I will remember Paaji as a great role model - Sehwag
http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricke...cle5314763.ece
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I will remember Paaji as a great role model - Sehwag
http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricke...cle5314763.ece
Focussed Tendulkar ‘upset’ with CAB going overboard
http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricke...cle5314252.ece
Along with Tendulkar we changed a few things in Indian cricket: Dravid
http://www.rediff.com/cricket/slide-...20131105.htm#1
I was inspired by Sachin Tendulkar: Rahul Dravid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW-2gvYw5A8
India batsman Sachin Tendulkar was my greatest opponent, says former Australia spinner Shane Warne
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cri...ane-Warne.html
whatta moment over there..
Yes I cried! What an emotional speech, remembering all from his childhood. Its hard to find a human like him...
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BZLRo62CMAATgxC.jpg:large
Good bye Sachin :)
Full text of Sachin's speech
Quote:
All my friends. Settle down let me talk, I will get more and more emotional (crowd gets louder and louder as he composes himself). My life, between 22 yards for 24 years, it is hard to believe that that wonderful journey has come to an end, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank people who have played an important role in my life. Also, for the first time in my life I am carrying this list, to remember all the names in case I forget someone. I hope you understand. It's getting a little bit difficult to talk but I will manage.
The most important person in my life, and I have missed him a lot since 1999 when he passed away, my father. Without his guidance, I don't think I would have been standing here in front of you. He gave me freedom at the age of 11, and told me that [I should] chase my dreams, but make sure you do not find short cuts. The path might be difficult, but don't give up, and I have simply followed his instructions. Above all, he told me to be a nice human being, which I will continue to do and try my best. Every time I have done something special [and] showed my bat, it was [for] my father.
My mother, I don't know how she dealt with such a naughty child like me. I was not easy to manage. She must be extremely patient. For a mother, the most important thing is that her child remains safe and healthy and fit. That was what she was most bothered and worried about. She took care of me for the last 24 years that I have played for India, but even before that she started praying for me the day I started playing cricket. She just prayed and prayed and I think her prayers and blessings have given me the strength to go out and perform, so a big thank you to my mother for all the sacrifices.
In my school days, for four years, I stayed with my uncle and aunt because my school was quite far from my home, and they treated me like their son. My aunt, after having had a hard day's play, I would be half asleep and she would be feeding me food so I could go again and play tomorrow. I can't forget these moments. I am like their son and I am glad it has continued to be the same way.
My eldest brother, Nitin, and his family, have always encouraged me. My eldest brother doesn't like to talk much, but the one thing he always told me is that whatever you do, I know you will always give it 100%, and that I have full faith and confidence in you. His encouragement meant a lot to me. My sister, Savita, and her family, was no different. The first cricket bat of my life was presented to me by my sister. It was a Kashmir willow bat. But that is where the journey began. She is one of those many who still continue to fast when I bat, so thank you very much.
Ajit, my brother, now what do I talk about him? I don't know. We have lived this dream together. He was the one who sacrificed his career for my cricket. He spotted the spark in me. And it all started from the age of 11 when he took me to Archrekar sir, my coach, and from there on my life changed. You will find this hard to believe but even last night he called to discuss my dismissal, knowing that there was a remote chance of batting again, but just the habit we have developed, the rapport we have developed, since my birth, has continued and it will continue. Maybe when I'm not playing cricket we will still be discussing technique.
Various things we agreed upon, my technique, and so many technical things which I didn't agree with him, we have had arguments and disagreements, but when I look back at all these things in my life, I would have been a lesser cricketer.
The most beautiful thing happened to me in 1990 when I met my wife, Anjali. Those were special years and it has continued and will always continue that way. I know Anjali, being a doctor; there was a wonderful career in front of her. When we decided to have a family, Anjali took the initiative to step back and say that 'you continue with your cricket and I will take the responsibility of the family'.
Without that, I don't think I would have been able to play cricket freely and without stress. Thanks for bearing with all my fuss and all my frustrations, and all sorts of rubbish that I have spoken. Thanks for bearing with me and always staying by my side through all the ups and downs. You are the best partnership I've had in my life.
Then, the two precious diamonds of my life, Sara and Arjun. They have already grown up. My daughter is 16, my son is 14. Time has flown by. I wanted to spend so much time with them on special occasions like their birthdays, their annual days, their sports day, going on holidays, whatever. I have missed out on all those things. Thanks for your understanding. Both of you have been so, so special to me you cannot imagine. I promise you [that] for 14 and 16 years I have not spent enough time with both of you, but the next 16 years or even beyond that, everything is for you.
My in-laws, Anand Mehta and Annabelle, both have been so, so supportive [and] loving and caring. I have discussed on various things in life, generally with them, and have taken their advice. You know, it's so important to have a strong family who is always with you and who are guiding you. Before you start clapping, the most important thing they did was allowing me to marry Anjali, so thank you very much.
