Sachin tendulkar ebook by Anjali Mokashi

One day at a time...

Table of contents

Just the Tests remain... From ODIs, a god named Sachin Tendulkar, retires

Sachin Tendulkar and the polarised world

The Sachin Tendulkar moments that got us hooked.

Sachin Tendulkar: The Milestone Man

Sorry Sachin haters, but this time it’s personal

The 2015 World Cup and the message Tendulkar’s sending

Arise Sachin Tendulkar. The cricketer and the man

The retirement debate Let’s hope Sachin wins our hearts again

Sachin Tendulkar and the big question

Go, Sachin, go? But what did we do to deserve a Sachin?

Don’s black and white farewell. How will Sachin walk away?

Sachin magic and then some... Sachin’s 100 was a nudge, not a blow

Bharat Ratna for Sachin? Greatness needs no sarkari certificate

At Eden, Sachin Tendulkar abandoned his pride

If Sachin Tendulkar batted like Virender Sehwag.

Cricket isn’t a religion, Sachinism is

Everything you wanted to ask Tendulkar but could not

Just the Tests remain...

From ODIs, a god named Sachin Tendulkar, retires Tendulkar is the highest run-getter and most-capped in this format of the game. Tariq Engineer, Dec 23, 2012

achin Tendulkar, arguably the best oneday batsman ever, has retired from 50over cricket. Tendulkar played in 463 ODIs, during the course of which he scored 18,426 runs with 49 centuries and 96 halfcenturies, all of them world records. He averaged 44.83 in the format and had a strike-rate of 86.23. He was also the first male cricketer to make one-day double-hundred. In a statement given to BCCI President, N Srinivasan, Tendulkar said: “I have decided to retire from the One Day format of the game. I

feel blessed to have fulfilled the dream of being part of a World Cup wining Indian team. The preparatory process to defend the World Cup in 2015 should begin early and in right earnest. I would like to wish the team all the very best for the future. “I am eternally grateful to all my well wishers for their unconditional support and love over the years.” His retirement is not entirely a surprise given that he has often opted out of playing one-day Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

series over the last few years. His last one-day innings was a half-century against arch-rivals Pakistan during the Asia Cup earlier this year. It was during the same tournament that he made his hundredth international hundred.

victory in the 2011 World Cup filled the one gap Tendulkar felt he had in his CV. Emphasising his ability to perform when the pressure was highest, he also averaged 54.44 in tournament finals, with six hundreds from 39 games.

Tendulkar’s blossoming as an ODI batsman was all the more remarkable given that he took 79 matches to make his first ODI hundred. It was his promotion to opener that changed the trajectory of his one-day career. Over 344 matches opening the batting, he scored 15,310 runs at an average of 48.29, with 45 of his 49 hundreds. His ability to take on and dominate the opposition’s opening bowlers often gave India the psychological advantage even before the first ball was bowled.

Beyond the numbers, Tendulkar also left his fans with many indelible memories, from hitting a pumped up Shoaib Akhtar for six in Centurion in the 2003 World Cup to crush Pakistan’s spirit to his 200 not out against South Africa in Gwalior in 2010 a few months shy of his 37th birthday.

He saved his best for the big occasions, averaging a staggering 56.95 with six hundreds from 45 matches across six World Cups and was the tournament’s leading scorer in 2003. India’s

Tendulkar’s ODI career began and ended against Pakistan. He made his debut against them in 1989 in Gujranwala, where he made a duck. He was adequate in the middle order but switched to opening the batting in 1994 and made an instant impact with 82 in 49 balls against New Zealand.

Sachin Tendulkar and

the polarised world Perhaps, he might want to avoid doing both. Perhaps, he might just want to play the game and play his shots. Perhaps, he’d just want to break the self-imposed chains. Ashish Magotra, Dec 25, 2012

ourav Ganguly, Sunil Gavaskar, Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee, Martin Crowe, Kapil Dev, Steve Waugh, Nasser Hussain, Vinod Kambli, Harbhajan Singh, Ian Botham, Imran Khan — there are some people who live life on the edge. You are never quite sure which way they will fall or how to categorize them but for some reason you talk about them. They polarise opinion. They give rise to debate. You can either love them or hate them – but doing both is not possible.

But Tendulkar never quite fit that category. He was untouchable in that sense. He was universally loved. However, now, that seems to be changing. His retirement wasn’t greeted by sorrow – instead, the world… no, only India, seemed strangely glad. It might be his bad run of form but even then it seems rather harsh. The sight of Tendulkar batting in the middle brought a nation together and almost everyone Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

realised how great a privilege it was. His mannerisms have been etched into our mind so much that most us can at least try and mimic him. Even Rahul Dravid gives it a go at times. But now we choose to forget all of that. We choose to instead focus on his failings as a batsman; on his retirement; on his selfishness; on his age; on his legacy; on his brand value. The cynics will tell you he plays for money… for his sponsors. We wonder… did he time in right? Why is he still hanging around? Hasn’t he already run his race? Even his ODI retirement was greeted by: Oh! It means that he will continue to play Tests. Even during the match-fixing scandal not a finger was raised in the direction Sachin. He was beyond that. He could not be turned by fame or fortune. He was cricket’s child wonder and the sport meant more to him than anything else. But now his wisdom, his desire and his motives are questioned — rather unabashedly. And that must hurt. It’s surprising how in the space of a year, Tendulkar has gone from muchloved legend to a player who is being looked down on by India at large. Surely, that could not have sat well with a player who almost subconsciously sought out the right way to do things. He avoided controversy, focussed on the game and the game alone. When he first started playing ODIs – as the Indian Express pointed out — the ODI record holders of that era were Alan Border (Most matches: 192), Vivian Richards (Most runs: 6,442), Desmond Haynes (Most hundreds: 16). Between 1989 to 2012, the record books saw 192 grow to 463, 6,442 to 18,426 and 16 to 49. Tendulkar’s impact is undeniable. Ganguly, in a column, said that even 70 per cent of Sachin’s ability will be hard to find. So is the criticism directed towards the master batsman a result of

a people thinking that they know better? India just hasn’t become a social media hub. It’s become a socially critical hub. We criticise because we can and sometimes, only because everyone else is doing it as well. In our hearts, we still love Tendulkar but perhaps all the criticism gets to us just as it gets to him. Tendulkar is one of cricket’s immortals but surely some part of him will be wondering at what cost? Has the India that we once knew changed? Has the India that Tendulkar once knew changed? We liked Tendulkar because somehow – despite his greatness, he seemed normal. For just a moment, imagine being in his shoes – imagine having the world at your feet; imagine being rich and powerful; imagine having people hang on to your every word; imagine the cheers as you walk into the ground. Imagine all of that and multiply it – because for Tendulkar, it was all around 10 times more than any normal cricketer. And through all of this, he remained sane… and we loved him for that. He will still be around for Test matches and according to sources; he will make himself available for the Test series against Australia before announcing his retirement from Tests. But before he goes, there is one final battle – for the public’s affection — that he will want to win again. And perhaps the only way to do that is to find his old self again. Break the chains, play the shots and go out in a blaze of glory. For Sachin, nothing else will do. For the critics, too, nothing else will do. But should he play for them or for himself? Or should he just play the game as he wants to? Either which way, when it comes to Tendulkar, we are never satisfied.

The Sachin Tendulkar

moments that got us hooked… As good as Tendulkar is as a Test batsman, his place in ODI history is even more special. Ashish Magotra, Dec 23, 2012

e all have our favourite Sachin Tendulkar moments; moments that make it seem like we are having a private conversation with him; moments that stand out as landmarks. How many times in conversation with your friends… has someone mentioned Desert Storm or the World Cup or the 175 or the 200 or the last over or the superb arm and how many times have you felt a wave of nostalgia wash over you. As good as Tendulkar is as a Test batsman – his place in ODI history is even more special. He changed the way people approach the game; he changed the way India and Indians approach

the game and in the end, he changed himself for the game. We present a list of Tendulkar moments that left us wanting for more… Playing Hero at the Hero Cup, 1993 Before we believed in Sachin Tendulkar the batsman, we believed in him as a player who could do it all – he was lighting quick in the outfield, his throws were rifled in, he could hit the most stunning boundaries and was super fast between the wickets. But to watch him take the ball was the last over of a close game and win Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

it for India was spell-binding too. India put on just 195 in 50 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first. In reply, South Africa were cruising at 106-3. It came down to 6 runs off 6 balls. And Tendulkar stepped into the breach. Fanie de Villiers was run out off the first ball and Brian McMillan managed just a single off the second. The strike came to Allan Donald. The next two balls were dot balls. Donald threw his bat at the ball but to no avail. The last two balls yielded just singles too. India won by 2 runs. NZ, Auckland, 82 in 1994 New Zealand and Greatbatch initially came up with the idea of exploiting the fielding restrictions in ODIs, but it was Sachin Tendulkar opening in Auckland in ’94 that changed it forever. I would have been fast asleep in the morning but my uncle woke me up and I sure am glad he did. 82 runs, 69 minutes, 49 balls, 15 fours, 2 sixes, SR of 167.34 – Tendulkar had found his calling. Greatbach was a pinch hitter, Tendulkar on the other hand managed to do the hitting and then buckle down to play the long innings. 110 versus Australia at Colombo in 1994 Many forget that Sachin Tendulkar took almost five years to get his first ODI century. He also made 15 fifties before he reached the landmark. And once he did, there was no stopping him. It was a match-winning knock on a slow pitch – not mad but simply unstoppable. 110 runs off 130 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes. When it was done, we couldn’t stop shaking our heads and wondering: What took him so long? Some said that it was because he batted at no.4 or lower. But this was the moment, the dam broke. The 1996 World Cup This was Tendulkar at his finest. Or that’s what we thought – we hadn’t even imagined how good 1998 would be. It began with an unbeaten 127 versus Kenya, followed by scores of 70 against the West Indies and 90 against the Australians in Mumbai. Another ton against Sri Lanka in Delhi had a nation of delirious fans hanging on to his every move. He came a cropper against Zimbabwe (3) and Pakistan (31) but looked like the only Indian batsman who could

have taken India to victory in the farcical semis at Kolkata. His final total was 523 runs at 87.16. Stunning. 1998. Mark it down. This was Tendulkar at his best. Tearing down opposition attacks in a hurry. Crushing them at will and making even the opposition want to stand back and enjoy the show. The numbers he put on in this year were amazing: 1894 runs, 9 centuries (both numbers were never matched by him again) and 8 fifties too. This was when we saw him make mincemeat of Australia at Sharjah (Three matches and scores of 80, 143, 134). This was when he showed that if he decided something there was simply no stopping him. Bristol, 140 vs Kenya This was an emotional moment. India had lost their first match against South Africa and just before the second game, Tendulkar received news that his father had passed away. He rushed back to perform the final rites. Without Tendulkar, India collapsed to another defeat – this time against the lowly Zimbabweans. But then he came back and smashed a classy 140. After getting his ton, he looked at the sky (a habit that persists even today). It was a touching moment. He later said his mother had told him to go back to play for the country because that is what his father would have wanted had he been alive. 186 not out India lost just two wickets as they went on make 376 in just 50 overs. Tendulkar 186 was his highest ODI score and it stood for a long time. This was perhaps a vision of the future too Tendulkar moving about it his crease and smashing everything over mid-wicket. He improvised. Tendulkar and Dravid claimed the highest partnership ever in one day cricket and Tendulkar the highest score by an Indian. The Tendulkar-Ganguly partnership No one did it like them. The numbers tell the whole story… 176 innings, 8227 runs, avg of 47.55 with 26 100-run partnerships and 29 50plus partnerships. The next best partnership are Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

