“Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don’t know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their television sets and switch off their lives.” – BBC sports
“Paaka paisa lagaya lagta hai. Bahut haara ho ga” (Looks like he’s bet money. Must have lost a fortune). These comments were directed to yours truly, on completion of the India – South Africa world cup 2011 league game. I was watching the cricket match at a kid’s birthday party at the Moti Mahal restaurant in Bandra, Mumbai.
Besides me there were about ten other fathers, and around twenty-five mothers who accompanied their kids to Harsh’s birthday party. There was plenty to do for the kids – magic show, games, tatoo, face painting, and DJ. The game host took care to the kids, freeing up moms to catch up on their gossip, talk about their most recent designer wear and jewelry purchases and discuss the latest on TV reality shows. Of what I overheard, MTV Roadies was the number one favorite along with Emotional Atyachaar, Love Lock-Up and Maa Exchange. “I love the show where children get different parents”, said a mom blessed with two sons. I wondered why? Papas too were having a great time – watching cricket and enjoying their drink. I too decided to have my share of fun at the party. Right through the game, I was confident that India would win. I cheered my country with shouts that were echoed by the rest at the party, “India…. In..diya…India….In..diya”. The face painting artist made a joker for me, Maahir and Shourya loved it as did the rest at the party. Meanwhile, the balance of the match kept shifting like a see-saw. The game was heading to be a cliff hanger.
Before we complete the story of the birthday party, the cricket match, the opening remarks and my reply, there are a few stories that I wish to share with my fellow Indians.
As I turn back in time and try to remember my first cricketing memory, the scenes of 1983 World cup victory comes to mind. Late evening, on 25th June my chacha (uncle) told me that India had won the cricket World cup. I only realized the significance of the event when the local Irani restaurant gave away free ‘Pav’ (Indian Bread), courtesy, Kapil Dev and his team. The captain’s catch to dismiss Viv Richards in the final was the turning point. His knock of 175 against Zimbabwe, after the top order had collapsed to 17 for 5 is the other lasting memory of that tournament. India became the first team, other than the West Indies to win the world cup. A 10-year old kid watching the game dreamt of winning the world cup for his team some day – it inspired him to take up playing the game.
I too, became an ardent cricket follower like the rest of my family. My papa, three uncles and I would get up at 4:30 am to watch India play in the Benson & Hedges cup, 1985. Atam uncle would make tea for all of us. Until then, I had never seen any of the men in my family enter the kitchen. We would all be glued to our 12 channel, Sony color TV, tuned into Doordarshan, the one and only channel then. The wake-ups paid dividends; India won the Benson & Hedges Cup. Ravi Shastri won the “Champion of Champions” title and an Audi Car which could accommodate 11 Indians – inside and outside. My cousin was born that year – I named him Ravi – his last name is Jashnani.
A year later, it was time for Pakistan to square off their loss to India in the B&H cup finals. With four runs to get of the last ball, the wily Javed Miandad hit Chetan Sharma’s full toss delivery for a six. India lost. That evening, I cried. India cried. The loss rankled for a long time as India found it difficult to beat Pakistan in Sharjah thereafter. Some say it was by design.
The victories of 1983 and 1985 changed the course of cricket in India forever. But it was in 1989 that India and the cricketing world were gifted without doubt with the greatest cricketer of all time. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar made his debut against Pakistan, aged just 16.
Two memories stand out from that tour of Pakistan. The young boy was hit by a nasty bouncer by the intimidating Waqar Younis in the final test at Sialkot. His nose was bleeding, but he continued to bat and denied any medical assistance. Second, his batting assault on the great leg spinner Abdul Qadir. He had earlier hit the young leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed for a couple of sixes. Qadir then came up to him and said, “Bachchon ko kyon mar rahe ho? Hamein bhi maar dikhao” (“Why are you only hitting the kid? Hit me too.”). The little wonder immediately obliged – hitting Qadir for 28 runs in one over (including four sixes). Sachin’s treatment of Abdul Qadir in that game is part of folklore now.
