It is strange how for some, just one name can so easily be synonymous with a world. Sachin Tendulkar has that effect on people.
In this small town of Dharamsala and Mcleodganj a few kilometers above, Indian and international cricketing stars visiting a restaurant for a meal and fans yelling out their names to get acknowledged with a wave or a smile is nothing new. Autograph seekers can actually come close enough to them to try their luck while they are coming or leaving these places.
But as a Tibetan café owner says, “I only know Sachin Tendulkar”, clearly expressing her amazement over the fans heightened excitement at spotting any player in the street and perfectly capturing the sentiment of millions around the world.
This place has been so eagerly waiting to see Tendulkar in flesh that one’s taxi driver, upon hearing a siren, forgets everything to fix his rear view mirror to see if it is Tendulkar passing by.
But the thought that he might not even take the field when his Mumbai Indians take on Kings XI Punjab here on Saturday is a depressing one. After having sprained his left wrist while hitting a six during the seven-wicket win against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mumbai on May 13 and getting retired hurt on 38, he had missed the side’s last home game against Rajasthan Royals on May 15 too.
Though Tendulkar was seen participating in the practice session here at the HPCA stadium on Friday, but as the team’s mentor Anil Kumble said it was still a case of hope.
“It’s been hardly three days. He is recovering well. We are hoping he would be okay tomorrow but maybe we would not want to rush him,” Kumble said.
The fixture has become so much about him for the fans here that many would have even forgotten that their ‘home’ side Kings XI would in fact be fighting for an extended life in the tournament. If their luck permits, they would be entering their last league match with mathematical chances for a play-off berth still alive. Though it’s never advisable to leave something so crucial for so late, Kings XI might have in fact been bundled out of the race for the last four had it not been some late surges from the likes of David Miller, skipper Adam Gilchrist, Azhar Mahmood, Shaun Marsh and some disciplined bowling from Praveen Kumar, Parvinder Awana and Sandeep Sharma in last few matches.
The ones in attendance would surely like Kings XI to fight it hard for survival against Mumbai Indians, who are targeting nothing else than their continued presence at the top in the points table. But even if they enter Saturday with the fate having already decided against them (a Sunrisers Hyderabad win against Rajasthan Royals would have done
that by Friday late night), they might want it to be a fitting farewell for Gilchrist, who in all probability would not be donning a player’s jersey in the next edition.
To achieve that, however, would be a tall task. For, all their departments have fired in unison and played the consistency script to the hilt. If the willow warriors in skipper Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard and Dinesh Karthik have led the charge with aplomb, Mitchell Johnson has been the rival batsmen’s nightmare. lasith Malinga, Harbhajan Singh and Dhawal Kulkarni have been wonderful aides. And, the pace and bounce-friendly track should add to their fear quotient.
Still, no sight would be as cherished for the fans here as the sight of Tendulkar walking down this picturesque setting in his full gear.
For, that is one sight that has the potential of setting things right for the fans that have been let down and a game that has seen a lot of wrong in these last few days.