Sachin Tendulkar- Genius amongst the mortals
5th Nov’ 2009: I reckon clock read quarter past 6; last ball of the Australian innings was being bowled, Tendulkar standing at sweeper cover rushed towards the ball, he plunged to take a splendid catch. The peculiarity of that catch wasn’t just his energetic fielding effort, but what made it distinctive was the wrath with which he hurled the ball on the field after he held it. He was annoyed with the way India bowled and allowed Australia to put mammoth total of 353 runs. That reaction from a man who very seldom expresses his harsh feelings made it clear that he is all set to come out with something outrageous, out of this world.
Just after the incident, I received a message on how fierce his effort was. I have a habit of imitating his mentality in my own mind while he is playing [while batting on most occasions or his previous innings], to the message I responded in one line “We will see the same anger in his batting now!” I will never forget these words. Though, this wasn’t the only reason why I said so, Hyderabad had been his favorite hunting venue, intuitions again I suppose are gifted characteristics of Tendulkar’s buffs, and I am no different. Century at Hyderabad loomed large on my mind only when I saw the fixtures.
The runs didn’t flow from his willow in this spine-tingling series, to his standards. I went to watch him in 3rd One Day at Delhi where I sensed, the volcano is ready to erupt. ”We’ve kept Sachin in check so far. His scoring rate hasn’t been too extravagant.” This statement from Ricky Ponting added fuel to the fire, just before they were to play in Hyderabad. A man of few words, Sachin, was also chasing 17000 ODI Runs. History speaks probability of him going on rampage is immense on the day he breaks records.
Needles of Clock had shifted half a revolution till I recollected all incidents, plus with the wild energy, I sat in an anticipation of a hurricane. Tendulkar begin scratchily, trying to pierce the field. Though, I was observing something else, I was discovering the anger on his face which was immense [I’ll talk more on this]. Betwixt I was getting anxious, the crowd was tensed [prayers were on], everyone desired those 7 runs which might mark the start of an unstoppable windstorm. The roar was ear-splitting, banners were out, Tendulkar clipped the ball from Ben Hilfenhaus past square leg to cross 17000 runs with a thunderous reception, it was as if Tendulkar had reached a hundred already. Though, Tendulkar accepted the ovation as it was one another run, he was chasing nothing other than a triumph.
A change of the blade, stage was set for the Part II of this chase which soon got the spark [Oh Yes, Part I had just 1st 7 runs in the making], the punch over the in-field of Hilfenhaus’s bowling, followed by an elegant pull off Bollinger. Perhaps I saw what I wanted to see in him, revenge for the taking. I would like to remember a few occasions which will match this to some extent- Desert Storm of Sharjah, Revenge from Olonga, 241* at Sydney or the latest one – 117* at Sydney. In all these innings his body language, his strokes, his actions, all meant only one thing ‘REVENGE’.
Here, the mediocrity of batting around him had already begun with the departure of Sehwag and Gambhir. But he was determined to write his own script, very soon he reached his 92nd half-century striking majestic boundaries in the covers and over the in-field. Celebration for the fifty was again very intense, just like Sharjah of 1998. Picking up Yuvraj, Australians believed that they had match in their hands but it was not to be; Tendulkar started shifting the gears seamlessly from what was a calm start. He started taking on the bowlers one by one; Watson was sent back to Queensland with a stunning pull over the midwicket. Soon he started check mating his strokes, finding the gaps by advancing down the track, his four through the short extra cover on Watson by bludgeoning him down the track was one of the highlight of this special innings.
Human storm of Tendulkar is unstoppable when he switches on, Shane Warne knows it more than anyone else does. But Ponting seemed to forget that when he gave the ball to Hauritz, Tendulkar though knew what he had to do; again like summer of 1998 with Warne on the other end, a rampant Tendulkar greeted him with consecutive walloping sixes over the sight screen as if he wanted to show him who is in charge. The noise was getting deafening, the atmosphere was ecstatic and I was dancing around my bed watching Tendulkar at his very best, although on the other end runs were dried out and India had lost Dhoni as well.
Unaffected, unmoved and untouched by what was happening on other end, Tendulkar notched up his 45th hundred in limited overs under the applause which was enough to make life go standstill. When there were few quiet overs Tendulkar would waltz down the track to hit a straight six with slipstick accuracy, if there was no gap he would tear the field like a craftsman’s sword, the unique balance to pick up quick singles like a 16 year old boy with ebullient energy; every single element of his coaching manual was there to watch and admire, repeatedly.
Surprisingly not like 10 other dudes of a very popular story, [Tendulkar and 10 others] Raina played a good hand and kept on running with a 16 year old veteran to steal the quick singles on the 22 yard strip. Tendulkar brought his 4th 150 plus score by thrashing the short off the length delivery from Hussey through the extra cover, a treat to his fans and the people who were witnessing the all-time great innings. The schoolboy cheeks were coming every now and then; he was racing towards the victory, the ultimate target. But I was betting my money 2nd time in the same year on the 1st double hundred in 50 over game which only Tendulkar could do.
Tendulkar was in the mood to butcher the kangaroos, the journey to the end had begun, India needed 75 off 60 balls; a very gettable target. Tendulkar very swift and brave was watching the ball like a football; he was making adjustments as per the field settings. He shuffled across to pick up a stylish boundary flicking it from middle and leg stump [Almost impossible for mortals to play that so fine]. In the same over, Tendulkar played the shot of this innings and sadly the last one as well. He drove Hilfenhaus to an exquisite cover drive of highest quality and authority.
What happened next was not less than heartbreak for whole India; tears flew into the eyes of every Indian especially the fans of Sachin Tendulkar. As said that fairytales have no place in the real life, treated like God; Sachin Tendulkar could not write off the script written by the almighty. And I’ll stop here as well. I cannot describe that I just cannot….
Quotes from Captains and Sachin himself:
Dhoni: ”Three or four of our top batsmen did not score but still we came close to the target. Sachin Tendulkar played very well and he was one man who brought us close to a win. But even after he left we did not lose hopes till the end, It was a pleasure to see him batting so well. All his centuries have been special and this too. But I am still a big fan of his desert storm”
Ponting: “How much did he get, well, 175 off 141? Phew, how many times did you see that happen in one-day games? Definitely one of the most amazing innings I’ve seen in one-day cricket. It was reminiscent of the knocks he had played against us in Sharjah. You expect someone to get into the shell when they lose a few wickets. But he kept getting stronger, hitting through the line, with almost everything coming out of the middle of the bat. What can you say of that?”
Tendulkar: ”It’s the passion of representing India in international cricket that keep me motivated all the time. It’s always a dream to play for my country. I am absolutely honoured to do that for the last 20 years,”
How often a player scores 175 runs of 141 balls in the chase of 354 runs? This innings is not only in one but in many ways, the best innings that has ever been played by a cricketer in limited over game. Many will argue that Tendulkar’s double hundred [which came later] was special or his Sharjah’s blitz scream was best but I would rate this as highest amongst all. When the chips were down and the stakes were high, the wickets were fallings like a pack of cards. He was alone there to destroy the opposition with extreme violence and anger which is unmatched. He miraculously survived the mediocrity around him; the look from the Australian captain said it all. This was that kind of an innings for which story writers will go on and on, cameraman will keep on making the films and musicians will fail to give the tunes for such heroism of one kind. 
Just do not know why this happens and why only to Tendulkar? When even the common men and his fans from the country are ready to bat for him, why can’t the 10 others in the Indian team do that? But again, no one plays solos better than Tendulkar and no one can do that ever. BecauseTendulkar is beyond mortals, he is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way….
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