Indian cricket went through a transition in the early nineties, with the old guard calling it a day. Mohammad Azharuddin was the new captain. The 1992 world cup in Australia, Sachin’s first, marked the inset of pinch-hitters. New Zealand under the leadership of Martin Crowe experimented with Mark Greatbatch at the top of the batting order. Dipak Patel, the off-spinner would open the bowling. Jonty Rhodes’ “superman” run out of Inzamam-ul-Haq gave a whole new dimension to fielding. New Zealand were amongst the favorites to win the tournament, until Inzamam single handedly beat them in the semi-finals. Pakistan won that world cup under the leadership of the charismatic Imran Khan. The tournament was quite a disastrous one for India. Their poor performance saw them at No 7 in the final standings with only Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe below them.
Then in 1993, India hosted the 5 nation Hero Cup. In the semi-finals, South Africa needed just six runs to win with one over remaining. Ajit Wadekar, the Indian coach then recalls, “As I remember it, Kapil was a bit, just a bit mind you, reluctant to bowl. Sachin grabbed the ball”. He conceded only three. It was the magical victory which drove the entire nation crazy that night. The Cricket Association of Bengal sent champagne bottles to the Indian dressing room. They were sent back with reasoning that this was just the semi-final. The victory in finals against West Indies would be remembered for Anil Kumble’s magical spell of 6 wickets for 12 runs.
Tendulkar was told to open the batting at Auckland against New Zealand in 1994. It was the day of Holi – and the master blaster showed his true colors. He went on to make 82 runs off 49 balls. The same year he scored his first century in his 79th one day game.
The 1996 world cup saw the world cup returning to India after the 1987 Reliance world cup. Sri Lanka & Pakistan were co-hosts. Being the home side, India were one of the favorites to win the tournament. They beat Pakistan in the quarter finals, a match that shall be remembered for Jadeja’s onslaught in the slog overs and the spat between Venkatesh Prasad and Aamir Sohail, which the former won. In the semi-finals, Sri Lanka batting first scored a competitive 251. At 98-1, India looked well on course to making to the final. But once Sachin was dismissed, India suddenly crumbled to 120/8. The crowd erupted in anger and disrupted proceedings. The game had to be handed over to the Sri Lankans. The sight of Vinod Kambli walking back to the pavilion with tears in his eyes was one of the sorriest sights ever witnessed in Indian cricket. Tendulkar scored 523 runs in the tournament, but he would still have to wait for another world cup.
For me personally, Sachin’s most memorable innings was against Australia in the semi-final of the Coca-Cola Cup at Sharjah, in 1998. India, batting second, had two targets: 285 to win the match, 254 to qualify for the finals. Sachin single-handedly challenged the Aussies with his masterful batting; the Gods decided to watch the game and arrived at the Sharjah stadium with the desert storm. The little genius paid them his respects. He blasted a brilliant 143 from 131 balls. India lost the game, but made it to the finals. The Gods showered blessings on their favorite son, they knew his job was only half done. Birthday boy Sachin Tendulkar repeated his class act again with his 15th One-day century to take India to a spectacular title win over Australia. After being defeated, Steve Waugh, the Australian captain then said, “It was one of the greatest innings I have ever seen. There is no shame being beaten by such a great player, Sachin is perhaps only next to the Don’.”
Not many remember Tendulkar’s cracking innings of 140 against minnows Kenya in the 1999 world cup. But one thing that certainly comes to mind is how the master batsman inspired India to victory just three days after his father’s death. Yet, India failed to make it to the semi-finals.
The beginning of the new millennium was not very auspicious for the Indian cricket team. The match fixing scandals engulfed big names like Kapil Dev, Ajay Jadeja, Ajay Sharma and Mohammad Azharuddin. “You can not fix a match until and unless Sachin Tendulkar is out.” This what a bookmaker said to CBI officers during the interrogation of match fixing scandal in 2000. The great man did not let his country down.
The year 2003, was probably India’s best chance to regain the world cup glory of 1983. The team did exceptionally well until the finals. The tournament shall be remembered for Sachin’s astounding innings of 98 against Pakistan. Struck down by a shooting pain in his left leg and batting with a runner, Sachin took on the Pakistan quicks, crunching 12 boundaries and a six in a 75-ball stay that even by his own high standards, he considers amongst his best one-day innings. Sadly though, it all fell apart against Australia in the finals. Sachin was the losing hero of the world cup, the Man of the Tournament
In the 2007 world cup in West Indies, India was knocked out in the group stage.
