Farewell ‘Little Master’

Saturday, 7 December 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

An image of inspiration, an idol of reverence, a man of honour, role model and god of cricket. Writers use these epithets to describe cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar. His emotional exit from the game recently after playing his 200th Test was covered widely over electronic media watched by possibly millions. The print media is still paying tribute to him. Many are bound to collect pictures for posterity even though cricket fans now have much more to view through the internet unlike the time when we, as schoolboys maintained scrap books of our favourite cricketers cutting and pasting pictures from newspapers. As the popular Indian sports magazine ‘Sportstar’ says in this week’s cover story, his matches, both live and repeat telecast of some of his greatest innings are now available in the most remote Indian villages and towns. It would come as a surprise if someone is oblivious to his name, it says. Radio channels have also contributed to the ecstasy over Sachin’s centuries and half centuries. The magazine outlines numerous ways how the young and old try to remember him. Youngsters who have followed him closely over TV download videos of his best shots and pictures as wallpapers for their digital devices. “His name is heard in conversations across different generations. Retired gentlemen have discussed his consistency, brooded over his form and appreciated his style of batting during their morning and evening walks. Some women do ardently analyse his batting style while others prefer to acknowledge its effect over their husbands, sons and fathers. “People in varied jobs and playing different professional roles come together, even though for a short time, to jointly extol the boundaries scored by Sachin and enjoy the camaraderie forged by such inter-actions.” Following his retirement, the Government of India conferred on Tendulkar the Bharat Ratna award, the highest civilian award in the country. Dedicating the award to all the mothers in India for the sacrifices they have made in raising their children, he said: “I’m humbled and honoured to be given the Bharat Ratna. The award belongs to the entire nation, I’d say.” Many who watched the farewell to Tendulkar at his home grounds in Mumbai on 26 November will always remember how he walked up to the wicket and paid respects to the 22 yards of turf and walked back wiping out a tear in his eye. Looking back on his career, it was in 1994, almost two decades ago, that the world’s greatest batsman Sir Donald Bradman remarked that Tendulkar was his like image as a batsman, the player who reminded him most of his own batting. Tendulkar was in Sharjah when a television crew asked him what he thought of Bradman’s comment. “I remember clearly when I first heard it. I didn’t know how to react. You never expect such a compliment, certainly not from the great man himself. If someone else, anyone else, had suggested such a thing it would never have meant as much. But for Sir Donald to say it himself was just such a tremendous honour, a tribute that I will cherish forever,” he wrote in a Don Bradman commemorative volume later. Forty-year old Tendulkar had, over 24 years, played more matches and scored more runs and centuries than anyone else in either Test or one-day cricket, and is the only batsman to compile 100 international hundreds. His 15,847 Test runs dwarf the 13,378 scored by second-placed and now retired former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, and are 2,707 more than Jacques Kallis, the highest placed active player. He has been even more dominant in one-day cricket, his tally of 18,426 runs being 4,722 more than number two Ponting. Of active batsmen, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara leads with 11,948. Tendulkar has 49 one-day hundreds and 51 Test hundreds to his credit.