Sachin Tendulkar is a complete national icon
In the end it did not matter that Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar fell short of his century by 26 runs in his farewell Test. Such is his stature that scores had long ceased to matter to his reputation. They had become mere statistics for the lesser privileged to run after and prove their worth. Yes, it would have been an icing on the cake had Tendulkar reached the ton — but so whatIJ His 74 provided enough glimpses of vintage Sachin and will be remembered for a long time to come. Such is his worth that even the bowler who got him out has gone down in the records; even if N Deonarine does nothing spectacular for the rest of his career, he will be remembered as the one who took Tendulkar's wicket in the latter's final Test outing. This is not the only way that the master blaster has impacted cricketers in the over two decades that he played for India. leading from the front to counselling promising youngsters to motivating those who had fallen to poor form, Tendulkar has contributed as much off the field as he has on the pitch. There are many, including legends such as VVS laxman, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, who have acknowledged the icon's positive intervention in their games. Therefore, Tendulkar's absence will be felt everywhere. As former cricketer Milind Rege succinctly put it, the Indian team's dressing room will have a vacuum that cannot be filled. Tendulkar's guiding light will be missing from the lives of youngsters who will need advice from those like him who have see it all and played it all, especially when they are cutting their teeth on foreign pitches. There is simply no senior in the present squad — no Dravid, no Ganguly, no laxman, no Virender Sehwag, and no Tendulkar —who can mentor the current crop of youngsters that is, by the way, conducting itself in a magnificent manner. As experts have been pointing out, though, the real test for the new brigade will be when it faces opponents away from the home crowd and in conditions the newcomers are not familiar with. That's when Tendulkar's presence and his experience will be most missed. Things do not necessarily have to be like this. The Board of Control for Cricket in India must not allow Tendulkar to just snap all links and walk away. True, he deserves a decent break. But after he gets that, the BCCI must find ways to incorporate him in the scheme of things so that he is around to guide the team. There will not be a single member in the BCCI or in the Indian squad who will differ with the suggestion. Most probably, we shall also see him share his expertise on the game as a special commentator in matches across the world.
Besides being a sports icon, he has come to represent the best that the people expect of their idols. The exemplary manner with which he has conducted himself in both his professional and personal lives should be an inspiration to the younger generation. In the public eye, he is a model celebrity rooted to the country’s culture and values. Although the cricket world has been rocked by scandals over the years and big names from India's cricketing fraternity have had their reputations sullied, Tendulkar has remained unblemished. It is for this reason, along with his unmatched contribution to the game, that few will grudge him the Bharat Ratna the Union Government has decided to confer on him.