November 16, 2013
(Written on the day, Sachin Tendulkar, retired, nearly two years ago)
THE GOD BOWS OUT, ONLY HUMANS WOULD PLAY CRICKET NOW
The GOD has bowed out. Gracefully. From now on, only HUMAN BEINGS would play cricket. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, 40, the God of Cricket, the Little Master, the Master Blaster, our Tendlya, has finally hung up the boots. Cricket would never be the same again. Watching cricket would not be the same again. Will there be ever the rendition – if I may call of “Sachin....Saccchiiinn....Saccchiiinnn”......we would miss this. For me he is “Tendul-Ratna” or “Sachin-Ratna”.
Prolific inventor Thomas Alva Edison had rightly said: "Genius in one per cent inspiration, 99 per cent perspiration." This is one fit Sachin the most - if one follows his career.
On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 70th birthday, the legendary Albert Einstein, said - "Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth.” Same is true.....for Sachin......generations ahead would feel hard to believe that such a cricketer – one of flesh and blood – ever entered the field.
The world has several cricketers – several giants, but Sachin would always surpass. But his biggest contribution is how he has carried himself over the last three decades, gracefully.
Statistics speak for itself – a big THANK YOU.....Master. For all that, you gave to cricket and ALL OF US. It is 34,347 runs in ODI (463) and Tests (200) totally – and the memorable 100 centuries --- in which, CRITICS please note....India won 75 matches. Add to it the 200 wickets, 255 catches, average of around 50, superb fielding, his on field behaviour, his off field behaviour and above all the DIGNITY and GRACE. He is one man for him, adjectives feel short.
I am a die-hard fan of Sachin. I have followed his life through media reports. I cherished a dream of having a photo clicked with the Master....which my colleague and friend Prashant Sawant made it possible. It is the most prized possession in my humble drawing room.....It would cherish it till I die.
It is 24 years of international cricket for him – and close to a decade – ever run that this Run Machine scored was a new world record. He had excelled in all the disciplines of cricket – and excelled in all.
It is difficult to write this.
When I wrote the news of death and obit of Dev Anand, I broke down. I was a big fan of the evergreen Devsaab. Sometimes writing – which is an integral part of me – is difficult.
And as Sachin leaves the international cricketing arena....it becomes difficult for me to gather words.....the usual fingers are not able to find the keys on the QUERTY keyboard and sometimes there are drops of salty water on the black keyboard.
Besides my parents, I have have a big list people whom I admire – not necessarily in the order, but they are – Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, Dev Anand, Sachin Tendulkar, Diego Maradona, Kishore Kumar, Mother Teresa, Charlie Chaplin, Sam Manekshaw, Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha, Amitabh Bachchan and so on. But Sachin Tendulkar is special – because he is around my age – and I have closely seen his career, from the time, I started understanding a bit of cricket, though with the perspective and vision of a layman, a common man.
With deep pain, I write this – and it is hard to believe that Sachin would not play anymore.
What would be cricket like without my HERO stepping into the field.
Should I follow cricket anymore......
As the Master spoke at the jam-packed Wankhede Stadium, acknowledging one and all, I was hooked not a radio.....and even I at times I saw haze – only to realise, I was in tears. But this day was to come – when he signs off – and it happened.
I am one would could never take any criticism of the Master.....after all he was God!
But frankly, he did had some more matches left in him – in both the formats of the gentleman's game – Test and ODI.
I say, I assert, I demand, I request, I urge, I plead, I suggest - a BharatRatna is a must for him. Though, it would invite criticism – but still I stick to it. If not him, them whom?
But before I end, I hope that more SACHINs are born.......at least, in recent times, he has been the biggest UNIFYING FACTOR in INDIA.
(Written on the day, Sachin Tendulkar, retired, nearly two years ago)
THE GOD BOWS OUT, ONLY HUMANS WOULD PLAY CRICKET NOW
The GOD has bowed out. Gracefully. From now on, only HUMAN BEINGS would play cricket. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, 40, the God of Cricket, the Little Master, the Master Blaster, our Tendlya, has finally hung up the boots. Cricket would never be the same again. Watching cricket would not be the same again. Will there be ever the rendition – if I may call of “Sachin....Saccchiiinn....Saccchiiinnn”......we would miss this. For me he is “Tendul-Ratna” or “Sachin-Ratna”.
Prolific inventor Thomas Alva Edison had rightly said: "Genius in one per cent inspiration, 99 per cent perspiration." This is one fit Sachin the most - if one follows his career.
On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 70th birthday, the legendary Albert Einstein, said - "Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth.” Same is true.....for Sachin......generations ahead would feel hard to believe that such a cricketer – one of flesh and blood – ever entered the field.
The world has several cricketers – several giants, but Sachin would always surpass. But his biggest contribution is how he has carried himself over the last three decades, gracefully.
Statistics speak for itself – a big THANK YOU.....Master. For all that, you gave to cricket and ALL OF US. It is 34,347 runs in ODI (463) and Tests (200) totally – and the memorable 100 centuries --- in which, CRITICS please note....India won 75 matches. Add to it the 200 wickets, 255 catches, average of around 50, superb fielding, his on field behaviour, his off field behaviour and above all the DIGNITY and GRACE. He is one man for him, adjectives feel short.
I am a die-hard fan of Sachin. I have followed his life through media reports. I cherished a dream of having a photo clicked with the Master....which my colleague and friend Prashant Sawant made it possible. It is the most prized possession in my humble drawing room.....It would cherish it till I die.
It is 24 years of international cricket for him – and close to a decade – ever run that this Run Machine scored was a new world record. He had excelled in all the disciplines of cricket – and excelled in all.
It is difficult to write this.
When I wrote the news of death and obit of Dev Anand, I broke down. I was a big fan of the evergreen Devsaab. Sometimes writing – which is an integral part of me – is difficult.
And as Sachin leaves the international cricketing arena....it becomes difficult for me to gather words.....the usual fingers are not able to find the keys on the QUERTY keyboard and sometimes there are drops of salty water on the black keyboard.
Besides my parents, I have have a big list people whom I admire – not necessarily in the order, but they are – Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, Dev Anand, Sachin Tendulkar, Diego Maradona, Kishore Kumar, Mother Teresa, Charlie Chaplin, Sam Manekshaw, Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha, Amitabh Bachchan and so on. But Sachin Tendulkar is special – because he is around my age – and I have closely seen his career, from the time, I started understanding a bit of cricket, though with the perspective and vision of a layman, a common man.
With deep pain, I write this – and it is hard to believe that Sachin would not play anymore.
What would be cricket like without my HERO stepping into the field.
Should I follow cricket anymore......
As the Master spoke at the jam-packed Wankhede Stadium, acknowledging one and all, I was hooked not a radio.....and even I at times I saw haze – only to realise, I was in tears. But this day was to come – when he signs off – and it happened.
I am one would could never take any criticism of the Master.....after all he was God!
But frankly, he did had some more matches left in him – in both the formats of the gentleman's game – Test and ODI.
I say, I assert, I demand, I request, I urge, I plead, I suggest - a BharatRatna is a must for him. Though, it would invite criticism – but still I stick to it. If not him, them whom?
But before I end, I hope that more SACHINs are born.......at least, in recent times, he has been the biggest UNIFYING FACTOR in INDIA.
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