Eight thousand seven hundred and sixty six days!!! This era, if I may call so, witnessed so many unlikely twists and turns, innumerable socioeconomic upheavals & uncertain crossroads, that things changed so radically and albeit too quickly to even get a grasp of the surroundings. This era saw an unprecedented growth in population. It saw seven different Prime Ministers taking the helm of the highest post. It witnessed Indian economy blossoming under the wings of globalization and then dooming again. From Doordarshan & Windows 95 to Tata Sky & Facebook Likes via cable channels, Orkut & cyber cafes, it’s been a long & quite a tiring journey.
Amid all these ups & downs, insecurities and chaos, one thing remained remarkably constant: Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Steadfast in purpose, resolute in devotion and beyond everything else, Sachin always represented something absolutely clean, pure & unadulterated; something sublime – beyond hate & reproach. In the times muddled with pessimism, negativity, savagery and corruption, it almost seemed like a fantasy.
If there was any device or a measure to quantify the value of that era, I wonder how much these Eight thousand Seven hundred and Sixty Six days would be worth of. But one thing is beyond any doubt that no one – absolutely no one, would want to trade even a single day of that era for all the money on earth, all divine or worldly pleasures. It simply pales in comparison as you watch his front-foot moving sublimely to the precise position, with perfect balance and almost zen-like composure and watching the ball slowly embracing its fortune as it touches the willow and gleefully traverses along the ground rolling on the grass as if it’s destined to do that. And all you can do is to admire the sheer beauty of that cover-drive. No slogging, butchering or hammering – pure elegance. Cricket as it is meant to be!!!
Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don’t know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their television sets and switch off their lives: BBC Tribute
It’s no secret that he has garnered a huge amount of runs, achieved everything that one could ever imagine, has broken all conceivable records. Add to that, he is a purist’s delight and has done it all with class, humility and dignity. But that’s not what distinguishes him from others. It is something beyond statistics – something intangible. How can you quantify the perennial pleasure & happiness that people absorb by his mere presence on the pitch? It’s comforting and reassuring to know that we have Sachin. How can you measure that? You simply can’t.
As striking as it may sound, Sachin is simply bigger than the game itself. No other sportsman has ever been blessed with such intense and absolutely unconditional love and affection by the fans and worshippers. As that curly-haired, diminutive figure takes the guard, slightly bending in a style so unique to him, we are just compelled to watch him as if it’s our sole purpose in life. Mr C. P. Surendran once wrote, “Batsmen walk out into the middle alone. Not Tendulkar. Every time Tendulkar walks to the crease, a whole nation, tatters and all, marches with him to the battle arena. A pauper people pleading for relief, remission from the lifelong anxiety of being Indian, by joining in spirit their visored savior.”
Many wonder why people love his so much to an extent it almost seems insane. When Sachin came to the forefront, India was facing some sort of an identity crisis. We, Indians, were talented and hard-working but never world beaters, always the second best. And when that short man, unafraid, single-handedly took on and dominated the likes of intimidating & bullying figures – Glen Mcgrath, Shane Warne, Alan Donald, Wasim Akram, there came a striking realization that we, indeed, can succeed. In a way, he taught us that we are no more mediocre or inferior; he taught us to hope, to dream and to dream big.
His success is glorious and of course, he has had his fair share of criticism, not all of which is unjustified. But it’s not an easy feat to be unequivocally loved. The burden is enormous. When we come to think of it, it’s bewildering to even try to comprehend what must be going on in his mind and how he manages to live up to the mammoth expectations every single day.
I don’t know for how many years those records will remain intact, if they will ever be broken, but there will never be another Sachin. He shares a special bond with the heartbeat of billions – a connection so intimate that all boundaries of clan, sect & language disappear. It’s hard to imagine that we will never see again those exquisite straight drives, that unparalleled dedication on the pitch and that child-like, innocent smile on his face. It’s gutting to imagine that there will no more be those extravagant centuries and him looking in the sky with eyes closed. It’s just impossible to describe in words, what Sachin has done for us in the ephemeral lives of ours. Sachin, we are eternally grateful to you. Thank you for being the source of celestial happiness. Thank you, Sachin. Thank you for everything!!!