M Atapattu and S Jayasuriya with 5,462 runs. They made a killing of the field restrictions. Tendulkar went after the bowling early and later in the innings, Ganguly would take over. They were never the quickest between wickets but found a way to make it click. Centurion, Pakistan, 2003 We’ve heard Shoaib Akhtar say that Tendulkar used to quake in his boots as the Pakistani speedster would begin his run up. Tendulkar didn’t need to reply to any of that because we all saw what he could do in 2003 at the Centurion in the World Cup. He did not sleep properly for 12 days leading up to the 1st of March. The third ball of the second over of the innings—Sachin cut over third man for six, the fourth he hit through square-leg and the third was a delectable push for four—straight down the ground. It was billed as the match of the tournament and for most Indians, it was Tendulkar who made it live up to the hype. Later, Sachin put it very succinctly: “I told myself, if I see it I will hit it.” 117 against Australia in Sydney, 2008 36 innings without a century; 38 ODIs in Australia without a ton and 11 ODIs without victory against Australia at Sydney. Tendulkar chose

to play an innings of rare magnificence. He was slow to begin with – just one boundary came off his bat in the first ten overs but he was in the mood of old. This was Tendulkar Mark II. He did not go wild, he just got even. It was a knock that showed his ability to adapt to the changing times. 200* The accolade of being the first man to hit a double century in one-day cricket fittingly went to the best ODI batsman in history. He overcame cramps, the heat and tough South African opponents on the way to victory. Tendulkar needed just 147 balls and he collected 25 fours and three sixes during the course of the innings that gave India a massive 153-run victory. He got to his 200 with a dab to backward point. He had made history once again. Do it for Sachin To see the great player in ODI history never win the World Cup would have been a sad, sad day. But Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh and the rest of the Indian team ensured that Tendulkar would never wonder about what could’ve been. Instead, he experienced an unparalleled joy. To this day, it remains one of his favourite moments.

Sachin Tendulkar:

The Milestone Man Sachin Tendulkar is the man with the most records in cricket. Here are detailed ODI statistics of the great batsman. Rajneesh Gupta, Dec 24, 2012

• Matches played: 463 (most by any player) • Most Runs: 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83 • Most centuries: 49 • Most Fifties: 96 • Highest number of 50+ scores in ODI’s – 145 (49 Centuries and 96 Fifties). • First player to have scored over 100 innings of 50+ runs. • Most Man of the Match awards: 62 • Most Man of the Series awards: 15 • Most ODI runs in a calendar year: 1,894 ODI runs in 1998. • Most Centuries in a calendar year: 9 ODI centuries in 1998.

In a statement given to BCCI President, N Srinivasan, Tendulkar said: “I have decided to retire from the One Day format of the game. I feel blessed to have fulfilled the dream of being part of a World Cup wining Indian team. The preparatory process to defend the World Cup in 2015 should begin early and in right earnest. I would like to wish the team all the very best for the future. “I am eternally grateful to all my well wishers for their unconditional support and love over the years.” Below are detailed Sachin stats

• Longest career span : 22 years 91 days. • Between April 1990 and April 1998 Tendulkar played 185 consecutive matches – a World record. • Tendulkar has played on 96 different grounds – most by any player. • Only player ever to cross the 14,000-15,00016,000-17,000 and 18,000 run marks. • First player to reach 10,000-11,000-12,00013,000-14,000-15,000-16,000-17,000 and 18,000 ODI runs. Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

• 15,310 of his runs came while opening the innings with the aid of 45 centuries and 75 fifties in 340 innings- most by an opener.

runs taking 259 innings and has the highest batting average among batsmen with over 10,000 ODI runs.

• Was the first batsman to score a double century in ODIs (200* against South Africa at Gwalior on Feb 24,2010).

• His nine centuries against Australia are the most by any player against a particular country. He occupies the second place too, with eight centuries against Sri Lanka.

• Tendulkar top-scored for India on 129 occasions – most such occasions for any player in ODIs. • Was the first players to complete the all-round treble of 10000 runs, 100 wickets and 100 catches. • Is the only player to have made three scores of 175 or more. • Is the only player with five scores of 150 or more. • Holds the record for scoring 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year on most occasions. He did so seven times – 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2007 • Tendulkar has scored over 1,000 ODI runs against all major Cricketing nations. • Has played ODIs with 866 players (teammates and opponents) – most for any player in ODI history. • Most scores in 90s: 18 (including one not out innings). • Was involved in 99 century partnerships – most by any player. • Tendulkar was the first batsman to score over 3,000 runs against an opponent (3,077 runs against Australia).Since then he has also done this against Sri Lanka (3,113 runs). • Tendulkar was the fastest to reach 10,000

• Sachin Tendulkar with Sourav Ganguly holds the world record for the maximum number of runs scored by the opening partnership. They put together 6,609 runs in 136 matches that include 21 century partnerships and 23 fifty run partnerships. The 21 century partnerships for the opening pair is also a world record. • Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid hold the world record for the highest partnership in ODIs when they scored 331 runs for the second wicket against New Zealand in 1999-00 at the Hyderabad. • Only the second player (after Javed Miandad) to appear in SIX World Cups – from 1992 to 2011. • Most runs (2,278) in World Cup history including 6 centuries & 15 fifties with a best score of 152 against Namibia in 2003 world cup. • 673 runs in 2003 Cricket World Cup, highest by any player in a single World Cup. • Tendulkar is the only Indian to score a century on ODI captaincy debut (110 v Sri Lanka at Colombo RPS on 28-08-1996). • Tendulkar was the first Indian player to score a century and capture four wickets in the same ODI (v Australia at Dhaka on 28-10-1998). • 11.27% of all the runs and 24.50% of all the hundreds scored by all Indian batsmen have come from Tendulkar’s bat.

Performance vs countries

Performance in countries

Tendulkar at different positions

Tendulkar’s mode of dismissals: Out of 411 completed innings, Sachin was caught 258 times, bowled 68 times, LBW 39 times, run-out 34 times, stumped 11 times and hit-wicket once. A break-up of Tendulkar’s scores

Tendulkar’s most productive years

Tendulkar’s nemesis: Tendulkar has been dismissed by Shaun Pollock, Brett Lee and Chaminda Vaas nine times, by Glenn McGrath and Heath Streak seven times and six times by Courtney Walsh, Azhar Mahmood and Abdul Razzaq.

Tendulkarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most productive series

Top run-getters in ODI Cricket

Sorry Sachin haters, but this time it’s personal Every writer needs a muse and Tendulkar has been that for so many of us, although it is currently uncool to admit to it. Abhilasha Khaitan, Dec 24, 2012

f I don’t write about it, it won’t become real. But there is only that much time one can spend in oblivion. It has happened: the beginning of the end of the world according to cricket can be timed to around noon on Sunday. Dramatic much, you think. You’ll get no apologies from me. Because this time it is very, very personal. Here’s my story, and it isn’t a particularly popular one these days. I am an unabashed Sachin Tendulkar supporter. Even during his bitterest struggles, I have found it difficult to dip into

that ever-growing ocean of discontent. It has never been easy to isolate the phases of strife from 23 years of unfettered commitment towards the sport. Call me naïve or, worse, a ‘fan’, but the idol mantle still sits firmly on the man’s shoulders. I was on my way home from Pune when I got this text from my brother: SRT retires. Two reactions occurred in rapid succession. First, my heart jumped into my mouth and a sinking (more like drowning, really) sensation started taking root in my stomach. Then, immediately, Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

all survivor-like, I went into complete denial mode. I refused to check Twitter or any of the usual suspects. This was obviously an unfunny prank played by my brother to spook me, I told myself. Hah. There was no way that I was falling for this one. That delusion lasted for a happy half-hour. I was forced to raise my head out of the sand. The message, although a deliberate exaggeration, was no prank. Tendulkar had indeed retired from ODIs. The news channels were obviously going to do an analysis of the greatness of the man; there would be eulogies and soundbites from experts and fans. It was inevitable. Despite the other big events of the day, at least some part of the airtime would be devoted to Sachin. However, I didn’t want to have to deal with this for a little while longer. I shrugged, switched off the TV and went off to sleep. The thing is this: Tendulkar is the main reason I even became a cricket writer (and let that not be yet another reason to criticise him!). There I was, working the numbers on Excel sheets, bored as hell of the tedium of a corporate job, when I got hooked on to India’s infamous 19992000 tour of Australia. You’d wonder why that particular series should attract anyone to cricket

– but I was enraptured by the contest between Sachin and Glenn McGrath, riveted by the grit and helplessness of a lone man’s battle and, in a sense, inspired to write. The idea of being able to follow the journey of such brilliance was too alluring to resist and I decided to make it my job. Perhaps my motives for wanting to delay his farewell party are very selfish. Just think what a void his impending absence from the game would leave for people like me. Every writer needs a muse and Tendulkar has been that for so many of us, although it is currently uncool to admit to it. After all, what is sport minus the heroes – statistics, technology and sponsors? They are what compel us to queue up outside stadiums or wake up at 3am to watch. Take away their firepower and all you have are bright lights and neon clothing. I don’t know about you but I am staying away from the world of cynicism and even hate that now surrounds him. Embattled, alone and diminished he may be, but I’m holding on to this particular hero for as long as possible. The writer can be reached at @abbykhaitan on Twitter.

