The last man standing: Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

With the retirements of Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who over the years have carved out a niche for themselves in the pantheon of Indian cricketing gods, the famed Indian middle order will have to resurrect itself all over again when team India starts its quest for regaining its lost glory. Only Sachin Tendulkar, of the revered four of Indian cricket, stands amidst the conspicuous inexperience of the next generation of India’s cricketers. A country blessed with natural batting talent, the likes of Pujara, Kohli and Rahane have already been earmarked to replace these legends. Taking only talent out of the plethora of ingredients needed to succeed at the highest level, the youngsters may be comparable to the veterans but what remains to be seen is whether they will be able to emulate Dravid’s tenacity, Ganguly’s passion and Laxman’s serenity.

It is this quest that will determine whether they do justice to their talent or fade away into oblivion as many before them have. Here lies Tendulkar’s new hurdle, in grooming these youngsters, not so much in the nuances of cricketing technique as much in honing the humane qualities that will hold them in good stead for the future and like all his other triumphs, he must be successful in this one too, before he finally decides to pass on the baton to someone else.

On Thursday, when Dhoni hands in the sheet carrying the names of the playing eleven at the toss, it will be for the first time in sixteen years that the Indian line up will not feature the names of Dravid and Laxman flanking Tendulkar’s. Naturally, the onus of scoring runs will once again fall on the broad blade of the little master and relieved from the burden of scoring the hundredth hundred, he will be expected to play freely. However, if India are two down with not much on the board and Tendulkar happens to look around the dressing room to find no Laxman with his feet up and a walkman glued to his ears, and then walks out in the middle to be greeted by someone other than the reassuring figure of Dravid, as has been the ritual over the years to go out and punch gloves with Dravid, the unfamiliarity of it all might subconsciously lull him into playing the defensive game.

Once again Tendulkar will find himself at crossroads, forced to quash his natural instincts and instead play the role of a sheet anchor to the inexperienced middle order, previously the responsibility of Dravid. In all probability, he may also find himself battling it out with the tail-enders to save a test match, ‘a la’ VVS Laxman. These fearful predicaments may not present themselves against New Zealand, which is supposed to be a ‘ho hum’ series, but sterner tests lie ahead in the form of England and Australia. So it will be interesting to watch how the great man adjusts himself to the new surroundings and added responsibilities. He will not only have to score runs, for the lack of them will surely get the fickle-minded experts to flood the cricketing columns on his weakening reflexes or his motives behind playing on, but more importantly, he will have to hold the middle order together, allowing the youngsters to play around him.

As Sachin Tendulkar moves into the dusk of his career, he has one last task at his hands, which, if accomplished, will augur well for Indian cricket. For a man who has carried the hopes of an entire nation for over two decades, this added responsibilities should do well to whet his appetite for some more runs, as champions like him thrive on challenges. Tendulkar was the first of India’s much famed quartet and along with Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly formed one of the most formidable batting lineups in the world. Quite befittingly, he has another chance to relive those days again, albeit with an untested and unsettled bunch of players and to see India rise to the top as he had helped do so before. For a man who has seen it all in his quest towards excellence and betterment of Indian cricket, this will indeed be a fitting end to his glorious cricketing innings.