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Thread: SACHIN-THE MAESTRO

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    sACHINE SNEHICHA KALGHATAM 90S AAYIRUNNU. AFTER 2005 HE IS PLAYING ONLY FOR RECORDS

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    I think after 2005 dravid is more valuable player than tendulkar

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    Tendulkar — poetry in motion

    The 100th century was nothing but a number for him. He never chased it but some of his critics did, using it as a platform to question his credibility and commitment, forgetting the longevity factor that marks his cricket journey. Quite characteristically, Sachin Tendulkar allowed critics to have their say and let his bat, which had been mute for some time, do the talking.

    True, it took him 24 innings, after the majestic 111 against South Africa at Nagpur in the last World Cup, to reach that coveted mark, but then he had come close on a few occasions.

    Destiny?
    The 85 at Mohali against Pakistan in the World Cup and the 94 against the West Indies in the Test at Mumbai almost carried him to that summit. But he was destined to achieve it in Bangladesh.

    A little nudge and a controlled reaction, a poignant look at the sky said it all. He was ready for the moment and did not allow it to weigh him down with emotions. His Test best (248 not out) is also against the same team but Friday's knock was only his first ODI century against Bangladesh.

    Sachin will be 39 in a little over a month from now, but it will be hard to find a cricket mind as young as this genius. Virat Kohli, his partner at Mirpur during the maestro's march to the grand peak, was a year and 10 days old when Sachin made his debut at Karachi in 1989, and Suresh Raina merely three. The hostile conditions of that contest in Pakistan contributed towards making him one of the most resilient and consistent performers the game has ever seen.

    Respects his fans
    His popularity stems from his desire to show respect to his fans, especially the younger lot. On one occasion, at The Taj Palace in Delhi, the local manager, a former Delhi first-class cricketer, brought some 30 kids unannounced to Sachin's room. We were in the middle of a dinner when the kids rang the bell. Sachin, though caught unawares, kept his annoyance to himself. He coolly placed a chair in the middle of his room and invited the children in, requesting them to do so in a disciplined manner.

    A queue was formed in a flash. A cute little boy, who was hardly six, caught his attention. Sachin then took his time, wrote the boy's name, drew a smiley and patted him.

    The session lasted a good 20 minutes and the children were very thrilled. “I could have said no to the manager, but the kids would have got a poor impression of a cricketer,” Sachin explained later.

    Sachin is worshipped by some of his fans, but the player himself does not like this kind of adulation. “I am not God,” he has said repeatedly. “I am a cricketer.”

    Measured responses
    In fact, he is so measured in his responses that he does not often come across as a great subject for an interview. He is circumspect simply because he does not want to hurt anyone. Even in the Greg Chappell episode, he had told this correspondent, “If he has said that (criticism) then I am hurt.” The emphasis was on the “if” and Sachin insisted it was not to be missed.

    Watching Sachin in full flow is a great experience. He has an amazing ability to read the bowler's mind. Above all, he remains humble.

    He would keep his sorrows to himself and weep in solitude after a shattering loss, as he believes that personal suffering and pain should not be passed on to his colleagues. However, when celebrating a victory, he wants every member of the team to join in the merriment. Sachin treats grief and joy differently. Tears for himself; joy for the rest!

    Glum night
    That glum night in 1997 at a resort in Barbados is still vivid. India had lost to the West Indies and Sachin was grieving in his room. He was in tears and his wife (Anjali) sat speechless.

    Sachin's anguish needed no further proof. He didn't speak for a long time. He found it hard to believe that India had lost. Many thoughts crossed his mind — Was he not a good captain? Was his team really inferior?

    Sachin just couldn't comprehend the reasons for the devastating defeat. However, he had the grace to invite this correspondent for dinner, but I didn't have the heart for it.

    A few days later, India again lost a one-day match at St. Vincent from a winning position. This time Sachin was livid, and it was a sight to see the team disappear from the dining area as the Little Master emerged from his room on the first floor. He did not speak to any of his colleagues for two days.

    Sachin did not blame anyone for the defeats — he never has. He may have lost his cool a few times on the field but not to the extent of hurting someone or inviting censure. He once lashed out at V.V.S. Laxman in Sharjah for responding slowly to a call. Laxman laughs heartily even to this day whenever he recalls the occasion. “That was the only time I heard him use cuss words,” said Laxman of the incident.

    Makes no excuses
    Sachin doesn't believe in making excuses. Instead he strives to correct his mistakes, and that is the secret of his success. His philosophy has always been: “Why should I gift my wicket? The bowler must earn it.”

    However, he once gifted his wicket to Saqlain Mushtaq, in Chennai in 1999, and India lost the Test. This after Sunil Gavaskar had warned him not to play the lofted shot against the wily Pakistan spinner. That dismissal still haunts Sachin.

    A private person, he is at his best in the company of cricketers. He will never miss a youngster reaching a milestone, taking his place in the balcony of the dressing room, applauding from his heart. He can joke, sing and indulge in pranks, just as any other member of the team.

    He can cook for the team, sometimes winning the heart of the chef, like once in Bulawayo when he treated the team to steaks. At heart, he remains a cricketer.

    Importance of Test ton
    He knows the importance of a Test century. He also knows how it is different from an ODI hundred. A Test century is crafted but in ODIs it happens due to many factors.