The 2015 World Cup and the message Tendulkar’s sending By 2015, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina could be the only remaining India players from the 2011 World Cup final winning XI. So finding replacements is not just a choice, it is a necessity. Tariq Engineer, Dec 25, 2012

he preparatory process to defend the World Cup in 2015 should begin early and in right earnest. – Sachin Tendulkar in his retirement statement India’s victorious 2011 World Cup campaign was the culmination of a three-year plan that was set by then coach Gary Kirsten when he took over the side in 2008. In an editorial for the Hindu after India won the final, he wrote that “We set our goals as a team way back in October 2008. We wanted to become the number one ranked Test team in the world and win the World Cup”. Having concrete goals and a plan

to achieve them gave the team both an objective and a means of measuring their performance. There could be no excuses. It is one thing to groom a side for home conditions, where even players new to international cricket would have had experience playing in domestic cricket. It is quite another altogether to take untested players to Australia and expect them to cope with the pace and bounce under the intense pressure of a World Cup at the first time of asking. The 2015 World Cup in Australia is now litCopyright © 2012 Firstpost

tle more than two years away. Given an Indian team in flux combined with the challenges posed by playing in Australia, it is already too late for “early”, but perhaps still not too late for a process to be put in place with “right earnest”. The list of players that India will need to replace (or potentially replace) is a long one. Of the 11 players to feature in that final in Mumbai, Tendulkar has retired, while Munaf Patel and S Sreesanth have fallen far out of favour. Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag are unlikely to still be around in three years, while Gautam Gambhir’s form has been patchy and Yuvraj Singh will be 34 and his health and fitness are still a question. That could leave just MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina from the World Cup winning XI. So finding replacements is not just a choice, it is a necessity. MS Dhoni has said repeatedly that he wants a squad where everyone has played 60 or 70 ODIs. But with only two years to go and India playing about 25 ODIs a year, that is now not an option. So India will have to settle for taking players inexperienced at the highest level to Australia but they can still ensure that players gain exposure to the conditions through strategic ‘A’ tours. Of course, first the BCCI needs to identify the next 10 or 15 players who they think can step into the breach, and so far there has been no sign of that. Here is a list of players, some already part of the conversation, that Firstpost thinks deserve a chance to prove themselves at the highest level in limited-overs cricket: Ajinkya Rahane (top order) Rahane has been in the squad for over a year but his opportunities to play have been limited, which must be frustrating for the Mumbai batsman. He has a much better record in the longer format in domestic cricket, but has the potential to play the big innings even in the limited-overs format. Made 91 against England in England last year and had an outstanding 2012 IPL, which included a century for Rajasthan against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Deserves an extended run to cement a place in the side. Mandeep Singh (top order)

After topping the run charts in last season’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy – he made 268 runs from nine games at a strike-rate of 127.61 – Mandeep had a breakout 2012 IPL for Kings XI Punjab. Still only 21, Mandeep has already shown he can bat intelligently and score freely without taking too many risks. Has already shown composure well beyond his years and would add depth to India’s opening positions. Ravi Teja (opener) The Hyderabad opening batsman was a regular selection for India’s Under-19 squad and has been a consistent performer for Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy. He was the second leadingscorer in the Vijay Hazare tournament last year, scoring 361 runs at an average of 72.20 and a strike-rate of 86.15. Overall, he averages 43.69 from 35 List A games and also bowls a bit of legspin. At 25, he is entering the prime period of his career and should at least be given a chance to go on an A tour. Suryakumar Yadav (middle order) Yadav loves to play the big shots but does so successfully more often than not. He has a first-class strike-rate of 85.86 AND an average of 57.11. His topscore of 200, made against Orissa last season, took just 232 balls with and contained 28 fours and a six. Just 22, Yadav has the potential to be a destructive middle-order player in the mould of Kevin Pietersen, something India currently lacks. Manoj Tiwary (middle order) Tiwary has been given the run-around by the selectors for too long. They need to decide if he can do the job for them and keep him in the side, or move beyond him and consider other alternatives. Based on talent and ability though, he should be in the playing XI when he is fit. Rohit Sharma (middle order) Rohit is on the verge of turning into India’s Mark Ramprakash. There is no doubting his talent but so far he has failed to make the most of it on the international stage. This is his chance to seize his spot in the side and make it his own. If he doesn’t deliver, it will be time to look elseCopyright © 2012 Firstpost

where. Ambati Rayudu (middle order) Rayudu has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket and for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Has the ability to pace his innings and play the finisher at the death. After the 2011 IPL, his teammate Harbhajan Singh called him a “a special talent” and said he could see Rayudu playing for India. Can also keep wickets so could be a useful back-up for Dhoni down under. Ravindra Jadeja (allrounder) Initially identified for the 2011 World Cup, Jadeja was dropped after a string of poor performances but is now back in the frame thanks to twin triple-centuries in Ranji Trophy this year. His ability as an allrounder and his brilliance in the field are advantages that would stand India in good stead in Australia, but he still needs to prove he can make important runs lower down the order outside the subcontinent. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (allrounder) The 22-year old from Uttar Pradesh was a surprise selection of the series against Pakistan but it was due reward for his performances in domestic cricket and List A tours. He has a healthy average of 26.02 and a strike rate of 56.5, and has eight five-wicket hauls from just 46 matches. Also averages 30.29 with the bat. If he performs well against Pakistan, could well get an extended run in the side. Ashok Dinda (fast bowler)

Injuries to Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron, plus Zaheer’s lack of form, has catapulted Dinda into the XI. Has a decent strike-rate of 57.3 in firstclass cricket and 33.7 in List A cricket. Assuming Yadav is fit and Ishant Sharma can find his form, Dinda would be a useful third seamer, especially in helpful conditions in Australia. Shami Ahmed (fast bowler) Another 22-year old. Ahmed has played only 15 matches for Bengal but has already impressed over that span. On mostly unhelpful wickets, his strike-rate of 49 is exceptional and he already has two ten-wicket hauls. In List A games, his strike-rate drops to just 24.9, or one wicket every four overs. Has two five-wicket hauls from 13 matches. Parvinder Awana (fast bowler) Awana had a rough introduction to international cricket, giving up 71 runs from six overs in two T20 games against England and failing to pick up a wicket. But he has the ability to bowl over 140 kph and should be able to extract bounce in Australia that could make life uncomfortable for opposing batsmen. If you want to go younger still, there are currently three under-19 cricketers worth a look. Unmukt Chand has impressed all with his calm, composed batting; left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh has the backing of former Australia captain Ian Chappell, who said Harmeet is ready to play for India; and allrounder Baba Aparajith, who has been tu

Arise Sachin Tendulkar.

The cricketer and the man When someone with brilliance adds strength of character, humility, respectfulness to being an all-round good person, then the world is blessed with not just sporting greatness, but true greatness. Paddy Upton, Dec 27, 2012

t was on the Proteas team bus that I read about Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement from ODI cricket. I found myself reflecting on my three years of working with him. To me, the opportunity was a privilege. So I thought I’d share some of my reflection here.

When I addressed the Indian cricket team for the first time (in 2008), I started by explaining that I did not see them as ‘cricketers’, but as human beings, each with many facets. Being a talented cricketer is only a part of who they are. They may also be someone’s brother, son, friend, parent or partner, and each is a unique emotional, intellectual and spiritual being. I reminded them that they were born with their talent, call it God-given, which is not an achievement but a blessing. The achievement comes when they tirelessly study, train and practice to develop that talent. Between 2008-2011, I watched Sachin epitomize developing a talent. He paid more attention to and invested more time into practicing his batting than any other player. He never once cut a corner in his preparation for a game, making sure he attended to every detail. After nearly two decades in the international game he had earned the right stay at the hotel and rest while some of his teammates attended our trademark ‘optional’ practices. Yet he never did. Not a week went by where any player, youngsters included, hit more balls in practice. Add this attention to detail and impeccable work ethic to his extraordinary God-given talent, and it doesn’t take much to figure out why he is so successful.

As mentioned, being an outstanding cricketer is a part, but not all, of the man.

When someone becomes a top class athlete, it does not mean they automatically become a special human. Each one starts out as an ordinary person who happens to be blessed with an extraordinary talent. To become a special person requires that they intentionally develop and mature themselves as a person just as they would work on mastering their profession. It is fairly common that a cricketer (or any sportsmen, businessmen, politician) who achieves success is lured into falsely viewing himself as a special person, believing he is more important than others by virtue of the fact he can hit a cricket ball more sweetly, and because others may treat him as more special. In India, the amount of adulation, admiration and heroworship that is lavished on national cricketers poses a huge challenge to their humility. None have been hero-worshipped and admired as Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. He is more worCopyright © 2012 Firstpost

shipped than some of the Hindu Gods. A priest at an ODI once brandished a banner saying, “Sorry God, but I love Sachin more than you.” With his unassailable statistics and virtual deification, Sachin has earned the right to believe and act like he is special. But he does not. And it is this characteristic that impressed me at least as much as the Little Master’s statistics, milestones and awe-inspiring performances. Despite his God-like status, in a country that sometimes overvalues power and status, Sachin exudes a humble, feet-on-the-ground approach. Early in my tenure with the team and during a one-on-one session with him, he spoke of a mantra that he lives by and that his father had passed to him as a young man. He granted me permission to share it. He told me that, “who I am as a person, my nature is permanent, my results on the field are temporary – they will go up and go down. It is more important that I am consistent as a person, this I can control, my results I cannot”. He added that, “people will criticise me for my results, and will soon forget them, but they will always remember the impact I have on them as a person. This will last forever.” And so the most mobbed, harassed, pestered and interrupted person in India, rather than expecting kingly treatment from others, is constantly mindful of treating others well and respectfully. During one tour I was entering a hotel elevator with Sachin to depart for a match. A very nervous mom asked if she could take a picture of him with her two young children. We risked being late for the bus, but Sachin obliged, letting the elevator go without him. The nervous mom was shaking so much she couldn’t get the camera to work. I was about to help Sachin out by rushing him along, when he turned to me and said, ‘Pads won’t you help her with the camera, help her to get a nice picture.’ Most who know him have an abundance of similar stories. He shares his professionalism and teaches respect. During a net practice, a young Ishant

Sharma kicked the ball in frustration after a poorly executed delivery. Sachin calmly went over, picked the ball up and returned it to Ishant, telling him in gentle manner, “it is because of this ball that you have what you have got in life, without this ball you have nothing. Treat it with the respect it is due.” Fast forward to a meeting during India’s triumphant 2011 ICC World Cup campaign. We’re discussing cricket and life, and some of the senior players are asked to share the most significant event in their careers. Sachin’s significant event left me with a lump in my throat. It happened soon after he was selected to play for India as a 16-year-old, and had returned to his Ranji Trophy team. A 16 year-old friend and teammate approached him and said ‘I speak on behalf of your friends. We know that you are a better cricketer than us, but since you were selected to play for India, you have been acting as if you are a better person than us. We don’t think it is a good thing for you to do.” Sachin marked this comment as one of the most significant events of his career, helping him to realize at a very young age that being a good cricketer did not mean he was a special person. He continues to live this lesson. As a veteran of over 22 years of international cricket, he treats junior teammates as fellow men, including them in conversations, showing an interest in their well-being, asking them questions and helping them with their game. When someone with an extraordinary Godgiven talent adds to it an incredibly professional, detailed and tirelessly high work ethic, brilliance arises. The world has known just one Einstein, Mozart, van Gogh, Michael Jackson and Tendulkar. When someone with brilliance adds strength of character, humility, respectfulness to being an all-round good person, then the world is blessed with not just sporting greatness, but true greatness. Arise Sachin Tendulkar. The article first appeared on paddyupton.com

The retirement debate

Let’s hope Sachin wins our hearts again If he is really serious about playing on for India – the greatest honour any cricketer can dream of – then he needs to play cricket – one-day, Ranji – cricket. No ads, no politics, no hairstyles. Tom Alter, Sep 3, 2012

ger…

ain, not anger… I write this in deep, deep pain – not an-

Tendulkar has just been bowled by Bracewell – not bowled, but cleaned-up – totally – if anyone from a club side had played a shot like that in the nets, he would have been asked to stepdown and Tendulkar plays it in a Test. I am not angry. I am in deep pain.

