A cricketing prodigy!!!

When Sachin Tendulkar travelled to Pakistan to face one of the finest bowling attacks ever assembled in cricket, Michael Schumacher was yet to race an F1 car, Lance Armstrong had never been to the Tour de France, Diego Maradona was still the captain of a world champion Argentina team, and Pete Sampras had never won a Grand Slam.

When Tendulkar embarked on a glorious career taming Imran and company, Roger Federer was a name unheard of; Lionel Messi was in his nappies, Usain Bolt was an unknown kid in the Jamaican backwaters. The Berlin Wall was still intact; USSR was one big country.”

It seems while Time was having its toll on every individual on the face of this planet, it excused one man. Time stands frozen in front of Sachin Tendulkar. We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never will.

- IBN Live

Journey of a little boy to a legend:

The 1990s was a time of awakening for the Indian economy. It was a time of VCRs, Walkmans and Maruti-800s. It was an age when still cameras needed roll-films, the sensex was under 750 points and petrol was priced under Rs.10. It was also the start of an era of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Blessed with the keenest of cricket minds he has been the most complete batsmen and the most prolific run-maker of all time. 

The beginning of his career was marked by courage. Facing lethal deliveries on his test debut and battling it out with a blood soaked shirt against the most dreadful attack ever, he made a mark as a gritty young lad willing to take on the best in the world. The nation saw hope in the little genius. Records galore followed suit. The rest is history. For Sachin, failure was not an option. While he was at the crease there was always hope. India found a player who went after the impossible. Aged prayed for him, executives skipped office, and an entire generation of youths dreamt of becoming cricketers. 

He made seeming progress with his batting which won him accolades. Time and again, testing times gave critics a crevice for target but then he made all the talking through his super-heavy bat, synonymous with the burden of the nation he bore. He proved a nightmare to bowlers which gave opponent captains sleepless nights. Memories of the desert storm in Sharjah is still afresh where he single-handedly destroyed the Australian attack, his favourites - the most dominant team of his era. 'Aussies Destoyed' said a tabloid headline, 'Hail Sachin' said another. "We lost to Sachin," said Steve Waugh. With time, India has become a global giant, while the Little Master has become a legend.

It would be no exaggeration to say that Tendulkar's landmarks put him among the very top echelon of sports persons across diverse fields. He's probably got the most flawless technique, something beyond scientific measure. Something that has allowed him to to roam a territory of sport that  even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. Perhaps it is a testimony to greatness that can never be challenged by even the most ardent critic.

"To play for India" has always been his desire in life. Somehow, when he says it, you know it's not just a platitude but a heartfelt truth. Cricket has always celebrated Sir Jack Hobbs for scoring 199 first class hundreds. But of course there's difference. Scoring 100 hundreds in international cricket is a feat that has once and for all set Tendulkar apart from his predecessors, contemporaries and probably even generations of future greats to come. The only batsman against whom Sachin can truly be benchmarked is Sir Don Bradman. But then Bradman never played with the pressure of carrying the hopes of a billion-plus people on his shoulders, never had to deal with a situation where a loss was similar to a criminal conviction with the world's second-most populous country sitting in collective judgment. Bradman played a sport. Tendulkar is the presiding deity of a nationally-unifying religion called cricket. 

He has always had a rousing reception every time he has stepped out on the cricket field. And right through his career, he has had to deal with great pressure that only a few could sustain. The crowd usually gets so loud that it adds to nervous tension that makes things difficult to concentrate to even the greats. But again, he has had his own technique to counter just like he would counter the most deadliest deliveries. 

"Whenever I found the crowd too loud I decided to walk down the wicket and tap it for a while, giving myself an extra 15-20 seconds to adjust. I'd be hoping that in this extra time the crowd would mellow a little and settle down." Sachin has said. 

He will have to perform this ritual in two more Tests. And it's certain that the crowd will not settle down in 15-20 seconds. The applause and cheers will reverberate around the world non-stop. Eden Gardens in Kolkata and the Wankhede in Mumbai could as well turn electric and find itself in History books as these venues will host India's two Tests against West Indies in November, which will mark the end of Sachin Tendulkar's 24-year career. We may get to see the legend play for India one last time. He has made his peace with the fact that there is life after cricket. He has called it a day as arguably the greatest batsman and inarguably one of the finest gentlemen to ever grace a cricket field.  But millions of fans will be consumed by a feeling of hollowness as they try to come to terms with cricket without Tendulkar. 

- DC

Courtesy:

Sachin Tendulkar retirement - Cricketcountry/ IBN Live. Tendulkar's 200th Test set to be in Mumbai - Cricinfo. The Rise Of Sachin Tendulkar - TOI. Sachin Tendulkar will play his 200th and final Test match - Sun.co.uk. Sachin Tendulkar to declare at 200 - TOI. Tendulkar to retire after 200th Test - Cricinfo.