Sachin hai na may never be used come November 18 and what will remain are memories of a glorious cricketing career which has been with us through all big events in India and abroad, be it the Kashmir insurgency or Dilwale Dulhania le Jayengey or the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and 26/11. Deebashree Mohanty looks back
The world convulsed, disasters struck, Governments fell, revolutions came and went, the environment imploded, terrorism exploded, new nations came into being, the world got smaller, smarter and connected through Internet, the economy first boomed and then busted, viruses mutated and even the millennium changed — every conceivable thing that could happen to the world, happened and moved on. Everything, except one Mr Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar who not only stayed as the only constant but the most sterling constant the world has seen in the last 25 years.
The only thing diminutive about this collossal was his 5.5 frame. All else was accustomed to hyperbole. Big records, big moments, big play and big heart — that was what brought a smile to the nation of one billion and grudging admiration in the world outside of it.
Two decades-and-a-half is a pretty long time for anyone to survive at the helm but Tendulkar showed how dedication, determination and focus fuel longevity. No natural disaster, no political turmoil, no crisis and no emotionalities deterred this finest gentleman of the game as he went about his job without straying even once.
When Sachin took to the crease for the very first time in 1989, in and against Pakistan, the young and happening Rajiv Gandhi had just lost his Prime Ministership to Bofors scandal and cricketing India was way down on the international tally of major teams.
But Tendulkar, then 16 and baby of the team, was all ready to face the Imran Khans and Waqar Younises of Pakistan’s pace battery under his captain Krishnammachary Srikkanth. Despite a broken and bleeding nose, thanks to a Waqar bouncer, this teenager made India get up, look and talk about his two valiant half-centuries in six Test innings.
For an India mourning the loss of Raj Kapoor and MGR in 1988, Sachin’s innings were the main talking points for that year. His stupendous performance even managed to divert attention from the Bofors scandal that had started gathering storm just nine months back.
Such was the little Master’s growing prowess that a New York journal commented about the young and dashing cricketer from Mumbai, saying that an unlikely cricketer was making a front page splash in all Indian dailies.
Just two years later, the iconic Nelson Mandela walked free after 27-and-a-half years in a South African prison and Margaret Thatcher resigned as British PM after having served the country for the longest period. Back in India, where Tendulkar was cementing India’s position on the 22 yards, the Kashmir Valley imploded and tensions with Pakistan reached a peak. Within the borders, then Prime Minister VP Singh inflamed the nation with his Mandal politics. Urban India went into shock, immplations and student revolts.
But right in the middle, Sachin Tendulkar was busy making his country proud the only way he knew. He had just scored his maiden Test century (119 not out, 17 fours) against England at Old Trafford and announced his arrival on the world world stage with grand designs.
In one of the rare interviews to the Press, he had announced that the 90s would be his time and he chipped away all the doubts slowly but steadily.
His impressive knock of 52 not out against Pakistan at Sharjah ended a series of defeats for India against their arch rivals. That year, he also came into prominence as a bowler, taking 4/34 against a team no less than West Indies. So while India was in shock over the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in a pre-poll suicide bombing orchestrated by the dreaded lTTE, Tendulkar was working hard at bringing back the smile to his countrymen. He dreamt of being an all-rounder, he said at one post-match Press conference and he soon became one. It was in the 1990s that the trend called ‘Sachin aila re’ was well and truly established and , as it turns out, it’s a brand that has weathered all sorts of storms ever since.
With every series, Tendulkar started smashing records and giving opponents a tough time, both on and off the field. In 1995, he signed his first contract worth Rs 3.5 crore with WorldTel, for a five-year commercial endorsements and marketing deal. This was the first time ever that any cricketer had ever bagged such a huge contract anywhere in the world. Alongside, an equally endearing Steffi Graff had established her rule in tennis, winning her 6th straight Wimbeldon title.