By 2010, the master had amassed both the highest number of runs and the maximum tons in Tests and one-dayers alike. If devout worshippers had any reason to quibble, it was that there was no one record-shattering innings to match Brain Lara’s test score of 400. The humble man himself may have not talked about it, but deep within he had a target. A staggering 2,961 matches and almost 39 years after the first ODI was played the little legend finally became the first cricketer to score 200 in a one-dayer, propelled by a record 25 fours in one knock. As has become customary after every achievement, Sachin looked at the heavens, remembered his father and thanked God. After the 200th run, the gaze upwards was longer than usual. At the receiving end, were the South Africans.
Coming back to the birthday party and the India – South Africa league game, the Proteas required fourteen runs of the last over, with 4 wickets to spare. Most men at the party hall thought that Harbhajan should bowl. Dhoni decided otherwise and handed over the ball to Ashish Nehra. All that the bowler had to do was bowl sensibly – just as Tendulkar did, 18 years ago. That was not to happen – and it took the South Africans just four balls – 4,6,2,4 to get to the target. South Africa didn’t win – India lost.
There was pin drop silence in the stadium – the expressions of those watching the game said the story. The party too went quiet. The song “All is Well” was turned off, kids stopped dancing, mummys stopped gossiping and daddies continued to drink (late into the night). Words fail to describe the disappointment and anguish of all those who just a few hours earlier applauded Sachin’s outstanding batting and his 99th international hundred, only to betrayed by the team’s mediocre batting and bowling. “How can a team lose 9 wickets for 29 runs? This match is fixed”, said some one at the party.
The 10 year old kid was now 37, still watching; this time, from the third man boundary. He did not cry, nor did he show any emotion. The great sportsman shook hands with the winning team and left the field with his head down. Not that he is not human, or does not have any emotions. In the 22 years, that he has been around, he has learned to live with failures – his excellence being undone by the mediocrity of his own men, time and again. “Without mediocrity, there is not value for excellence”, an unfortunate, but a true statement made by my dear friend Aniket Gore.
We all know about his shoulder surgery, his niggling knee injury, the ankle pain, the tennis elbow, but still expect him to win it for us, when there are ten others in the team.
As he walks out to the cricket field, shouldering the expectations of a billion people – he leaves all the pain behind, somewhere that you and me shall never find out. He’s buried it deep within – so deep – that he and he alone can feel it.
This is his sixth world cup – and probably his last. He’s done everything that he could have done to fulfill his childhood dream – he came back strong from his father’s death, battled injuries, has been playing non – stop for 22 years and has single handedly lifted to moods of this entire nation umpteen number of times.
It’s time for his team to rise to the occasion and make sure that they win the cup for his country and the billion countrymen whose hopes rest on his shoulders. Win the cup for Sachin – and relieve him from the buried pain and emotions. Because when he is gone, there will never be another Sachin who can be like him.
The joker who cheered for India till the last ball almost cried when he heard, “Paaka paisa lagaya lagta hai. Bahut haara ho ga”. This is his reply to all those mediocre people who don’t realize that if there is one thing that binds all Indians after the national flag, it is an emblem called, ‘Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar’.
I have seen God. He opens the batting for India in ODI. Take a bow to the master.
Chak De India !
23rd March, 2011
P.S. – This article was written on the eve of India-Australia world cup quarter – final. We beat the Aussies. The little man once again played his part. The team stood by him.
South Africa lost to New Zealand in the Quarter Finals. They “choked” again. I wished they won – so that India could beat them in the Finals – It’s always nice to have the last word.
New Zealand lost to Sri Lanka in the semi-final. India beat Pakistan in the second semi-final at Mohali. Tendlya scored 85 and was the man of the match. Dhoni and his men were outstanding.
On the night of April 2, 2011, Sachin’s dream came true – he conquered the last frontier. The team rose to the occasion – the captain lead from the front. They gifted him the World Cup – India celebrated. This time, the ten others hosted the party for the little master. The young Virat Kohli who carried the little master on his shoulders during the victory celebrations at the Wankhede stadium summed it up, “He has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years so it’s time we carried him on our shoulders”.
Thank you Team India.
2nd April, 2011