    He would not trade his best one-day century with his worst in Tests. It is, as he once confided, best left to the critics. For Sachin, a winning effort on the field counts. Statistics form a part of the game but do not always reflect the best and the worst.

    Most cricket followers would tell you: “It's difficult to imagine Indian cricket without Sachin.”

    True, Indian cricket will not be the same once he decides to hang up his boots. But until then, let us bask in the glory of Sachin, the rightful master of 100 international centuries — 51 in Tests and 49 in one-dayers.


    The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Tendulkar
    Everyone wants a Bhagat Singh to be born, but not in their house!

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    ‘My Critics Didn’t Teach Me Cricket’
    Open in conversation with Tendulkar after his hundredth 100
    The full text of this interview will appear in the forthcoming issue of Open


    BY Boria Majumdar

    MILESTONE MAN

    After his hundredth hundred, soon after Sachin Tendulkar finished his post-match media interaction at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Mirpur, there was complete chaos with everyone from the media, security personnel at the ground, production crew and Bangladeshi administrators trying to speak to the man. I knew it would be difficult to speak to him amidst the frenzy, especially when there were thousands waiting on the road past 11pm to catch a glimpse of the teams departing for the hotel. The Indian players were not able to leave the stadium for the next hour or so and I wondered if I would get my opportunity to greet Sachin on the night. Just at the stroke of midnight I got a call from the legend, we agreed to meet at the hotel lobby in some time and go up to Room 723 of the Pan Pacific Sonargaon, the hotel were he was staying in Dhaka. The plan changed as the Indian team made a backdoor entry, or rather was forced to do so, with hundreds waiting for the players in the lobby. The security was unwilling to let me go up. Finally Sachin had to call the security at the lobby to request them to let me in. As I reached the room I was pleasantly surprised to see the room filled with balloons, a surprise gift from the hotel authorities. Sachin had just finished a telephone conversation with his mother and was looking exhausted but also relieved. Excerpts from the interview:

    Boria: So finally…

    Sachin: Yes finally. Thank god.

    Boria: So what did you have to say to yourself when you finally got that run?

    Sachin: You know I thanked god to start with and said to myself that the wait was finally over. Without a doubt it has been the most difficult hundred to get. I was feeling the pressure every day of my life and was getting frustrated with myself at not being able to get to the landmark. For a few seconds my mind was blank and I just felt relieved that I had finally achieved the three figure mark after more than a year.

    Boria: How difficult was the wait? You have been saying to me in our many conversations over the past year that it had turned difficult with each passing day?

    Sachin: Indeed it was. There wasn’t a day in my life when I wasn’t reminded of the 100. It appeared on occasions that everything I had achieved in the past had turned irrelevant and I’d only be judged by my ability to get the 100th 100. I was doing everything to not succumb to the pressure but it was hard and I have no issues in accepting that the pressure was indeed getting to me. I am human and it is difficult to stay insulated from all the talk around you and I am glad it is done finally.

    Boria: Was there ever a doubt that you’d not get there? It is not as if you weren’t batting well in the period between March 2011 and March 2012? In fact the innings at Melbourne is the best I have seen you bat in recent years.

    Sachin: Absolutely right. I was batting near my best if not at my best in Melbourne. I was playing and moving the best I have done in years. If you go back and see the footage of the innings you’d see I had a good few seconds to play each ball. For example I was totally in control when I played Peter Siddle over slips for six in the first over after tea at the MCG. I was able to see the ball and had a lot of time to play the shot. That is the best feeling you can get as a batsman and I was very much in control. Again at Sydney I was batting well for my 80 and should have just gone on to get the hundred and save the match for India. If you ask our masseur he’d tell you that I was looking to bat a full two days and I knew it was possible. The hundred was just not in my mind. I knew if I batted for two days the hundred would surely come but more importantly I’d be able to save the game for India. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be. Michael Clarke’s delivery just turned and bounced and I got an edge. In fact, I had given myself just that over before I attacked Clarke. There was a very strong wind from the other end and I was just waiting for the wind to die down before I stepped out to Clarke but as I said it wasn’t to be. I am telling you all this because I never had a period of self doubt while batting in recent times but was just not able to convert the starts into a century.

    Boria: For a man who has reached the landmark figure 99 times how is it that the final hurdle was more difficult than any of the rest?

    Sachin: Firstly there’s no doubt it was. The 100th 100 was the most difficult to get. I really don’t know why but it was. May be because it had turned into a national obsession. May be because I wasn’t able to escape the talk of the 100th hundred and it was affecting me at a subconscious level. May be god was actually trying me harder than the rest.

    Boria: And the period in the middle wasn’t easy for you either. For the first time in your career since the 2007 World Cup, critics were actually saying you were perhaps stretching things a bit too far and that you were playing on past glories. There were calls for you to give up. Your thoughts?

    Sachin: Boria, you know me well enough to know I’d never take those people seriously. I have played the game because I love to play it and there’s nothing better than playing for India. I still get goose bumps when I stand with my teammates when the national anthem is on. I still feel the same passion when I pick up my bat and go out to bat. Critics haven’t taught me my cricket and they don’t know what my body and mind are up to. They can ask questions but none of them have answers to their own questions. None of them have been in my predicament and it is impossible for them to understand what I have been thinking or feeling…

    [Full text of this interview to appear in the forthcoming issue of Open]
    Last edited by Dylan; 03-18-2012 at 01:40 PM.
    Be kind, rewind.

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