Pain of having watched Tendulkar play one of the most pathetic Test innings of his amazing, amazing career. Four runs from 41 balls at lunch – beaten at least four times – scratchy, tentative – even Gavaskar admitted he was tentative. The bat refusing to come down straight – always curving towards the leg, which is why he is beaten so often now by balls that move in – -and then bowled – cleaned-up – by a ball that Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

moved in. I am not angry – I am in pain. Sachin is far, far too great a batsman to be reduced to this. The question is ‘why’? Not even ‘how’? We know how – Sachin has raised a competitive bat since the IPL nonsense, and in that, too, he was injured and out of sorts. And then he expects to play a Test? After three months of holidaying? I am not angry. I am in pain. We take New Zealand for granted – we smile in a condescending manner and agree to play two Tests – as a favour—big brother being nice. Sachin feels that a week of practice will get him ready. Sachin, we are not angry; we are in pain – you must play every chance you get – every match. That is the only way you can thrive. If you are really serious about playing on for India – the greatest honour any cricketer can dream of – then play cricket – one-day, Ranji – cricket. Play – no ads, no politics, no hairstyles. Play cricket – for the next two years of your life – do nothing else – and you will leave this great game that you have graced has no other ever has, with style and dignity – and runs. I say this not in anger, but in pain. I cannot – we cannot – watch you play another Test innings like this one. And on the other side, I – we – have seen the future of cricket – Afghanistan, and Unmukt Chand – the Afghanis against the Aussies – who would have think it – A versus A – and how the Afghanis had the Aussies huffing and puffing and sweating and swearing. It was not a friendly tie at all; it was battle – and the Aussies knew it – wonderful – cricket at its best. And Chand – class, temperament, style – and, most important, on the off-side he plays with a straight bat, left-elbow high – he does not flip at the ball, as does Kohli and almost every modern batsman – his right wrist does not turn over

the bat, it supports the top hand to keep the bat straight, so that the lines of bat and ball as the meet are in the same trajectory for a much, much longer time – the flip is quick, and decisive, and looks good – but it is fraught with risk, and if the timing is not just right, you are caught outside the off-stump – or, if the ball moves, you play-on or are lbw. Chand is the future – Afghanistan is the future. They play cricket as it should be played – with passion and love for the game and grit and grace – And I am very, very sorry to say this – but at the end of 2009, when we played Sri Lanka at the Brabourne and Sehwag played a 293 of such power and panache and he and Gambhir were the best opening pair in the world, Gambhir skipped the Test to attend his sister’s wedding – now, I know sister’s weddings are sacred, and Gambhir was fulfilling a family duty of deep meaning, but – but – but – just see his record since he skipped that Test – it is there on the TV screen for all to see. Test cricket is a test – and to pass the Test, you have to be at your very, very best. And, finally, as we are 168 for four on the second day of the second and final Test – please, please – ICC, BCCI – any Test series involving a top team – and we just barely quality now as one – must be of at least three Tests – please, please, please. And – I am sorry – but the truth is the truth – the two companies that have poured the most money into cricket in the past five years – Sahara and Kingfisher – are both companies in deep, deep trouble – nothing further to be said. I – we – appeal to TATA – sponsor cricket with style and dignity – and let the players play for India with only India on their jerseys – that would be true sponsorship – not advertising, but sponsorship. And may Sachin come out in the second innings fired up and determined and win our hearts again…

Sachin Tendulkar

and the big question I often find myself praying for his 100th ton. Not because it gives us – a nation starved of sporting heroes – something else to celebrate but also because then, only then, he might tell himself that his time is up.

Ashish Magotra, Jan 8, 2012

hings have come a full circle for Sachin Tendulkar. It feels like the nineties all over again – he’s scoring runs and India is being humiliated over and over again. He’s raging the lone battle; he’s losing and perhaps that’s a sign that he must leave the battlefield. For all his veteran pride, the spark of inspiration is gone. I often find myself praying for his 100th ton. Not because it gives us – a nation starved of sporting heroes – something else to celebrate but also because then, only then, he might tell himself that his time is up. For as India loses

one test after another in foreign soil, Tendulkar will also have to step up and take moral responsibility. It’s tough for any sporting great to decide when it’s time to go because even on their off-days they are still better than the vast majority. We look at this Indian line-up and who are our best batsmen – In South Africa, it was Tendulkar. In England, it was clearly Rahul Dravid. In Australia, it’s been Tendulkar again. Elsewhere – it doesn’t matter. But when the two greats are not able to make their innings count, there is a message somewhere. Indian cricket is screaming for Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

reform and perhaps it’s only the revered seniors who can somehow make us start from scratch. Because, sport at the end of the day is about winning not whining. If Tendulkar hasn’t been able to do it in so many years; if he hasn’t been able to figure it out, then it’s time he gave way to others. What voices speak to him… no them – the veterans, ordering them to ignore the obvious? Ask them about retirement and they often say, ‘I will play for as long as I enjoy the sport.’ That’s a liberty you can probably reserve in an individual sport but in a team sport, if you can’t inspire the team to victory or even save it from defeat – what use is your greatness? There is a joy to watching men chase the impossible. And for so many years, we’ve revelled in that feeling… watching Tendulkar, Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble and many more change all our set ideals with a simple stroke of genius. We’ve lived with them – experienced the highs and the lows, cried and laughed with madness that bordered on maniacal. But then you come up against a wall too high – some retire, some choose to battle on to the death. It is often said that no one can tell Sachin Tendulkar when to retire. He’ll decide when he feels it’s time – that’s a right he has earned. Indeed, he has earned that right but then someone needs to tell him perhaps it’s time to look around and see the host of young men who are lining up behind him for a chance to play international cricket, look around and pick his successor. They may not be as good — but give them time to learn. And after that, if he is still loves the game – he should play the Ranji Trophy; pass on his knowledge to the youngsters; teach them how

to make runs; conduct themselves in the right manner and hope that they can figure out a way to win… something that even he couldn’t do. The baton needs to be passed now. Time it wrong and India will not finish the race once again. Tendulkar needs to ask himself just one question: Is greatness in a team sport measured by numbers or by victories? If his answer is the former, then he’s already achieved the mark. If it’s the latter, then greatness, in it’s truest sense, has given him the miss. Surely Tendulkar doesn’t wake up each morning saying ‘I am world’s best batsman, this is a piece of cake.’ Surely, aching bones remind him of his age, his heavily strapped fingers tell him a similar story and each day without the 100th ton gnaws on his pride. So how does he ignore all of this? Confidence is fragile, it comes and goes, and such is the nature of sport. How heavily would these defeats have weighed on Sachin’s mind – don’t they prey on his confidence too? He has blessed us with divine vision (Sharjah and the dust storm), he has defeated our imagination (99 international tons), he has made us fiercely debate his form and fitness (Pakistan, Chennai, 136), he has made us read up on the tennis elbow, he has made us – to put it mildly – his. But how come he doesn’t know he’s had enough? The taste of defeat isn’t something he would like. All his life he’s struggled to get the better of that taste and now once again it haunts him. He has done all he can and still comes up short. Sure, he could play on for years to come. But does he need to… does he really need to?

Go, Sachin, go? But what

did we do to deserve a Sachin? India is being entirely unfair on Sachin. He may or may not have stayed on too long in the game, but this says more about us than him.

R Jagannathan, Mar 1, 2012 he poor performance of the Indian cricket team in England and Australia has made zeroes of heroes overnight.

Sachin Tendulkar, once considered India’s answer to Don Bradman and a worthy claimant for the Bharat Ratna, is being relegated to pariah status. Before the Australia tour, the media was planning blowout coverage of his 100th ton. Now that he hasn’t made that ton, they want to fling him out of the team unceremoniously. Nobody’s worried about that landmark anymore. People are now asking why isn’t he retiring? Why is he being left in the team when Sehwag has been shown the door? On Wednesday, all TV channels, including Arnab Goswami of the Spanish Inquisition, were asking the same questions.

If success has many fathers, failure needs at least one mother — the mother of all scapegoats. Sachin is a handy one. Of course, one won’t do. The anger of public opinion needs more sacrificial goats. So we can blame the selectors for being fickle minded, we can blame cronyism in the BCCI and the team for our losses, and we can also blame too much cricket or too little cricket or the fast pitch (or lack of fast pitches in India) for everything that has gone wrong. What this proves is that we are all keen to fix the blame, not the problem. We are also unwilling to acknowledge a serious flaw in the Indian character — a willingness to celebrate success too soon, a willingness to settle for mediocrity when excellence should be the goal. Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

Thus, we are over the moon merely because our hockey team qualified to enter the Olympics. Hello? Is this what the world’s best team upto the 1960s should be thrilled about today, when Australia makes mincemeat of us each time we clash in some tournament? And in the search for new cricket heroes, now that the older ones have fallen by the wayside, we have suddenly elevated a Virat Kohli as vicecaptain of the Indian team — on the basis of one good tour, and one stand-out One-Day innings. Virat may have the gumption and the bravado to show the finger to his opponents and even the public, but he is still an untested quantity in terms of sustained excellence. This is not to say Kohli should not be vicecaptain, or that he may not become a great vice-captain and be a good understudy to Dhoni in One-Dayers. But making him heir-apparent on the shifting foundations of public opinion says nothing about the validity of our strategy. Assuming we have a strategy that goes beyond making money from the game. What is the Kohli elevation all about? Is it about grooming a new, young team for the future? Is it about punishing Sehwag for daring to differ with Dhoni, or is it about rewarding someone who did well on one tour? Or is it just a whimsical decision where the selectors can be seen as responding to public distress over the recent losses of the Indian team Down Under? Or is it that Indian cricket’s money machine cannot survive the lack of heroes. Since the old ones are fading, it’s time to elect new ones — never mind the fact that their long-term performance may still be suspect?

who did well on one tour? AP The problem with being a Sachin Tendulkar in India is simple: in an ocean of mediocrity, he is an island of excellence. In the Indian cricket pantheon, we can only put Gavaskar and Kapil Dev in his category of greatness, but even in this group he stands as first among equals. In the global arena, Sachin may or may not be comparable to the great Don – that kind of comparison is idiotic anyway, for Bradman played in a different era – and he may not be as murderous on bowling attacks as a Brian Lara or a Viv Richards, but he is clearly among the best in the world. Even today, when his powers of magic with the bat are past their peak. When you stand head-and-shoulders above even the best in India and the world, you are then in the category of God to the cricketing constituency. Unfortunately, in the real world, even God cannot answer all prayers all the time. The disappointment with gods is always more severe than disappointment with mere mortals. Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who were only recently being extolled as Mr Dependables, are in the doghouse of public opinion. But nobody’s asking about them anymore. They were not gods. MS Dhoni, once toasted as Captain Cool, is now toast, now that his luck has run out. His captaining abilities are now looking suspect. But he seems to have been forgiven in the light of a couple of match-winning knocks in the early stages of the current Tri-series, where we are praying for a Sri Lanka defeat to make it to the finals. But Sachin Tendulkar? How can God fail us?

