In a fitting tribute to a superlative career, by any definition, Sachin Tendulkar retired completely from international cricket in an unparalleled fanfare event that left crying fans yearning for more and critics silent for once. To add a fitting tribute to a career studded by records of all sorts, he was conferred Bharat Ratna (along with Dr CNR Rao, no lesser personality in his field) thus becoming the first sportsperson and the youngest to win Bharat Ratna. In the glitter of public life for the last 24 months, his every move on and off the field has been scrutinized to its maximum leaving all such ventures an exercise in futility. But it will be unfair for the toil of 24 years if we don’t even acknowledge the phenomenon he is!
A beacon of hope
Sachin arrived in the late 80’s when India had just started the habit of losing matches from any position in the match and the template was followed for much of the next 10 odd years. Established stars of that times were transitioning out and a new team was developing under Azharuddin. As the Indian team capitulated series after series in away matches (home remained a formidable fortress), Sachin emerged as one hope for the population who were assured of a victory till he was at crease. The oft repeated “Sachin out and TV switched off” scenario might have even happened in millions of households in those times.
His effect grew on innings after innings reaching a crescendo in mid 90’s when he couldn’t do anything wrong. From opening the batting (from that fateful Holi day in ’94 against the hapless Kiwis) to last over heroics with ball to almost winning the ’96 world cup single-handedly for India, he became an icon for Indian sports and retained that aura till the end of his career. Such was the state of maddening expectations that everyone assumed he’ll score every time which even more amazingly, he complied for majority of his career!
What critics have to say
He was not a good captain. He is not a team player and he played for himself. He couldn’t handle pressure. He couldn’t lead India past finish line. The most repeated however – “Everytime he scores, India loses”. Most of these accusations have piled up in the last few years when he was obviously off his peak but still better than most. All top sports persons are as alike as they are different. They are similar in their dazzling high standards and remarkable capacity to enact one performance after the other but at the same time differ in their methodology to achieve that zen place.
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