It finally happened at 4.45 last Saturday evening. The boy wonder who we all grew up idolizing reached the summit of the cricketing world by becoming the leading centurion in test cricket. The last couple of days have been full of how it shall be asked for eternity, where you were when Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the cricketing monarch of India, took another giant leap towards immortality.
Well, I was at work and around five I got a call from my father who told me that Sachin had just scored the 35th ton. I found it hard to control the tears of joy, which were threatening to pour. Millions of fathers, sons, friends, and fans of Sachin must have rejoiced similarly as they shared the glad tiding of Sachin’s feat. The curly haired, chubby teenager, had just done what he was prophesied to do all those years ago.
Is Sachin Tendulkar the greatest cricketer of his era? I guess Lara and Warne have a few inches lead over him in that race. Is he the greatest player India has ever produced? No, a certain Kapil Dev Nikhanj holds that honour. Then what exactly makes Sachin such a hero to so many of us? Putting it simply, for an entire generation of us who grew up in the 90's he was the splendor of our boyhoods. Is it possible to put a prize tag over the countless moments of joy that he gave us with the majesty of his batting?
Even the most die-hard Tendulkar fan knows in his heart of hearts that Sachin is past his best days. I don’t see his career stretching much beyond the 2007 world cup. Cricket pundits are sitting and hairsplitting about how he was never a great match winner like the Viv Richards and Dennis Lilee’s of the game. I would like to point out to them that Sachin did not have the privilege of being in near invincible teams like those gentlemen. For most of his career he had to play under the atrocious captaincy of Azhar and with a bunch of uninspired teammates.
Cricket is not the all-consuming passion it was to me till my late teens. My best of memories of the game are those of the little man from Bombay trashing the best bowling attacks in the world. In a country still resting on laurels from bygone eras, starved of real life hero’s in the present tense in the 90’s, Sachin gave us so much cheer. His appeal and impact is far beyond cricket. He is a national icon who whose worth can be summed up in one word. Priceless.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Splendor Of Our Boyhood
It finally happened at 4.45 last Saturday evening. The boy wonder who we all grew up idolizing reached the summit of the cricketing world by becoming the leading centurion in test cricket. The last couple of days have been full of how it shall be asked for eternity, where you were when Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the cricketing monarch of India, took another giant leap towards immortality.
Well, I was at work and around five I got a call from my father who told me that Sachin had just scored the 35th ton. I found it hard to control the tears of joy, which were threatening to pour. Millions of fathers, sons, friends, and fans of Sachin must have rejoiced similarly as they shared the glad tiding of Sachin’s feat. The curly haired, chubby teenager, had just done what he was prophesied to do all those years ago.
Is Sachin Tendulkar the greatest cricketer of his era? I guess Lara and Warne have a few inches lead over him in that race. Is he the greatest player India has ever produced? No, a certain Kapil Dev Nikhanj holds that honour. Then what exactly makes Sachin such a hero to so many of us? Putting it simply, for an entire generation of us who grew up in the 90's he was the splendor of our boyhoods. Is it possible to put a prize tag over the countless moments of joy that he gave us with the majesty of his batting?
Even the most die-hard Tendulkar fan knows in his heart of hearts that Sachin is past his best days. I don’t see his career stretching much beyond the 2007 world cup. Cricket pundits are sitting and hairsplitting about how he was never a great match winner like the Viv Richards and Dennis Lilee’s of the game. I would like to point out to them that Sachin did not have the privilege of being in near invincible teams like those gentlemen. For most of his career he had to play under the atrocious captaincy of Azhar and with a bunch of uninspired teammates.
Cricket is not the all-consuming passion it was to me till my late teens. My best of memories of the game are those of the little man from Bombay trashing the best bowling attacks in the world. In a country still resting on laurels from bygone eras, starved of real life hero’s in the present tense in the 90’s, Sachin gave us so much cheer. His appeal and impact is far beyond cricket. He is a national icon who whose worth can be summed up in one word. Priceless.
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7 comments:
You said it..Sachin's best moments were in the 90's.The current hero has to be Dravid.Lara is still my man and I silently hope that he retains his record for the highest test runs.Lara's gameplay hasn't changed and I like that.I have to disagree a little abt Azhar's captaincy.The team did perform creditably at home in the 90s and Sachin flourished under Azhar.
And you're right about not being as hooked to cricket as you were as a teenager. I feel the same way too. For me, the golden period was between the 1996 and 1999 world cups, especially with Sri Lanka being as awesome as they were.
Sachin is great, yeah. There was atime when I would argue fiercely that Sachin was good, but Sanath was better. I can't believe I said that, heh heh.
nice thought expressed in equally nice language, more emotional than objective,but you cant help it,cause,our approach to art can only be primarily emotional, and can never be scientific.
secondly, there seems to be a semblance of a change in your style of writing, which shows more maturity, less aggressive, and finally more honest than hypocritical and one sided.
good one
mani
This is a great achivement for Sachin, he have talent, he will achive more. I think the dravid had crossed 8,000 runs, i expect dravid will cross 10,000runs
Sidd young people need to have heroes and people to admire as role models. It is a normal process of one's youth worldwide. Sport offers a child ready made heroes.
It was a glorious moment for all of us.. Very well written post, Sid..
He's dah best.
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