It is in this context that we need to look at our dishonourable approach to Sachin Tendulkar — who, doubtless, has not impressed in the current tour.

What we think about God tells more about us than God. So, asking stupid questions about the greatness of Sachin tells more about us than him.

What is the Kohli elevation all about? Is it about grooming a new, young team for the future? Is it about punishing Sehwag for daring to differ with Dhoni, or is it about rewarding someone

Sachin may or may not be the greatest, but we as a people are certainly not the greatest. India did not deserve a Sachin.

Don’s black and white farewell.

How will Sachin walk away? A Don Bradman documentary amazed the author and left him wondering -- when Sachin goes, what will we do? Tom Alter, Oct 21, 2011

n every corner of the cricketing world, and some which are traditionally not, today cricket is being played. All Test playing cricket nations are, as I write, playing somewhere – some form of cricket – India vs. England, Australia vs. South Africa, Bangladesh vs. West Indies, New Zealand vs. Zimbabwe, Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka. You can surf the channels, and pick up snippets of action from Test to T-20, ODI in the desert to ODI in Delhi… a surfeit of cricket. The biggest battle coming up, is, of course, the

Tests between South Africa and Australia – sadly, only two Tests because of the Champions Trophy; Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the desert is a traditional rivalry, with Pakistan showing signs of coming to terms with itself once again, and Sri Lanka just not quite there; Bangladesh takes care of the West Indies, for the moment, but the feeling is that this is not of great significance, for the Windies are weak, and Bangladesh needs to win against a truly top team to finally make a mark in world cricket; and here at home, with great relish we are whipping the English, and Virat Kohli is king – but, like Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

Bangladesh, he must still prove himself against the very best, on foreign soil, and the tour of Australia is going to be his chance. And amidst all this, I catch a documentary on Bradman one early morning – with amazing footage of him, including pictures of his shots against us in Australia in ’46.

tears in his eyes. I want to believe the legend is true – and then, as ‘time in all his tuneful turning allows so few and such morning songs’, there is Bradman walking away, still light on his toes, and his expression still unchanged. So Sachin will one day walk away for the last time…

The Don — two things stood out as I watched the black and white memories grace the screen; how almost frail he was, how so much not the typical Aussie of brawn and bustle – he ran up and down the pitch almost on tiptoes, as if not wanting to bruise the green perfection; and how simply he played, with minimum of fuss, and with a bottom hand guiding his bat in perfect angles to meet the ball – he never hit the ball hard, and he was content to push and scamper –

‘The children, green and golden, follow him out grace…’

And always, always there was a look of calm confidence on his face – as if cricket was his job, and his passion, his art and his calling —

When Sachin goes, what will we do? –

Two moments – he is bowled by Hollies for a duck in his final at bat, and he almost lunges forward, awkwardly, his back foot slipping—a very unDon-like moment. Was it the emotion? The entire English team had just given him ‘three cheers’, and the legend is that he had

Gavaskar’s last innings was an ODI one, albeit in the semi-final of the ’87 World Cup – he was also clean-bowled, and I was there to see it – along with about sixty thousand others at the Wankhede. We just could not believe, as his off-stump went flying – it was as if a reason for living went flying, too; a reason for believing, a reason for hoping…

I hope it is a Test inning, and he has just scored a century, and India has won, and he is not out – And I hope I am there to see it – And I hope it does not happen for many years to come…

Sachin magic and then some...

Sachin’s 100 was a nudge, not a blow For the past 23 years, Sachin has been our icon he has been both the peaks of passion and the calm between but he couldn’t have been happy with his 100th. Tom Alter, Mar 19, 2012

watched the century with the commentary on ‘silent’ – except for the exact moment, when I had to hear Gavaskar’s voice, as he was and is the guide and guideline for Sachin – and the English verses of Swami Vivekananda playing in the background, speaking eloquently of the calm between the peaks of passion, and the light in the deep of night; and I had just come from rehearsing a play on Gandhiji. And there he was, all five and a half feet of him – Gandhiji’s height – complete with strange new haircut and oh, so familiar stance and

grimaces – and his hundred run was a nudge, not a blow – and his celebration was muted, not mindless. And he had done it – has done it – done what even his deepest critics will have to acknowlege. He has done it. But, but, but – he cannot be happy – not truly. How could he be truly happy when we lost the match? How can we be truly happy? He knows, Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

And now the match – the match that really mattered – has ended.

His 100th. 100, if we look at carefully, was not one of great innings – it was a trifle slow, a bit laboured – the ball was not coming off the middle of the bat ; the pitch sluggish, and Sachin himself just a little so.

Sachin scored in this match, not a 100, and we won. Now we can be happy – truly happy.

And after reaching the milestone, he tried to race the pace, and just could not, quite.

Swami Vivekananda and Gandhiji – icons of their time and times…

He knows it well – and this is not to criticise him – he knows it well – it was not his greatest, and India lost – he may be happy at one level, but unsatisfied at another.

we all know, that another fifteen runs would have done the trick.

For the past 23 years, Sachin has been our icon – he has been both the peaks of passion and the calm between – both the light in the middle of the night, and the hint of darkness in the noonday sun. He has led from the front, has made hundreds and hundreds of Dandi marches’ from the pavilion to the crease and back again – and always with the same dignity and purpose with which Gandhiji walked. His first walk to the international crease in late ’89, dragging his bat behind him, as if it was his schoolbag and he was reluctantly going to a Dadar school. Now he looks to the heavens, to judge the sun and remember his father – in ’89 his head was slightly bowed, as if in thought, or meditation.

A list of Sachin’s injuries and stats appeared in the morning papers – well documented, and well explained – he scores an international century roughly every 7.5 innings – he waited 33 innings for this one – four times the average – his first serious injury, to his back, was in ’99 – when he began to cut down his flamboyant shots, especially the lofted ones – and when he first began to have to pick and choose matches – which affected both his concentration and his game, as the two are so strongly linked. But today is today – and no one knows it better than Sachin. A win – as Virat Kohli’s knock ensured against Pakistan – can make us and especially Sachin, truly happy.

Bharat Ratna for Sachin? Greatness needs no sarkari certificate Is there a way to compare greatness? Is there a way to measure Sachin’s greatness against that of Viswanathan Anand? Akshaya Mishra, Dec 16, 2011

oes greatness need sarkari certification?

Would Sachin Tendulkar be any lesser than what he is without a Bharat Ratna?

award look so unnecessary. The government has gone the extra mile to accommodate the wishes of the cricketer’s fans. It has modified eligibility rules to include sportspersons in the category of achievers. Earlier, the award went to people excelling in the fields of art, literature, science and public service.

In an ideal world, the answer to both would be in the negative. Greatness is a property which shines on its own; requires no crutches to stand on; or needs no official recognition to get bigger. That’s what makes the whole debate over Sachin “Instead of the fields of art, literature, science being awarded the country’s highest civilian and public services, now on November 16, gov-

ernment has notified that for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour Bharat Ratna could be awarded…For me as a sports minister this is one of the biggest days of Indian sport and next biggest day I think will be the day when any sportsperson is named as an awardee of Bharat Ratna,” said an ecstatic Ajay Maken, Union Minister for Sports. He mentioned hockey legend Dhyan Chand and Sachin as strong contenders but said the award was open to other sport too. It is always nice if a sportsperon gets a recognition of this kind. But let us not be unmindful of the uncomfortable questions it could raise or and the nasty controversies it might lead to. For starters, how do you compare greatness? Is there a way to measure excellence in, say, hockey and compare it with excellence in cricket? How do you weigh greatness in art against greatness in any sporting category? Is there a way to compare greatness in two different eras? Chess prodigy Vishwanathan Anand is definitely as big as Sachin, if not bigger, in his field. It is impossible to measure singer Asha Bhosle against the cricketer with the bland yardstick of achievement. And there is simply no way you can compare Sunil Gavaskar with Sachin — they belonged to different eras and both faced challenges unique to their periods. Such comparison is an insult to the greats and their achievements. If Bharat Ratna makes one of them greater than the other, then there should be no Bharat Ratna at all. And just imagine the tasteless discussions the exercise could end up in. Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh

has already suggested that Sachin be considered for the award. The clamour is expected to get louder in the coming days. There are demands in some parts of the country to confer the award upon hockey genius Dhyan Chand too. Given the penchant of people to take sides in such discussions it could end up being an ugly affair. Don’t be surprised if the greats turn into political footballs. Moreover, the popular craze for cricket is certain to overwhelm all other sport and prejudice selection. If a cricketer bags the award, it sends a wrong message to players in other sport. It is they who need official encouragement; cricket is big and can manage without the government. It’s not an easy choice to make for the committee short-listing awardees. There are bound to be controversies and sullen faces. It’s better to scrap one Bharat Ratna altogether and create awards for different categories on the lines of the Nobel prizes — Bharat Ratna for sports, Bharat Ratna for public work etc. That will make the playing field more level. But ultimately such awards mean little to the men under consideration. Greats will stay great even without official recognition. It is their unusual talent and the popular acknowledgement of it is that makes them what they are. They need no crutches to stand on or no government stamp of approval. If the recognition for Sachin comes at the cost of the dignity of other greats and a lot of unpleasantness, he should say ‘no thank you’ beforehand.

At Eden, Sachin Tendulkar

abandoned his pride At times, he looked ugly. But the master didn’t really care. He wanted to stay there regardless of how he looked. Ashish Magotra, Dec 6, 2012

he cheers that accompanied Sachin Tendulkar as he made his way to the middle were deafening as always. But what followed next, had most of them sitting with their fingers crossed for the best part of an hour.

insecure he was looking in the middle. A far cry from the days when the opposition would try and get him off strike in a bid to frustrate him. Keep Sachin away from the strike and sooner or later, his momentum will die.

