasim & Waqar. A throwback from the past…Sachin
is batting against Waqar (bowling at around 150kmph) and while attempting a
pull shot gets hit on his nose by a Waqar bouncer. He falls on the ground.
There’s blood flowing from his nose and he needs immediate medical attention. Tendulkar
is in a bad shape. He is advised to take some rest so that he can be properly
attended. The Indian team was in a bad situation (38/4). A few minutes and we see Tendulkar up again
saying that he’s ready to play. The next ball from Waqar is a yorker (around
150kmph) and in a flash the ball hits the advertisement boards down the ground
– Tendulkar announces what later became
his famous signature shot – the straight drive!
The second instance, of course, is coming back to play the
world cup match against Kenya after the death of his father and scoring a
century.
Two instances showing two different flavors of courage!
Endurance
One wonders what is the story behind Tendulkar endurance? Twenty-four
years of cricket all across the world. Carrying the expectations of a billion
people and numerous injuries on different parts of the body. Despite facing so
many travails Sachin continued his journey. Every time he stepped out he felt
fresh and raring to go. His child like enthusiasm for the game made him forget
all the pain. Sachin’s endurance stands out and cuts across many sports as it
is hard to find someone prolong his career successfully for so long.
Spirit of Cricket
Perhaps, one of his greatest contributions to the game of
cricket is upholding the “spirit of cricket”. In a fast eroding gentlemen’s
game Sachin’s long career was free of any controversy. He was equally respected
by his teammates, opponents, past cricketers and administrators. There were
numerous scandals that affected cricket during his time like match fixing, ball
tampering, excessive sledging and more. Sachin shone like a beacon of light
amidst some of the darkest periods of cricket.
As all good things
come to an end so does Tendulkar saga. We will miss you on the field but I’m
sure your life’s second innings beckons..! I know there will be lot of speculation on "what next" for Sachin - i personally would like you to scout for some cricket talent in the hinterland of India, promote other sports in India and campaign for making sports truly a part of our culture.
Thank you for making us so proud and bringing so much joy to
our lives.
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