16 March 2012. Asia Cup. India v/s Bangladesh
The world (which knows and understands cricket) will remember this day for a long, long time to come. In fact this day will be immortalized in the annals of cricketing history forever. On this day the unimaginable was done, the most awaited milestone was achieved.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar affectionately called as "GOD" by the cricketing mad fanatics in India did what the entire country was waiting for with bated breath for over an year now... He hit 100 centuries in all forms of International Cricket combined. (51 in Test Cricket, 49 in ODI). In a career spanning over 22 years, he has broken countless records including the most runs scored by any batsmen alive in any form of the game. The most centuries in test cricket, the most centuries in ODI's, the list in endless. Talk about a batting milestone and the odds are that you will find Sachin's name in the list in the top 10 at least if not in top 5 or heading the list.
For long he was India's batting mainstay. Mr. Unbelievable. He was the ultimate batsmen in league with rarefied persons like Sir Don Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Grahame Pollock. He was counted as the best of the best. He did the unbelievable, pulled out victories from the jaws of defeat and he was the man the nation turned to when the going got tough.
He achieved what was thought to be impossible, he broke records that were said as unbreakable. He did them with a panache, all except the last. It was sad to see him struggling through the entire of last year. India achieved the biggest triumph in cricketing history by winning the CWC-2011, but sadly Tendulkar's contribution was negligible; his name missing from the people who contributed to the victory. True he was a part of the team, but he was not in the form that was his benchmark for the bulk of the 22 years that he's played for India now. His highest score was the 85 runs he scored against Pakistan in a chancy innings with at least 5 catches being dropped.
Yesterday too the world saw a Tendulkar rarely seen before. His scored; but not as per his standards, his 109 runs came of 137 balls and ultimately costed the team the chance to score over 300 runs. That his 100th 100 was in vain must be the most bitter pill for the Maestro to swallow. The disastrous tours of England and Australia have seen the clamor for the seniors in the team to retire and make way for younger members to build a side for the future. The clamor took it's victim in Rahul Dravid who announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket.
In retrospect Sachin's decision to play in Asia Cup after a span of 8 years, and the selection committee's decision to "rest" Virender Sehwag was seen as actions of a man and a nation desperate to achieve that personal milestone. It ranked of the fact that an individual's personal glory and ambition was put ahead of the good of the team. Sir Don could have easily played another match to get to the average of 100, but he chose to retire gracefully and keep his respect as a person.
Now that the milestone has been achieved and the press and people have started going bonkers over the fact, the question remains... Will Sachin acknowledge the fact that his body has started taking it's toll and he no longer has the aura he used to have about him or will he continue playing in the hope of achieving another milestone in the form of 50 ODI 100's? Will he bite the bullet and retire?
I know this point of view will not be shared by a lot of people, but I would like Sachin to go with grace rather than drag his career through the agony of further disappointments and be pushed out by being "rested" indefinitely. Surely that would be the ultimate shame.
People will spout facts and figures and say that he's performing at the same standards as the rest of the team, so why should he quit? My belief is: that The person who has defined the standards of his performance for the vast part of his career has to be compared to the average standards is an insult in itself. Enough said...
The world (which knows and understands cricket) will remember this day for a long, long time to come. In fact this day will be immortalized in the annals of cricketing history forever. On this day the unimaginable was done, the most awaited milestone was achieved.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar affectionately called as "GOD" by the cricketing mad fanatics in India did what the entire country was waiting for with bated breath for over an year now... He hit 100 centuries in all forms of International Cricket combined. (51 in Test Cricket, 49 in ODI). In a career spanning over 22 years, he has broken countless records including the most runs scored by any batsmen alive in any form of the game. The most centuries in test cricket, the most centuries in ODI's, the list in endless. Talk about a batting milestone and the odds are that you will find Sachin's name in the list in the top 10 at least if not in top 5 or heading the list.
For long he was India's batting mainstay. Mr. Unbelievable. He was the ultimate batsmen in league with rarefied persons like Sir Don Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Grahame Pollock. He was counted as the best of the best. He did the unbelievable, pulled out victories from the jaws of defeat and he was the man the nation turned to when the going got tough.
He achieved what was thought to be impossible, he broke records that were said as unbreakable. He did them with a panache, all except the last. It was sad to see him struggling through the entire of last year. India achieved the biggest triumph in cricketing history by winning the CWC-2011, but sadly Tendulkar's contribution was negligible; his name missing from the people who contributed to the victory. True he was a part of the team, but he was not in the form that was his benchmark for the bulk of the 22 years that he's played for India now. His highest score was the 85 runs he scored against Pakistan in a chancy innings with at least 5 catches being dropped.
Yesterday too the world saw a Tendulkar rarely seen before. His scored; but not as per his standards, his 109 runs came of 137 balls and ultimately costed the team the chance to score over 300 runs. That his 100th 100 was in vain must be the most bitter pill for the Maestro to swallow. The disastrous tours of England and Australia have seen the clamor for the seniors in the team to retire and make way for younger members to build a side for the future. The clamor took it's victim in Rahul Dravid who announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket.
In retrospect Sachin's decision to play in Asia Cup after a span of 8 years, and the selection committee's decision to "rest" Virender Sehwag was seen as actions of a man and a nation desperate to achieve that personal milestone. It ranked of the fact that an individual's personal glory and ambition was put ahead of the good of the team. Sir Don could have easily played another match to get to the average of 100, but he chose to retire gracefully and keep his respect as a person.
Now that the milestone has been achieved and the press and people have started going bonkers over the fact, the question remains... Will Sachin acknowledge the fact that his body has started taking it's toll and he no longer has the aura he used to have about him or will he continue playing in the hope of achieving another milestone in the form of 50 ODI 100's? Will he bite the bullet and retire?
I know this point of view will not be shared by a lot of people, but I would like Sachin to go with grace rather than drag his career through the agony of further disappointments and be pushed out by being "rested" indefinitely. Surely that would be the ultimate shame.
People will spout facts and figures and say that he's performing at the same standards as the rest of the team, so why should he quit? My belief is: that The person who has defined the standards of his performance for the vast part of his career has to be compared to the average standards is an insult in itself. Enough said...
I understand .. the milestone has been achieved at the cost of the game though. It looked like the goal of the game was achieving Sachins century and not winning. Still may people wanted the same so few hiccups can be ignored for this.
ReplyDeleteIt sure looked like tat. Adyan. That a batsmen of the caliber & class of Sachin was reduced to this is something that is heartbreaking to see. A man who always put the country ahead of any milestone, put the milestone ahead of the country this time and we paid the price by losing the match...
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