It went like this: 2 dots, 1 run, 12 dots, 1 run, 4 dots, Edged four, 9 dots, 1 run, 4 dots, 1 run, 1 run, 5 dots, 1 run.

It was a vision: Sachin in chains. But he manfully strained against them, keeping himself alive, giving himself some breathing space. Some might even call it ugly. It was in a way but it also encapsulated his current battle — against age, form and England. Rahul Dravid on BBC’s Test Match Special couldn’t hide his admiration: “It’s fascinating to see such a legend willing to fight it out.” One couldn’t help but agree.

He just couldn’t get the ball away. Monty Panesar bowled two maidens at him. Steve Finn hit him on the shoulder. The edge of his bat was more prominent than the middle. But he simply didn’t care; he simply didn’t care about how he looked. He scratched away — in the middle and at the last shreds of pride. 10 runs off 43 balls. 36 dot balls. 1 four. And for that period, he didn’t look like a world beater. He didn’t look like someone who had 34,000 runs in international cricket. He looked desperate. He looked human. In fact, for what seemed like an inordinate amount of time, England were trying to get him on strike, that’s how

Then Steven Finn came into the attack. He has pace and height but not quite the control, not today. He erred and Tendulkar got two fours off him. The buzz of the crowd had long since died, now they spoke in hushed whispers. Nobody wanted to jinx him. 18 runs off 49 balls. 40 dot balls. 3 fours. The next stage was slightly better. A single here, a single there, the odd two, an edged four in between. The impression one got was of a man just trying to stay afloat — sooner or later, help would arrive; sooner or later, he would come good. His belief shone through: If I stay at the wicket long enough, the runs will come. 26 runs off 64 balls. 50 dot balls. 4 fours. At the other end, Tendulkar had seen Gambhir fall, when the opener attempted to cut a delivery that was too close to the stumps. Kohli, on the Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

other hand, hung his bat outside the off-stump and edged it through to the slips. But Tendulkar had survived. 28 runs off 78 balls. 62 dot balls. 4 fours. With the arrival of Yuvraj Singh, the tempo of the innings began to change. The left-hander played and missed a few times but his positive intent seemed to spark a little life into Tendulkar as well. Another edge went for four but then the master opened the face of his bat to guide the ball just back of square for four. Two fours in two balls. The crowd cheered wildly and then fell silent again. Nobody wanted to break his concentration.

At this point, he was pretty much starting to look like he had settled in for the long haul. The bowlers weren’t really troubling him much. The ball was pretty old as well. Anderson was bowling brilliantly and the odd ball would beat the batsmen but that was it. 69 runs off 149 balls. 117 dot balls. 12 fours. Then came the end. Immediately after the drinks break, Anderson got one to seam away from the batsman. Tendulkar came forward to drive anyway, edged it and Matt Prior took a brilliant one-handed catch to his right. The innings was over. The crowd exhaled but they still wondered: Was he back?

36 runs off 84 balls. 66 dot balls. 6 fours.

76 runs off 154 balls. 123 dot balls. 13 fours.

Now, some confidence seemed to flow into Tendulkar’s stride. He was consciously trying to plant his front foot as far forward as possible. He was trying to do it all right. By the time, tea was called, he was just four short of his fifty.

Some might point to the runs and wonder why the question even needs to be asked. Others might point to the fours — especially the shot he hit off Panesar’s flighted delivery which was driven between cover and extra-cover. The timing and placement were class. But the real takeaway from this innings was the 123 dot balls he faced.

46 runs off 98 balls. 77 dot balls. 8 fours. But when Tendulkar came out after tea, he wanted to get on with things. It felt that way. A four off the first ball in the final session gave him his first half-century in almost a year — he got his last fifty in Syndey on January 3. He followed it up with another four off the very next ball. 54 runs off 100 balls. 77 dot balls. 10 fours. But then again he settled into a dour rhythm. This was especially evident against Monty Panesar (he played out a total of 73 dot balls in his whole innings against the left-arm orthodox bowler). 63 runs off 124 balls. 95 dot balls. 11 fours.

The dot balls above all showcased a desire to remain relevant in our cricketing conversations from reasons other than retirement. They showed the resolve to get down and dirty; to do the hard yards and even appear ordinary while trying to do it. This wasn’t a monumental innings. This wasn’t Chennai in 1999 — where he made 136 despite a stiff back. This wasn’t the Sydney off 2004 — where he decided he wouldn’t play off-side shots. This was Kolkata; this was where Tendulkar abandoned his pride. And this too must count.

If Sachin Tendulkar batted

like Virender Sehwag… The two are among India’s greatest ever batsmen but while Tendulkar has evolved over the years, Sehwag has chosen to stick to his guns; to his own methods. Ashish Magotra, Dec 9, 2011

t’s a question I’ve always wanted to ask: If Sachin Tendulkar batted like Virender Sehwag, would his records have been even greater? This is not an attempt to compare the two. It is merely curiosity. The two are among India’s greatest ever batsmen but while Tendulkar has evolved over the years, Sehwag has chosen to stick to his guns; to his own methods — they have worked and how! Tendulkar, to begin with, was a dasher. He

played his shots — drive shots on the rise, the pull, the hook, the quick shuffle down the wicket to hit the spinner over his head. And many more but then the tennis elbow happened. He aged too. From a warrior, he evolved to a philosopher — a mentor, who was just as deadly. Sehwag, on the other hand, just doesn’t learn. Anyone who has watched him over the years will still remember his 195 against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He got hit on the helmet twice during the innings; he still gets hit on the helmet pretty regularly for a top Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

batsman. But it didn’t bother him then, it still doesn’t bother him. He got out going for a six off a non-regular bowler. But that didn’t faze him a bit. The Australian media piled on the praise hailing him as ‘part-Houdini, part-Superman.’ And using that innings as a starting point, he has matured into a fine, fine batsman – the best opener in the world according to many. But still… imagine if Tendulkar batted like Sehwag and played for 22 years – would his domination of the record books be even greater? What would it be to be in Sehwag’s shoes? For starters, while taking guard against the fastest bowlers in the world, Tendulkar would be humming Lata Mangeshkar or Mohd Rafi songs and nonchalantly swinging at anything in his strike zone. Tendulkar’s strike-rate would be higher – in ODIs as well as Tests. Sehwag, for instance, has needed just 9717 balls to score 7980 runs in Tests and his 8000-plus ODI runs have been at faster than a run-a-ball. There would be mad phases too – when he would go after every ball, trying to hit them all out of the ground. And of course, there would be the customary try-to-getto-the-landmark-with-a-big-shot approach.

Tendulkar usually says that milestones don’t mean much to him. Sehwag goes out and does it. If Tendulkar played like Sehwag – he would be free of the burden of being Tendulkar, of being Atlas to India because the Nawab of Najafgarh redefines cool. The other change would be the manner is which Tendulkar would speak. At times, the master batsman seems conscious of his stature, he avoids controversy. Sehwag merely speaks his mind – like the time when he said that Bangladesh weren’t good enough to take 20 wickets against India in a Test match – without worrying about the after-effects. In essence, he bats in the same manner. Tendulkar would have also got perhaps a few more big centuries – simply because the he would score more runs for all the balls he spent in the middle. But all in all, the very fact that we even wonder about this is because Sehwag has broken every rule and still risen to the top. Rules simply don’t exist for him. His brand of batsmanship is his own – indeed, has cricket ever seen his like before? His 219 was testament to the fact that his cricket isn’t weighed down by the past. He is all about the now and what a now it is.

Cricket isn’t a religion, Sachinism is Why isn’t Cricket a religion, while Sachinism is? Cricket is not because cricket lovers don’t have enough faith in it. Sachin Tendulkar, on the other hand, is untouchable; in and outside India. He is immaculate. He is revered. Avinash Subramaniam, Sep 26, 2012

“D

of the erstwhile Eastern Bloc put their believers through, one could well accuse Communism of being just like the Religion. So is Communism a religion?

Ironically, when you consider what the leaders

Certainly not, you might say indignantly. Not all distractions, sources of false hope and tools to control people are a Religion, you might add. Really … why not? Does a religion require legal sanction for it to be considered a religion? Nope

ie Religion… ist das Opium des Volkes,” said Karl Marx. He considered it the ‘opium of the people.’ In Marx’s opinion, Religion is a distraction. It is a source of false hope. It is a tool to control the masses. Based on which, Marx rejected religion and urged the janata to take charge of their lives, instead of leaving it to God.

it doesn’t. At least, not in civilized societies. Fans of Sachin Tendulkar, the ‘God’ of cricket. Reuters What, then, is the definition of Religion? Can it be defined? Of course, it can be defined. Anything can be defined. But can something that is practiced by so many people in so many different ways be defined adequately and exhaustively? Now, there’s a question with no easy answers. Still, let’s try and come up with a few. This is how the dictionary defines religion. Obviously, the dictionary meaning is highly constricted. Here’s why. In Henry Felding’s novel ‘Tom Jones,’ for instance, one of the characters has this to say about Religion: “By religion I mean Christianity, by Christianity I mean Protestantism, by Protestantism I mean the Church of England as established by law.” Surely there’s more to religion than Christianity. Or for that matter Hinduism. Or Sikhism. Or Islam. Or Chendoism. Or Mazdakism. Or Communism. And more. According to some estimates, there are over 4,200 religions in the world. Pray, what do all these religions have in common? Not much, apart from faith. No, not even God. No God? Oh god, doesn’t a religion need a God for it to be classified as a Religion? No, it’s not a must. ‘Gautama Buddha explicitly denies that the universe had a start by the act of a creator deity, refuses to endorse any views on creation, and states that questions on the origin of the world are worthless.’ In which case, perhaps all a Religion needs as a raison d’être is the ability to make its followers to believe and lose themselves while immersed in it. What about Cricket, that great opiate of the Indian masses? Is it a Religion? No, it’s not. But Sachinism is.

Why isn’t Cricket a religion, while Sachinism is? Cricket is not because cricket lovers don’t have enough faith in it. Too many of its followers still think many aspects of the game are corrupt and venal. They certainly don’t feel the same way about their respective religions. Sachin Tendulkar, on the other hand, is untouchable; in and outside India. He is immaculate. He is revered. His followers’ faith in him is unshakable. Okay, maybe that has changed a touch in recent times. But this happens with all religions. People grow out of it or drift away from it or are disillusioned with it when their prayers, sometimes, go answered. Some convert to ‘Kohliism’ (still a minor cult in the larger scheme of things). Others become directionless atheists. This has happened to Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Sachinism as well. But, by and large, the majority of the people who believe in Sachinism, and other major religions, continue to do so. Put simply, form is temporary, religion is permanent. All that apart, there is one other reason Sachinism must be a Religion. If you have trouble believing it is, try insulting ‘God’ Sachin. Then run for cover. For, to paraphrase Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction, and Eizekiel 25:17 from the Bible, his followers will strike down with great vengeance and furious anger upon all those who would attempt to poison and destroy their deity. And thou will know his name is the Lord when they lay their vengeance upon thee. Much in the manner the followers of the Prophet Mohammed have during the past couple of weeks. Only a religion can elicit such an irrational response. The writer tweets @Armchairexpert. You can follow him if you’re into that sort of thing.

