Adam Gilchrist is in India but he won't be able to watch history in the making. As Sachin Tendulkar takes his stance for the very last time in Wankhede Stadium, there are criketers all over the world pouring in their comments and good wishes on him but Gilly says Tendulkar is beyond all wishes.
For the Australian, no Indian cricket enthusiast should miss a single ball of this particular test. "How can you turn away from this great man's last match. He is such a warm person. Sachin never had any airs about himself. When he took to the streets, he was like a anybody. The lad had no idea he was a walking talking legend. It is an honour to have shared a lot of time with this allrounder," Gilchrist, the brand ambassador for University of Wollongong, Australia, says.
It is not his first trip to India, but the Australian feels a different kind of a nip in the air. "It is warm as compared to my other outings. But I think the nip is more festival linked. Everyone is quietly celebrating the last match of Sachin, I guess," the maverick player says.
For him, there can never be another Sachin Tendulkar to walk the face of Earth but team India has some other talent to look forward to.
"That is what is plaguing the Australian cricket team. We don't have enough young talent who can repalce our veterans. But in India there is a Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma who are quite capable of finishing matches on their own," he tells you, adding that Tendulkar will sorely be missed not just by Indian cricket fans but by cricket lovers the world over.
"He will always be remembered as a gentleman, a person with tremendous passion for the sport and a clean batsman. His techniques may have an old world charm around it but it is by far the most tried and tested method. He is a lesson in himself for cricket enthusiasts," Gilchrist who himself has a commendable batting average of 35.69 in ODIs, tells you.
He is quite upset about all the corruption in sports these days, but Gilly says it is all a part and parcel of life. "like every sport and event that is in the limelight, cricket too has its shortcomings. These dirty politics etc may have peaked during the last decade or so but ICC is a great guardian of what is right. I have full faith that the game will survive all these petty problems," he says.
Coming back to the man of the moment, Gilly says that he enjoyed almost all matches played with Sachin, but when he took on Aussies on home ground, Sachin was possessed. "Those were his best years. We may have ended up in the losing team, but it was a delight to watch his brilliance. My best wishes to cricket's best man!," Gilchrist concludes.