A journey that began from the maidans of Mumbai may well come to an end at the same place after Sachin Tendulkar put to rest all the speculations about his impending retirement, announcing that his final appearance for India would be his 200th Test.
There is a bright chance that his milestone Test, which could be the second match against West Indies next month if all goes according to plans, will be awarded to Mumbai to facilitate the 40-year-old bid his adieu to the game on his turf which will witness the end of inarguably the most decorated career in the game.
From his school days in Sharadashram Vidyamandir, where he tumbled records at will, to setting new records, some of which may never be surpassed, in international cricket, Tendulkar’s has been an eventful journey. As once Anil Kumble -- his trusted bowler, captain and then mentor – once put it so poignantly, Tendulkar’s biggest challenge was always to prove the people right and seldom did the maestro let his millions of admirers down.
While there was no doubt about his talent, there was always a bit of apprehension as to how he would cope in international cricket. The doubts were especially strong because he was making his debut for India in Pakistan which had the likes of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis in their ranks, perhaps the most feared attack at that point in time. While he came out of the tour with his reputation enhanced, he caught the fancy of the nation in an unofficial one-dayer with his fierce hitting.
When Tendulkar came onto bat, India were staring down the barrel, needing some 50 runs in about four overs. India had no hope in hell with even skipper Krishnamachari Srikkanth, a swashbuckling opener himself, having seemingly given up. But Tendulkar exhibited his precocious talent by first smashing Mushtaq Ahmed for two sixes and then tearing apart Abdul Qadir, perhaps the best leg-spinner at that point in time, in a stunning assault. Barely 16, Tendulkar launched the veteran bowler four times into the stands with three of them coming in a row. India still fell marginally short of the victory target, but the legend of Tendulkar had been born.
Over the years, the right-hander went on impressing wherever he set his foot in. From being the second youngest Test century maker (119 n.o. at Old Trafford) to the counter-attacking 114 against Australia at Perth, Tendulkar showed he was cut above the rest. So much so that he invited comparisons with Sir Don Bradman (and from the Don himself!) and became the first overseas cricketer to sign for English County Yorkshire.
It isn’t the only first to Tendulkar’s credit. He is the first batsman to score over 15000 runs in both Tests and ODIs, first to score 100 international centuries, first to score 50 tons in Tests, to name a few. His mind-numbing batting exploits, in turn, changed the face of the game. He attracted a fan following never imagined before, reset the economics of the game and he was the first cricketer millionaire.
His career wasn’t all hunky dory though. He tasted very little success as captain in his two stints at the helm and suffered career-threatening injuries. The two Test white-washes in England and Australia and the defeat against England in India, in all of which his performance was below average, invited rare criticism of Tendulkar. But when he looks back at those 24 years, he will have little to regret.
DH News Service