Sachin Tendulkar and the Pursuit of Greatness

I remember what you did last summer. And the 22 glorious summers before that.

Everyone has a Tendulkar story. A story that inspires, educates and captivates any audience. Putting the Notorious B.I.G’s rhymes into cricket perspective, Sachin Tendulkar was “all that and a dime sack”. From boy wonder to master blaster to wily veteran, Tendulkar adapted to change like no other cricketer in the game’s illustrious history. The great man retired from ODIs a couple of days ago. Ten years later, when your children ask you, “Daddy, who’s Sachin?”, which one of his innings will you make them watch on YouTube? Sometimes, the best moments remain within your memory. No picture or YouTube clip can truly revive the sheer greatness you witnessed at that particular moment.

If you were a 90’s kid, then you were most probably a ‘Sachinist’ (Shakespeare wouldn’t have been so proud of this coinage). Center fresh and Big Fun cards featuring cricketers were collected and exchanged among one another with great zeal. The Noughties brought forth the arrival of the EPL and slowly a few cricket fans evolved into Manchester United and Arsenal fans. But the nineties were special. Cricket was the order of the decade and by cricket I mean one man. Of course, many of us watched cricket mainly to admire the master wield his willow, but it would be imprudent to think we stopped supporting the country for one curly-haired man. Tendulkar’s passion for his nation was so infectious that it brought fans in multitudes to worship the Men in Blue. All of a sudden, John F. Kennedy’s lavishly used quote made so much sense – “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” How did Sachin become the most worshipped human being in India? Simple, he scored runs. Plenty of them.

Through Tendulkar, we discovered the true meaning of passion. To capture the imagination of millions (and I mean millions) of fans is no small matter. It’s an ordeal worth a lifetime of commitment, courage and dedication. Without doubt, Tendulkar’s a great cricketer, a greater human being and probably the greatest ambassador for the gentleman’s game. He is praised, admired and worshipped from all corners of the world. “Aila, what a champion!”, they all chant.

To mention the Mumbaikar’s long list of accomplishments is too mainstream. But what we should take back from his storied career are the memories. Each ‘Ton’dulkar innings told a story while the straight drives, upper-cuts and backfoot punches made for a grand spectacle. He was known as a master of the game because he took on a disastrous situation in aggressive fashion and changed the entire fortunes of the Indian team. He took the burden of his whole team single-handedly throughout most of his career and succeeded on numerous occasions with effortless ease.

Most of us had dreams of being a cricketer (like Sachin) while growing up. But how many of these dreams have actually materialised? Tuitions, entrance exams and boring lectures crept into our lives and stole our dreams. This was ‘inception’ before Christopher Nolan had even a clue. Cricket became secondary. But Tendulkar had a dream and he lived it. Every ball faced was an entrance exam, and every run scored was a distinction. Sachin is to cricket what Elvis was to music. While the Rockstar inspired thousands of musicians worldwide, Tendulkar inspired thousands of cricketers to pick up the willow. Their sole reason to represent Team India was because of Sachin Paaji. Ask Yuvraj, Kohli or Raina. They have stories of their own.

As a teary-eyed country facing a plethora of raging issues fiercely awakens from its slumber, one man has decided to move on with his life. The clock strikes twelve, the fairy-tale ends, and the ninth and final life has been taken. It’s time to go home. Tendulkar’s pursuit of greatness closes its final chapter and every single mission has been accomplished including the capture of cricket’s Holy Grail, the World Cup. Typical of the master’s demeanour, the Elvis of cricket has quietly left the building.