Everything you wanted to

ask Tendulkar but could not In a free-wheeling interview, the 38-year-old master batsman spoke about everything -- from retirement, to his first ton, to his 100th, to the young guns, to the state of the game and more. FP Sports, Mar 25, 2012

here are few occasions when Sachin Tendulkar literally lets his guard down. It doesn’t ever happen on the cricket field but then there are a few times when he invites the media in and let’s them ask him all they want to. When he got the 100th ton, it represented a huge landmark for him and all those associated with him. To mark that special moment, he gave the media a free-wheeling interview that spoke about everything one might have ever wanted him to say. What do personal records mean in a team game? When you contribute towards the team, trying to achieve the team’s cause, that is when the records are created. No one first looks to create records and then looks to achieve the team’s

cause. Before any game, the team has a goal and while chasing that goal if certain records are set, it becomes a landmark and big news, but in our team meetings we never discuss records. We discuss how to win the match and what’s the best way to do it. Along the way if somebody is able to break records and do something special then we always feel good about it. This is your 23rd year in international cricket. What has the last year taught you that your first 22 years didn’t? To stay patient on 99 hundreds. (smiles). Yes, this year was a difficult one. When I was on 99 hundreds during the World Cup, no body spoke about it. The focus was on the World cup. We won the world cup and then everybody started thinking what’s next and started questioning Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

where can we focus. The focus was on the 100th hundred. My focus wasn’t on it. My focus was as always to score a big hundred whenever I went out and contribute and that is what I have done in the past. As the time went by there was so much hype created that naturally the focus, even though I didn’t want it, I felt it was somewhere there in the subconscious. Though I kept telling myself that above all I just need to enjoy playing cricket and be myself. But when you get atleast 100 reminders daily it becomes difficult not to think about it. You are forcibly made to think about it. That was getting tougher and tougher as days wore on. I felt like telling everyone, let’s just talk cricket and not talk about the hundreth hundred. I went through the same pre-match preparations, but sometimes there are no reasons for failure and disappointment. I felt in Australia I was batting the best I have in the last 22 years. I was really pleased with the way I was moving and timing the ball and the bat-swing. But somehow at the crunch moment you need luck to be at your side and I felt luck wasn’t on my side on those occasions. I got close to scoring hundreds, but when the time came, things just didn’t happen. Sometimes things happen in your life which you can’t explain. You look at solutions and put question marks and ask why is this happening, but you just don’t find answers. Then eventually you look at scernarios when you haven’t batted well and still ended up scoring big runs. What could be the reason? Luck. Sometimes you just get beaten by that much (gestures). How do you describe that? It has to be luck. In Mumbai, had I been beaten by Ravi Rampul, instead of edging it to Sammy at slip, I would have still been batting on 94. The next ball if it’s a twopaced pitch, I would leave alone. Sometimes, it’s important to get that wake-up call. Last season, that wake-up call didn’t happen much and it just taught me to have patience and focus on my job and the results will take care of themselves. I just focused on my pre-match preparation and not think too much. When you start a building, you don’t think of the tenth floor. You start at the ground floor first. My preparations weren’t affected. I didn’t use any shortcuts so that again was a reminder that I had not relaxed. In fact, if anything, I just kept pushing harder and harder.

Sometimes there are disappointments and I always use disappointments and setbacks to work harder and try and take whatever positive out of that. That is something that I have learnt and may be it was a reminder after 22 years. Sometimes do you also think that a sportsperson’s life is cruel as people can easily forget what you have done over 22 years and focus on just the landmark? I remember my coach (Ramakant Achrekar) telling me that this game can be cruel at times and not to worry as everyone goes through rough patches. When you are doing well, you don’t worry and you don’t question whay are these things happening to my game. Even a bad phase will pass by and nothing will be permanent. You will overcome all these obstacles. In my school days I learnt a lot and those things help. Above all, the most important things is to respect the game. Can you talk us through the experiences of your first hundred and the 100th ton? I remember during my first hundred, I went in to bat when the team was 118 for 4 and I went into bat when the senior players had all got out and the only thing that I had in my mind was I should stay not out. I managed to string a good partnership with Manoj Prabhakar and I had to be careful in my shot selection that day. At the same time I was prepared to put the bad balls away. I was there with an open mind. I remember when I was batting on 87 or 88, I ducked into a bouncer from Angus Fraser and the ball hit the back of the bat and flew to fine leg. I was glad it didn’t go to the keeper or lob to nay other fielder. The hundred that I missed in New Zealand was on my mind and I didn’t want to miss my first hundred. After the hundred, Madhav Mantri, who was our manager at that time came and told me I had to address a press conference. I was confused as I hadn’t attended a press conference and was very scared. He told me not to worry and he would be there with me. I didn’t look back after that and it’s been a fantastic journey. The 100th hundred of course I started off really well and then I felt the ball was coming off the track a bit slower than I would have liked. And Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

during my partnership with Virat we both kept discussing what would be a good target and we both thought 275-280 would be a good total as that wicket wasn’t like the one on which the earlier game had been played. We were constantly keeping an eye on the run rate that we were maintaining and it became critical to have wickets in hand. I was patient and just focused on building partnerships. At the same time there were spells during which they really bowled well. I remember Mashrafe mortaza bowled a maiden to me in the powerplay. I had connected three good shots in that over and all three went to the fielder. And I told Virat and thought to myself, on a good day, those are three boundaries. That is what this game teaches you. Sometimes you can edge between slips for a four and when you are batting well, three potential boundaries could get stopped. It’s an unbelievable game. You just have to remain a student and learn so many things. When I go to my hundred, the reaction was when I looked at the bat and looked upwards toward God and said, “It’s been a tough time for me”. Why? Where did I lack in my commitment? Finally it had happened and I was really thrilled and I looked at the dressing room and I pointed my bat to the players and also to the Indian flag that I have on my helmet. This is what I have done for the nation and everyone has been part of it.

Can you describe the pressure of the last one year and the passion that you’ve played with for the last 23 years? 100 hundreds wasn’t my purpose. To win the World Cup was. I don’t regularly follow what people are saying about me. Because I feel I should have a clear mind whikle making those

decisions and hence I shouldn’t be thinking about what x, y, z are talking. I’m not in the Indian team to prove people wrong. I play this game, because I love playing this game. Nobody forced me into it and it’s my choice. There are going to be opinions.Whatever I do and whatever number of years that I play, there are going to be opinions. But they may not be always correct. I take notice of something that is said that can make me a better player and not of someone who is passing his judgment by watching tv. That person doesn’t know what’s happening with my mind or what’s happening with my body. I’m the one who knows about it. Only I know whether I’m motivated enough or passionate enough to be a part of the game. I kept telling myself I need to enjoy the game. If I’m not enjoying the challenges associated with the game, then it doesn’t work. That was one thing on mind, but people do read newspapers, people around you read newspapers. My friends don’t discuss these things and the same holds true for my family. They also understand that to perform to the best of my ability I need a clear mind. My mind cannot be occupied with all these thoughts. There’s an unwritten rule that no one discusses what’s happening (in the media). But when you meet people in a flight, reception of a hotel or room service, they tell you in a good way that we are praying for you to score a hundred today. How do you escape that? You have no choice, but to appreciate and acknowledge every little effort that they have made. After my hundreth century, my wife, anlai told me that many of my friends had gone walking to Siddhivinayak before the tour. A couple of senior citizens had also prayed for me at a dargah. People do it because they want me to achieve the goal. (100 hundreds). As much as I value and appreciate that, it stays in your mind. Thankfully as he told all this after I had scored my hundred. Sachin, you got 15474 runs. The chunk between 13000 and 14000 was your fastest, you were 37 then. You are talking of an age where athletes actually fight their age, fitness and all sort of issues. Can you describe the challenges of reinventing yourself? It is about enjoyment, it is about feeling motivated enough, it is about the desire to deliver Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

and how passionate I feel about the game. I am madly in love with the sport. At this stage, I enjoy every little moment. I know it is a different body from what it was 20 years ago and that is never to be going be the same, not only for me but all of us. But possibly what a 17-year-old mind could not do, a 37-year-old mind could do, so somewhere it balances out. It depends on how you see it, whether you see the glass half empty or half full, I see the glass as half full. That has helped me. I always looked at the positive side. I have not been much vocal but the aggression need not always be vocal but the aggression can be within. If you look in the bowler’s mind he will know whether you are aggressive enough or not. Sometimes it can be your body language, maybe in the way you just leave the ball. And then the way you respond to the bowler, the eye to eye contact, that conveys lot of things. I believe in that. Also when you are doing well, when you are putting in a lot of hard work and you see the results, it helps. It helps to push your training sessions and also on-field net sessions and off-field gym sessions and take that to a new level. I have done that and I remember two years ago when we went to New Zealand the first two games were T20 matches. I was not part of the squad but I requested the BCCI that I will go with the team and practice there because I felt I can be there, I can get acclimatised and practice. While I was not part of the squad, the whole team was practicing in the nets, I was working whole time on the bowling machine. The number of hours the whole team had practiced, I had batted along side on the bowling machine and I enjoyed. I must have hit close to 800-900 or 1000 balls maybe and that was just one session. I did a few sessions like that and I enjoyed. You don’t know worry about opinions but there is a point of view out there that believes that it is silly to combine Test and ODI hundreds so the pressure should not have been put on you in the first place. Do you also believe that there is such a category like a hundred hundreds? And have you also disturbed by India’s form overseas in Test cricket? While the whole of India is celebrating what you have achieved, it is one of India’s worst performances overseas in Test cricket since you started playing.

People are fascinated by this number game. So how does one keep that aside? I remember a long time ago, in 2003, John Wright had told me that you should be the first player to score international 100 hundreds and that was way back, during the 2003 World Cup. We used to have many chats and this was one during one of the chats this is what he had told me, just to push me. The coach’s job is to give the players’ that high and make sure that they are in the frame of mind to deliver and possibly John was looking to do that.

