It was a bad day at office. I left early. As I
dragged myself back from work I was taken over by frustration and started cursing
myself and my job. It was that feeling of ‘being trapped’ which many of us have
felt sometime or other in our career - you know how it makes us feel helpless
and miserable. Once in my room, I tossed my things on bed and sat on chair
staring blankly at the window. I was in emotional turmoil and not knowing
exactly what to do next I switched on the TV – ‘perhaps it would distract me’,
I thought. The idiot box obliged and actually went a step further to provide a
healing touch - for that day an artist was at work and he was in his sublime
best. As Sachin hooked, pulled and drove the ball to boundaries I felt a calm
settling on me. He had done this before and he was there again to come to my
rescue. That day, February 24th 2010, is etched in the history as
the day when One Day Cricket witnessed its first ever double century – that day
is etched in my mind as the day when a revered man reiterated the importance of
chasing one’s dreams and holding on a bit longer. That superhuman effort by the
master blaster cured me (at least temporarily) of my pain – in the last 23
years, Sachin had made it a habit of curing millions like me. As this great
healer bids goodbye to the form of game in which he is unparalleled, I attempt
to retrace my bonding with him which started some 23 years back.
I started knowing Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar in
the late1980s. It was the time I was getting introduced to my first set of
superhero friends – Krishna, Hanuman, He-Man (all thanks to Doordarshan),
Nagraaj and Super Commando Dhruv. Superheroes have enthralled me since then –
they represent courage, character, determination, righteousness and an ability
to demolish the opponents despite odds. So when I saw a young Indian ripping
apart Abdul Qadir, the leading leg spinner of that time, I felt certain
similarity in his exploits and the ones carried out by my superhero friends. I
was barely 5 or 6 then – I do not have much memories of that time but I could
still recall that day when a supposed ‘David’ conquered the ‘Goliath’. The
bachcha party was forced to move to terrace after a listless Indian performance
when a sudden loud cheer brought us back to the TV sets. What ensued was a
heroic battle which created a new hero for me and for a billion plus nation.
In the next two decades, India witnessed its
heartthrob grow in stature beyond the realms of imagination. He continued
adding new chapters to his legend without abandon. For me, each of his outings
was like getting a new issue of a loved comic book. His is a classic superhero
story – a guy who could easily pass off as your next door neighbor becoming a
great force as soon as he enters a cricket field. And he gave us some
wonderful, electrifying moments as he went on conquering the world, slaying the
egos of the best teams of the time. Those who have followed cricket
passionately in the 90s would agree that he almost carried a messianic halo
around him at least for all supporters of Indian cricket. This was probably the
reason he would bring the country to standstill every time he came out to bat –
students would bunk classes; workers would have a radio playing nearby;
officers would take frequent breaks to know about the score; people would hurry
back home or stand by a pan-shop or an electronic store playing matches. The
nation would be in an apparent curfew – a rare phenomenon post ‘Mahabharata’
days. He would disappoint us sometimes but more often than not would make up for
those disappointments with a defining knock or with a trickery or two with the
ball – his humbling of feared Pakistani attack in 1992 World Cup; his wonders
with ball at the Hero Cup semi-finals against South Africa; his upping the
tempo in World Cup 1996; the blistering ‘sandstorm’ knocks in Sharjah against
Australia; that emotional return from his father’s death pyre with a century
against Kenya; the demolition of Shoaib Akhtar in 2003 World Cup; his amazing
175 against Australia recently and of course the unforgettable 200. These and
many more moments have defined the world of ODI cricket, have taken the format to
the next pedestal and have ensured that the legend of Sachin Tendulkar lives on
for eternity.
So, what makes Sachin the superhero I admire? Is
it the way he had demolished the best in the business with his genius? Or Is it
the courage with which he had carried the load of expectations of 1 billion+
people for last 23 years (and Talia Al Ghul/ Miranda Tate taunted Batman of
failing the expectations of just 12 million in The Dark Knight Rises!!)? Or Is
it the records which he had piled in his long career? Or Is it the humility
with which he conducts himself in the public life? Or Is it the consistency
with which he had performed over the years on the Cricket field? Or is it the single
minded passion and dedication he had shown to the game we all love? All the
above would find a ‘Yes’ as an answer from me and yet they do not capture the
essence of his greatness.
Sachin is not a superhero because of his statistics
(which definitely prove that he is the greatest ever to have played the game –
those whining about his lack of ability to win matches would do well to revisit
the stats and correct themselves) or because of his humility or dedication to
the game of Cricket. Of course these have played vital role in what he is today
but there is an important element which is often overlooked by many. To me,
Sachin is superhero as he was one of the important catalysts in bringing about
a generational shift in India. When Sachin arrived at the scene India was still
a struggling nation unsure of its potential. As a country it was reluctant to
go out and prove its worth to the world. Of course it was the world’s largest
democracy; it had a thriving space programme; it had conducted nuclear tests;
it had fought 4 wars and won 3; it was an eight time Olympic champion in
Hockey; it had won the Cricket World Cup in 1983; its growth rate had started
to improve slowly; it had world’s largest film industry and yet it did not have
the confidence to say to the world that ‘I have arrived’. Sachin was one of the
few people who led a nation to believe that ‘Yes, we can’ (long before Obama
chanted the same mantra in US). So when he looked into the eyes of the most
fearsome bowlers of his time and heaved their deliveries outside the park, he
sparked a generation to believe that ‘they can be world beaters’ (The ones who
die by the names of Sehwag, Yuvraj and Kohli should acknowledge that these
players owe a bit of their world beating attitude to the master himself); When
he stood at the crease for the Indian flag despite severe pain, he (in a way) preached
the spirit of ‘fighting despite odds’; When he created new shots to demolish
his opponents, he asked the nation to ‘adapt to the changing times’; When he
stands humbly amidst all accolades, he propagates the virtue of staying in
touch with own roots.
Sachin’s is the story of the resurgent India –
probably the reason he connected with our generation like no one else did. A
superhero is known by the lives he touches – this one brought us hope; united a
diverse country with his art; instilled the courage to challenge the status quo
and face the adversity; infused confidence to compete and emerge as the best; introduced
‘grit’, ‘determination’, ‘passion’ & ‘hard work’ as pillars of success; taught
us that success breeds humility and not arrogance; and most importantly he inspired
excellence in a country which had till then thrived on mediocrity. Sachin is my
superhero because he makes me feel proud as an Indian.
P.S: Watching Cricket will never be same again.
Many would not watch Cricket altogether. Sachin’s departure was inevitable –
however, the manner in which pressure was mounted on him to retire disappointed
me. Now that he has said goodbye to ODI Cricket, we can settle down and analyze
his true contribution not only to the game but to India.
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