Long before the internet and very long before cell phones were available in India, there was Sachin Tendulkar. And he was playing cricket for India. You need to state it starkly to realise the years he has traversed and his longevity in an era where burnout is common. There was the utter romance of the phase from 1988-1992. It was an era of curiosity because we knew he was good but we didnt possess the imagination to make a projection of just how good he could be. But it was a wonderful phase; it was like scientists learning something new about a phenomenon. It was a phase where he played the defining innings of his career. It was also a phase before Dravid, Ganguly and Laxman established themselves as world class batsmen, before Sehwag appeared on the horizon and after Azharuddin had finished playing his best cricket. And as Rahul Dravid said recently, it was a phase where, by taking all the attention towards himself, he allowed the rest to find their feet in international cricket. It wasnt as if he planned it that way but his breathtaking batting gave the others the opportunity to develop their craft, the time to make mistakes and learn. I believe that this phase of Tendulkars batting was to lay the base for the most glorious era of Indian batsmanship that followed; where he became, not the solitary artist but a part of an ensemble cast that also featured Dravid, Ganguly, Laxman and Sehwag. If I had to turn the clock back and pick a phase, I would pick this. In the years to follow, there were other challenges. Injuries impeded his ability to play with the freedom he so yearned for, the climate in the team affected his state of mind. It didnt stop him scoring runs, merely diminished the great joy of seeing him bat. I wonder if he will sign off with a special.. (200 n.o) it will bring him to 16000 test runs. maybe in Mumbai?
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 17:25:54 +0000
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