Thursday, October 10, 2013

Sachin - End of an Era.

Sachin Tendulkar - I will surely miss you. You were such an integral part of my life all these years.

  • My tryst with your batting started in 1992 when you scored that century in the 3rd test at Perth against Oz. Coincidentally that was the only test we could draw in the series which we lost 0-4. 
  • 1993 - You conjured that last over in the semi-finals against South Africa in the Hero Cup.
  • 1994 - Thanks to Sidhu's stomach upset, you opened the batting first time against New Zealand and scored 82 in 49 balls. Rest is legendary. You scored your first ODI century in Sri Lanka the same year.
  • 1996 World Cup - 500+ runs; I cried when you were stumped in the Semi-final. I think i knew already that we lost the match.
  • 1998 -"Operation Desert Storm" at Sharjah - Australia and Warne had to face Sand Storm first and then you. Back to back centuries to take the cup. And the same year you took a 5-for against Oz at Kochi. I would one day definitely compile and write a post about all those matches where you spinned the opposition to your tunes.
  • 1999 - Fighting century against Pakistan at Chennai Test. Lost the match so closely. Same year World Cup. India lost first match against South Africa and then Henry Olonga of Zimbabwe defeated us in the 2nd match. And then you lost your father. You rushed to India and came back immediately to England to play 3rd match against Kenya.Emotions - Pure & Raw emotions. I think you were 140 not out in that match.
  • 2003 WC - We lost the first match against Oz and players houses were targeted back home. Captain Ganguly requested you to address the press conference. And then you scored 673 runs. Yeah we lost in the final again to Oz, but that upper cut six of Shoaib against Pak and the subsequent win over arch rivals more than made up for the loss. We lost only 2 matches in that WC, first and the last (final) - both to Oz. 
  • There are so many things - your 184 against New Zealand in Hyderabad ODI, your another 5-for at Kochi, your first ODI double century, 50 centuries, 2011 World Cup and then 100 international centuries.

I definitely don't want to project that it was always hunky and dory. I hated when you couldn't play for at least 2 sessions and save test matches. I hated your 240 in Sydney test where your selfishness costed us time to enforce a win and i hated your timidness against Pakistan in Bangalore test where you tried to play defensive with 10 Paki's surrounding you. I didn't feel bad when Mumbai crowd booed you and i hated when you asked for a tax exemption for your Ferrari.

But i always consoled myself  that these are some minor aberrations where you just wanted to prove to the world that you too are human. Now as you hang up the boots, Indian Cricket is in safe hands. But will Cricket be the same for me? I doubt. Thanks for entertaining Indians for 20+ years and thanks for all that confidence you gave to India.