Sachinism..

It would be criminal on my side not to write anything about Sachin in my blog. After paying tribute to his disciple Sehwag, now it is the master's turn. I cannot imagine any sportsman in my memory to carry the enormous burden of millions of fans  over such a long span of time. Sachin for India is a national treasure. For a  country of over a billion, if ever there has been a single soul to bind the nation together, it's no one but him.

My fantasy for the gentleman's game started in the early nineties. Soon the fantasy turned into craze and now a religion. The early memories of Sachin batting was him opening in India's tour in New Zealand in 1993-94.

During those times cable television used to be a luxury, so we had to visit the nearest electronics store or a neighbour's house to watch India play unless you were lucky enough to have DD telecasting the match. Watching him play the punching straight drive, as well his attacking cricket soon got me hooked to his style of batting. He got his first century after nearly playing 80 ODIs and since then there has been no looking back.

My love for Sachin is unconditional or it's no love at  all. You may like someone conditionally on their personality or behavior or circumstances. But true love for a hero accepts no boundaries. I never say "I adore you Sachin because....", for true respect and adulation has no cause. Love comes from god and in your case i am sorry to say that even god turns human. One fine afternoon a big banner in the infamous 2007 Syndey test (infamous for monkeygate scandal) read like this, "Commit all your crimes when Sachin is batting, for even god stops and watches him bat". How true....

Today there is a lot of debate on ODIs and 20-20 replacing test cricket. But for purists like me, test cricket is the true test of your callibre. Players like Sachin make watching tests even more engrossing because of the sheer amount of skill and mental focus required in this form of the game. Going by recent trends the amount of tests being played are dwindling alarmingly and it would become very difficult for any player of this era to beat Sachin's record in test cricket. If anything only Pointing posses some real threat. Sachin would still  remain the supreme king in the ODI format for a long time to come.

Critics often compare Sachin with other greats and complain that he is not a match winner. I would like to remind them that put them in Sachin's shoes and then see how they perform. When Sachin bats a billion hopes of a cricket crazy nation are resting on him. To constantly deliver for years and then promising for more speaks volumes about his consistency and the love for the game. While his counterparts have fizzled away and retired Sachin still stands there with the same passion for the game. His cherubic smile and the infectious childlike passion for the game still keeps on inspiring his teamates. Batting greats like Lara, Mark and Steve Waugh, Inzamamul Haq and many others have always been there but no one has stood the test of time like him. He single handedly lead Indias quest for world cup glory in 1996 as well as 2003, and almost got them there. Still critics question his ability to deliver when it matters. It can't get bigger than performing at the  world cup. With 2011 world cup being played in the subcontinent next year, it wont come as a surprise to me when he again lifts his game and propel India towards the ultimate glory.

The big question which often strikes us is the future of Indian cricket without the master. It is a scenario which  is  something very difficult to imagine. The void left by him will be irreplacable. He will leave behind a legacy which can put even the great greek warriors to shame. It is often said that records are made to be broken but please dont be heart broken if his records remain intact for generations to come. Talking about his life apart from cricket, he is a complete family man. His upbringing, his mannerisms and the way he carries himself off and on the field should inspire us. The success and adulation has never got into his head and he still remains the family man.

If ever the lyrics of  the song "Hallelujah" was rewritten, it would go like this..

Now i have seen there was a secret shot,

That Sachin played, and it pleased the Lord,

But you don't really care for glory, do you?

It goes like this,

The fours, the six,

The upper cut , the major hit,

The baffled bowlers composing Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah...

Hallelujah Sach...