And that’s when Shah Rukh Khan’s Dilwale Dulhainya le Jayenge swept the Filmfare Awards in 1996 with 10 trophies, an over Rs 106 crore (US$16 million) profit in in India and Rs 16 crore ($2.4 million) overseas. It was Sachin’s favourite film and he just couldn’t get over its songs! But he was Captain by now, taking over from Mohammad Azharuddin and leading India to victory over Australia in the one-off Test at New Delhi, followed by a Test series win over South Africa at home.
By all accounts, including his own, he was a much too strung up skipper, very unlike MS Dhoni who was then nowhere on the cricketing spectrum. But that did not deter him from bringing home the Titan Cup by beating Australia and South Africa both. But he did find time to see DDlJ six times over!
As the maestro entered the next decade, it was terrorism on the frontfoot and hapless world populations on the backfoot. The 9/11 attacks which changed the Atlas forever.Tendulkar, who had relatives in New York, spoke publicly against terrorism for the first time. In the middle, he had already earned the tag of master blaster with 10,000 ODI runs (the first ever cricketer in the world to reach this milestone) in his pocket alongside 266 matches. The boy had become a man and now the man was becoming an icon. During this season, Tendulkar also took his wicket tally to 100 in ODIs, which showed up his scoreboard as never before. There was no stopping the young gun who had picked Australia as his favourite hunting team.
By the early 2000s, Tendulkar had long become a household name, again worldwide. People started naming their children after him. He became a hero of heroes like Amitabh Bachchan and SRK. In 2002, he equalled Sir Donald Bradman's record of 29 Test centuries by scoring 117 against West Indies at Port-of-Spain. In his 99th Test appearance, he surpassed Bradman’s record scoring 193 against England at leeds. He also went on to smash his idol Sunil Gavaskar’s record in the next few years. But the little Master one was far from done.
In 2006, while Saddam Hussein was being convicted of crimes against humanity by an Iraqi court and was eventually hunted down and hanged in Baghdad, Tendulkar was making news by setting a new world record by completing 14,000 ODI runs en route to his 39th century in the first ODI against Pakistan in Peshawar. For India, the year was otherwise in history books for terrorist bombings in Varanasi, West Bengal, Meerut and Mumbai. Even as Geroge W Bush visited India to discuss tricky issues on behalf of Pakistan, Tendulkar was taking away the match from our neighbour without much ado.
By now, he was rich with endorsement deals. Despite signing major contracts with big brands, Tendulkar’s focus remained on playing excellent cricket. He wanted to get the World Cup trophy home but in the 2003 final the Indian could only hit one boundary and return to see his team falling apart at the hands of the marauding Aussies in the Final marred by thunder, rain and storm.
By 2007, India had returned from West Indies with a dismal defeat against minnows Bangladesh in the Group Stage itself and even Tendulkar was facing the heat. For the first time in his illustrious career, he was rested for the Bangladesh Test series that followed. Was the master feeling the pressureIJ Was he on his last leg, 18 years into the gameIJ
Boom! In 2010, he became the first batsman to score a double-century in ODIs, vs South Africa at Gwalior. He followed that up by becoming the most capped player in Test cricket, surpassing Steve Waugh's tally of 168 Tests. On the side, he also brought up his 50th Test century at Centurion against South Africa.
Doubting Thomases were back in their closet and his few critics were biting the dust. Much like Amitabh Bachchan who was awarded his fourth National Award for his performance in Paa in 2010, Tendulkar was making a comeback from elbow niggles and age creeping up.
But both stalwarts were hungry for more. While Tendulkar was working hard for that elusive World Cup trophy, Bachchan was busy reinventing himseld as the oldest hero ever.
2011 belonged to India and to Tendulkar who hit two tons and was the first to score 2000 runs in World Cups as India won the World Cup, beating Australia in the quaterfinals at Motera, Pakistan in the semifinals at Mohali and Sri lanka in the Finals at Wankhede Stadium. As he was carried by his team mates during a victory lap, there was only one prayer on everyone’s lips — Sachin... please don’t quit!
Alas! Eternity is only for The Almighty. But Wankhede it will be where it all will end, too a billion and more heartbreaks, tears, packed crowds and, of course, that never-before pressure for the maestro to go out on a high-ton!