For sports fan, the easiest way to remember past life moments is to remember the important match that happened that day. For indian cricket fan grown up in 90’s, the easiest way to remember the batting innings of Sachin Tendulkar.
I started watching cricket from early 1995 but came to know the real need of SRT during wc 1996. Amborose, Walsh and Bishop the last of the fearsome tall Windies trio who were best of their times were tormenting Indian batting and then one man( with almost half the height of those trios) stood and take India to an important victory. 13 March 1996, at 98-1, a final spot is up for grabs and then suddenly the man got stumped. My father told me now india will lose. I kind of laughed at my father( for the first and last time). How can just one man dismissal can bring india downfall.32 runs later and 8 wickets down, for the first time my childhood mind starting to absorb the importance of SRT.
Then with all respect to his two desert storms, what i remember most from his golden year 1998 is his exquisite century against australia in Chennai test. I have read in local hindi newspaper ” dainik jagran” that he was practising with a deliberate “rough” outside the leg-stump for the bowlers to replicate Warne’s spin from round the wicket and in the second innings what i witnessed was transformation of sachin the human to sachin the superhuman in my heart and in my mind. Technically that was also my first test match where I managed to watch entire day on TV.
And then the fated day of mahashivratri 2003 comes. Wasim akram, waqar younis, shohaib akhtar, saqlain mustaq and Razzaq/Afridi as fifth bowlers!! Seeing this bowling line up can send shiver down to any indian cricket fan especially when many of them are fasting.But this man has different ideas and the rest was history( to me definitely SRT one of the best odi innings).The aura was there, “Tujhe pata hain tune kiska catch chorha hain”( Wasim akram to Razzaq after he drops SRT catch)
2008 December, Mumbai still recovering from 26 november assault. the man is always criticised for failing in 4th innings. And then he masterminded a memorable win over England with an unbeaten 103.
Jan 2011; A roaring Steyn vs a genius of Tendulkar. They say new ball can talk but Steyn was bowling them with such ferocity and swing that they were screaming their head off. And the man standing in front was blocking all and after a long battle completed a fantastic century.
For the generation addicted with Disney hour Alladin,small wonder and kungfu serials on home tv( no english seasons) ,he was the best thing on TV. He was the man we were privileged to watch and he was the man we always wanted to be. Thank you Sir for making us luckier than our children.