A Lasting Legacy

“I care about playing for my Country. It is a passion and I have been absolutely privileged to play for India for so long. It is my dream and I am living my dreams” – Sachin Tendulkar

I was busy in my work, shuffling between the window screens, reading documents, preparing a presentation and of course following the scores. India is playing the Aussies and Australia has scored a huge 350 runs. Having been an avid cricket follower for almost 15 years, I know it is going to be chasing the wind from here on for our guys. We have always been very poor chasers, and my mind said today is going to be no different. So I carried on with my work and as always having an occasional look in the internet for the scores. Sachin was settling down slowly and Shewag had begun ferociously, when I left office. When I started on my long travel back home news came that Sachin is looking brilliant but all others around him are falling like nine pins. That is it!!! Sachin can’t win this match single handedly, I told myself.

Having seen Sachin scoring runs day in and day out for 15 years, I have no doubt that he is the best in business. For me, “He is the only batsman is the world, All others can bat”. Every inch of my batting in my school days, is modeled on sachin. When he hits those straight drives I have touched his feet in my dreams. I could even recollect the commentator’s words when Sachin scored that desert storm classic. I cried when Sachin clutching his back got out in the famous unfinished chase in Chennai. Though India had a comparatively weak team those days, I always hoped against all hope that Sachin will take us home. But, For once, after almost 15 years, for the first time my mind said “Sachin cannot do it alone”. He is too old for chasing such big scores, though my heart as always wanted Sachin to win the match single handedly.

By the time I reached home, Sachin was still batting on 120 and with Raina has brought the team to a near improbable victory. Then, in a moment of madness after scoring 175, Sachin got himself out and India lost again. Nothing new!!! You cannot expect a team to chase 350 runs against the Aussies. India deserves to lose my brother said. They should not have given 350 runs in the first place he said. But for me, the whole match was about one man, one great man. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

The man was 36 when he scored that magnificent innings. When most, almost all of his contemporaries have retired and switched professions, he soldiers on. When the world said, he is not good enough, not anymore, he soldiers on. When even his ultimate supporters like me said he could not do it on his own, he soldiers on. What has kept him going??? What is his pull, rather the push??? What is the one thing that has kept him going the same way when he started two decades back??? Surely, it cannot be money, because he already has earned so much!!! Surely, it cannot be name or fame, for he is compared to God’s here. What is the one thing that has made this man he is, fight twenty long years, amidst controversies, injuries, criticisms, heartbreaks, and above all else mediocre under performing, and sometimes even corrupt colleagues??? I decided to analyze…….

He gave a small view of his mind, after the match when asked the question. He said it had been a dream to play for my country and I am living my dreams. Dream ??? Dream to serve the country for so long??? Yes!!! He dreamt of making it big. But, Hasn’t he made it big already??? He dreamt of becoming the best batsman of all time. But, Is he not the best batsman of his generation yet??? I have no doubt in my mind that he is the greatest batsman who has ever touched the bat. Of course, I have seen only the last 15 years of cricket. But, I don’t think anybody before Sachin, had to withstand the amount of pressure he went through. From the time he was sixteen (Yes!!! 16 with curly hair and real boyish looks) he had delivered time and again for his Country which he so dearly loved. Many, started young and withered away not able to handle pressure, many built up monuments very early, only to fade away in the heaps of accolades. Many, started late, flourished for some time, and then declined with the vagaries of time. But he withstood them all. He has played with the Kapils, then the Kumble’s, then came Dravid’s and ganguly’s, then the Yuvraj’s and now the Jadeja’s and the Kohli’s.

Two things crossed my mind, when I asked myself that question. One, is a remarkable word. PASSION is what I meant. Only very few people can harness such raw PASSION and Sachin for sure was one of them. Every individual can understand what Passion is watching Sachin bat in that innings. He wanted to do it for his country and no matter what the target is he will go for it. Some call it determination. May be, yes. But, for Sachin the word Passion suits him much more than determination I think. Every drop of sweat on that day was drenched with passion for playing cricket for his country, the country which he so dearly loved.

The other thing is even more remarkable for me. Probably, even without this quality, he could have scored the same number of runs. Yet, his ability to remain down to earth and very humane in spite of his godly status is what sets him apart. He never reacted badly when he was on the wrong side of bad umpiring ( When counted he should be the person having most number of wrong decisions). He never showed faces when his bowlers and fielders let him down badly. He never criticized the media, or his colleagues, or even his opponents. This ability of his, to keep grounded has not only enabled him to keep going but also has given such high stature among his followers.

I know a day is coming soon when Sachin has to hang his boots. He is human indeed. The next generation will have heroes to celebrate for and Sachin will soon be a forgotten entity. His records could also be overtaken. After all records are meant to be broken. Age will soon overtake and a time will come when Sachin will be bowled by his grandchild.

But, Sachin has left a legacy. A legacy which will never be forgotten by the people who are privileged to watch him play. He sure has captivated the minds of millions of Indian of his generation and the next. I sure will follow cricket after Sachin retires in the same way as I had followed for the last 15 years. But, I will really, really miss the way Sachin played his cricket and the lasting legacy he has given us all. There can be many, who could bat the way he did. But, there can be only one Sachin and only he can play cricket the way he did.