Yes it has been a tough phase for all of us in Test cricket. That is something we need to definitely look at. I felt the conditions were different, they were different for sure. What you personally call the home advantage, I felt the teams played good cricket. England were wanting to get to No. 1 spot and Australia were also looking a good side. If you look at the Australian series, in every Test there was just one partnership which changed the game other wise the records were more or less the same. In the Pert Test match, their first partnership was 178 runs, if you give them the average partnership of the series which was less than 20 runs, then Australian team in the first innings instead of getting to 320 or 330 they would have had a score of 170 and we were 158. So 12 runs lead, you think differently and the whole game changes. Similar thing happened in Sydney and then in Melbourne, where they were 24 for four and then there was a partnership in the second innings. So if you see in all the matches, these partnerships have hurt us. Obviously we were not able to put up a big score on the board but Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

the surfaces were slightly different. So if you remove that one partnership from every match, more or less the scores are the same. And that is going to happen. If we win then there would have been a big partnership from our team, but that didn’t happen. After every hundred you look up to the skies and thank god. Have you always been god fearing right from childhood and has this belief strengthened over the years? Yes, right from the day I started playing cricket, there was this Ganpati Mandir at Shivaji Park and during our breaks whenever I got thirsty, I would go there and drink the water from the tap there. I used to always feel that it is a kind of blessing and it is a kind of positive energy going through my body and it is going to give me strength to go out and perform. Right from that time, right from day one, it has been there and I feel that’s the way I have been brought up. Not just while playing cricket but before that I used to watch my father at home and see my mother as well, they pray and that is the way I have been brought up. People have spoken so much about 100 hundreds. How do you personally compare this record to all the other milestones in cricket? Do you believe any other player can break this record? I don’t like comparisons. I think getting to 800 wickets is a great thing, absolutely fabulous. All the other players who have done well and have been successful at international level, they have made huge sacrifices. There has been lot of discipline, commitment and dedication in their life to serve the nation. I respect all of them and I also respect the guys who have not been successful because to play for your nation you still have to go through the rigours and without that it doesn’t happen. I don’t like to compare and I respect every individual, who has achieved something. About breaking the record of 100 hundreds, I don’t know. All the records are meant to be broken. If somebody breaks it, then he must be an Indian.

What keeps you going in One-Day Internationals especially after winning the World Cup last year? It is the passion for the game and as long as I feel the passion, as long as I feel the desire is there, as long as I feel that I can go out and deliver then I should be playing. But the day I feel I cannot do it, I cannot motivate myself even though I am performing I cannot motivate myself then it is time to re-look at my decisions. There might be phases where I am not performing well but I am motivated enough and passionate enough then I need not worry. Looking back at the Australian series, India lost the Test series and you so much desperate to win the ODI tri-series. Also the 100th hundred, it was something that you wanted to get out of the way to continue with the cricket. In a scenario like that, there was the rotation policy and for someone who was not ever dropped or even asked to rest, were you disappointed or were you included in that decision? It was discussed between the senior players, the captain and the management. It was clear that we wanted all the guys to play because in a tournament like that when there are no long breaks between the games, then you also need to look at injuries. I am not saying that the players were injured but then there are some borderline cases which you need to look up and that is what we were looking to do. It was not a question of dropping someone but it was a question of taking care of those borderline cases. You spoke about the pressure of the 100 hundreds and subconsciously how it got to you. Do worry about the younger players in the team about how they would cope with, not something similar, but an achievement? I think that is an important factor to focus and not think about the external factor which sometimes weigh you down. There will be phases in their careers where the going is going to get tough, but that is a time that whatever you had practiced over the years and I am not taking about practicing in the nets, but outside the Copyright © 2012 Firstpost

field helps. My advice would be to keep an eye on the ball and not what XYZ is talking. Sometimes it feels good when people are talking good things about you, but when you get into it does feel bad when people do criticise you. So there has to be a balance between reading good things and reading bad things equally, and you got to maintain that balance and balance in your emotions about the way you celebrate and the way you respond to disappointments. If the balance is there, then in those tough phases you will be able to deal with it but if there is imbalance that is when the problem starts. It is upto an individual, and there is no particular formula to it that if you do this or that, it is going to work. There are guys who get motivated by certain things and it is important to know yourself, as to what works for an individual and follow that.

but because I lost my friend who understood I operated, how my family operated and never pressurised me to do ads whenever a series was going on, because in cricket time it was only cricket. I remember clearly him telling me that you only worry about scoring runs, you don’t worry about anything else, that is my problem. He gave me complete freedom and to have those kind of people around, who understand the way you think that really helps and it has continued. After that I have had Vinod, who has been with me now for 14 years now and Harish is here from WSG, and all these guys have contributed. But the family factor is the most important factor and without their understanding, it is just not possible.

You are a national icon and that is a tough job because the expectation of an entire nation is on you. How does it affect your personal life and your family? Sometimes you must be thinking of going to a lonely island and just disappearing… I do that. There are sometimes complaints that I don’t respond to various things and I should be reacting more to spend quality time with my family. Anjali has been for a long with me, right from the start of my international career and she understands the pressures and demands of an international sportspersons. I think without her support things would have been different. If my family didn’t understand what the demands were, then to manage all these things would have been really difficult. My family has played a huge role in where I am at the moment. Right from the start that was the unwritten law that I only play cricket, I don’t think of anything else, everything else will be looked after by my family. So I only focussed on the game and nothing else at all, so that has allowed me to be stress free and not worry about anything happening outside the field of cricket. So it has been just the cricket field and my family, because the rest of things have been managed by my family. From 1995 and onwards when I signed for WorldTel with Mark Mascarenhas that was a big moment for me. We went on to become good friends but unfortunately Mark passed away in 2002 when England was playing in India. That was a huge blow not because I lost my manager,

You have been a bridge between the seniors and junior generations. You have been the constant. How has it been adjusting for you, not so much for them, with the new generation? The difference has been only the choice of music. That has where the problem is. Otherwise we do the same things. I spoke about aggression, which need not be always vocal. There are youngsters who want to react to things immediately. I keep telling them don’t worry, after sometime you will have a different opinion about that. With age your thoughts change, the way you react changes. It is part of growing — what you do when you are 17, you don’t do at 35. It is a time-consuming process. It happens to everyone. Can you specify on the music being played in the dressing room?

I find difficult to pronounce…Pitbull and what not, I don’t know. It is because of my children how I know these names. It is good, it is fun. It is not about just me and my music. It is about what everyone is enjoying. In the dressing room you can’t have everyone happy — you play one song, there will be four guys saying ‘kya chal raha hain’ [what is happening] there are another five guys saying brilliant. So you have to go with the flow. There are questions about your retirement. You have not answered it completely? I have answered. May be you guys have not understood properly. I have always said that when I decided to retire I will let you know. Where is the question of not answering? Do you see yourself playing Test cricket in four years’ time? I don’t know. When I started playing cricket I didn’t see myself playing for 22 years either. I don’t know what is in store. It is in God’s hands. In future who do you think may be able to play for 20 years? I don’t know really. 20-22 years of playing is a long time. You can literally count one hand how many guys have done in the history of cricket. It is definitely not easy. To make that prediction that somebody is going to play for 20 years, I don’t think I am good enough to answer that. What about someone like Virat Kohli? Again, that would amount to speculation on my part. It is too early. Speaking on the rotation policy do you think certain thing should not have come in the public domain? Yes, I’m a believer of that, that certain things should not leave the dressing room. But every individual will have different opinion, every individual will react differently and he means different things. So I can’t answer for people who have spoken about it as to what they intended to say. I don’t know.

But it seemed like someone was trying to attack the senior players in the team by making such kind of comments? Honestly, I can’t fill in those blanks. Only that individual would know what he was trying to say. If anything is there then, we travel in the same bus, we sit in the dressing room, we would share those things. Did you feel bad? I don’t follow (newspapers). I was in good space. The only people where I had no choice were the common man, who would read newspapers and just keep wishing me for my hundredth hundred. I am glad nobody would wish me after that. Not looking at your past or history. You are in a phase where there is a huge legacy that you have created and going forward, how do you look at it? I draw parallel to Roger Federer, where once he won the French Open, the whole set was completed and for you pretty much the same is with the 100 hundreds. Looking ahead how do you see yourself connecting with the brands, and as a player. And also is there something on your mind like creating like a Sachin Tendulkar foundation? While playing cricket, I don’t think I would be able to do all those things like creating a foundation but there would be a stage in life where I can start thinking about those things. At this moment, I am honestly not thinking of that and whatever I do, I do it at my level privately and I don’t disclose all those things. But I feel when I stop playing cricket I will have more time on hand and I will look at doing those things and react to those things. WSG look after my brands and they come to me and ask me do you think you want to associate yourself with a particular brand. They also study a particular brand and there also certain things that I have stated I will not promote and I am glad I have not promoted tobacco and alcohol. There were offers but I have stuck to my promise and whatever the offers I have said no.

Have you been approached by hospitals, doctors or other players to talk about the tennis elbow and how you can treat it? Not really. That is something which I would all the sportsperson to stay away from… I hope they don’t get injuries. There is something about the brand itself that I had done, I was associated with CARE, they used my name and in return all I had asked for is that all the state-level sportsmen and sportswomen should be treated free of cost and they have done that. That is my only association.

As you have said winning the World Cup was your dream. Any fulfilled dream? I don’t have any other dream now. There were two big dreams — one was playing for India and the second was to lift the World Cup. That was my biggest dream. After the 99th century, there were a few occasions when you got really close to the hundred mark. One knock that stood out was the Mumbai Test match, against the West Indies last year. What was going on in your mind when you actually got out then? In the morning when I walked in, the new ball was taken. We lost a wicket in the first over it-

self. So obviously when they took the new ball, I told myself ‘you need to see what is happening.’ There was a bit of movement off the wicket. And I said to myself ‘you need to try and play the ball close to the body as possible. But if there are scoring opportunities, you need to put the ball away.’ And while doing so I played some really good shots and that sort of changed my mindset and I wanted to attack after that. And attack — not carelessly attack — but I felt wherever I expected the bowler to bowl, I felt the ball was there. I played those shots. I remember the ball before I got out, I was at the other end and [Fidel] Edwards was bowling, he had a thirdman and a sort of defensive field. I knew they wanted to keep me on 93 or something. I guided a ball to thirdman, I picked a single and the next over when Ravi Rampaul was bowling, the ball was coming a bit slow off the wicket. I felt there was a little bit of stickiness in the wicket early in the morning and all I said that again I am not going to go out reaching for the ball and convert those length balls into half volley, I am just going to wait for the ball to come. One ball just seamed from the wicket and I said it is still moving around even though I have scored quick runs, overnight I was batting on 67 or 68, and I had scored those 24 or 25 runs quickly. I said I still need to keep watching the ball and the ball that I got out to, it bounced a bit more than I expected and it also went quicker off the wicket than what it was coming for the first six overs. By the time I realised I could see that I sort of slashed the ball and it wasn’t a pre-planned shot, I just reacted. I had decided that I am just going to react, whatever I see I am going to react with an open mind. I had reacted and then the ball was in the air and it flew to [Darren] Sami. It was a disappointment but it had happened so quickly that all of a sudden I am out and I am walking back to the pavilion and I am passing Virat. I was in that zone where I didn’t know what was happening around and I realised I had lost my wicket.

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