In the last 24 years that I have played for India I have made new friends, and before that I have had friends from my childhood. They have all had a terrific contribution. As and when I have called them to come and bowl to me at the nets, they have left their work aside to come and help me. Be it joining me on holidays and having discussions with me on cricket, or how I was a little stressed and wanting to find a solution so I can perform better.
All those moments my friends were with me. Even for when I was injured, I would wake up in the morning because I couldn't sleep and thought that my career was over because of injuries, that is when my friends have woken up at 3 o'clock in the morning to drive with me and make me believe that my career was not over. Life would be incomplete without all those friends. Thanks for being there for me.
My cricket career started when I was 11. The turning point of my career was when my brother (Ajit) took me to Achrekar sir. I was extremely delighted to see him up in the stands. Normally he sits in front of the television and he watches all the games that I play. When I was 11/12, those were the days when I used to hop back on his scooter and play a couple of practice matches a day. The first half the innings I would be batting at Shivaji Park, the second half, at some other match in Azad Maidan. He would take me all over Mumbai to make sure I got match practice.
On a lighter note, in the last 29 years, sir has never ever said 'well played' to me because he thought I would get complacent and I would stop working hard. Maybe he can push his luck and wish me now, well done on my career, because there are no more matches, sir, in my life. I will be witnessing cricket, and cricket will always stay in my heart, but you have had an immense contribution in my life, so thank you very much.
My cricket for Mumbai started right here on this ground, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), which is so dear to me. I remember landing from New Zealand at four o'clock in the morning, and turning up for a game here at eight o'clock just because I wanted to be a part of Mumbai cricket, and not that somebody forced me. That was for the love of Mumbai cricket, and thank you very much. The president is here so thank you very much, along with your team, for taking care of me and looking after my cricket.
The dream was obviously to play for India, and that is where my association with BCCI started. BCCI was fantastic, right from my debut they believed in my ability and selecting me into the squad at the age of 16 was a big step, so thanks to all the selectors for having faith in me and the BCCI for giving me the freedom to express myself out in the middle. Things would have been different if you had not been behind me, and I really appreciate your support. Especially when I was injured, you were right with me and making sure that all the treatments were taken care of, and that I got fit and fine and playing [right] back for India.
The journey has been special, the last 24 years, I have played with many senior cricketers, and even before that there were many senior cricketers with whom I watched on television. They inspired me to play cricket, and to play in the right way. Thanks to all those senior cricketers, and unfortunately I have not been able to play with them, but I have high regards for all their achievements and all their contributions.
We see it on the mega-screen, Rahul, Laxman, Sourav, and Anil, who is not here, and my team-mates right here in front me. You are like my family away from home. I have had some wonderful times with you. It is going to be difficult to not be part of the dressing room, sharing those special moments. All the coaches for their guidance, it has been special for me. I know when MS Dhoni presented me the 200th Test match cap on day one morning. I had a brief message for the team. I would like to repeat that. I just feel that all of us are so, so fortunate and proud to be part of the Indian cricket team and serving the nation.
Knowing all of you guys, I know you will continue to serve the nation in the right spirit and right values. I believe we have been the lucky ones to be chosen by the Almighty to serve this sport. Each generation gets this opportunity to take care of this sport and serve it to the best of our ability. I have full faith in you to continue to serve the nation in the right spirit and to the best of your ability, to bring all the laurels to the country. All the very best.
I would be failing in my duties if I did not thank all the doctors, the physios, the trainers, who have put this difficult body together to go back on the field and be able to play. The amount of injuries that I have had in my career, I don't know how you have managed to keep me fit, but without your special efforts, it would never have happened. The doctors have met me at weird hours. I mean I have called them from Mumbai to Chennai, Mumbai to Delhi, I mean wherever. They have just taken the next flight and left their work and families to be with me, which has allowed me to play. So a big thank you to all three of you for keeping me in good shape.
My dear friend, late Mark Mascarenhas, my first manager. We unfortunately lost him in a car accident in 2001, but he was such a well-wisher of cricket, my cricket, and especially Indian cricket. He was so passionate. He understood what it takes to represent a nation and gave me all the space to go out and express myself, and never pressurized me to do this ad or promotion or whatever the sponsors demanded. He took care of that and today I miss him, so thank you Mark for all your contribution.
My current management team, WSG, for repeating what Mark has done, because when I signed the contract I exactly told them what I want from them, and what it requires to represent me. They have done that and respected that.
Someone who has worked closely with me for 14 years is my manager, Vinod Nayudu. He is more like my family and all the sacrifices, spending time away from his family for my work, has been special, so big thank you to his family as well for giving up so much time for my work with Vinod.
In my school days, when I performed well, the media backed me a lot. They continue to do that till this morning. Thank you so much to the media for supporting and appreciating my performances. It surely had a positive effect on me. Thank you so much to all the photographers as well for those wonderfully captured moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life, so a big thank you to all the photographers.
I know my speech is getting a bit too long (crowd roars), but this is the last thing I want to say. I want to thank all the people here who have flown in from various parts of the world, and have supported me endlessly, whether I scored a 0 or a 100-plus. Your support was so dear to me and meant a lot to me. Whatever you have done for me.
I know I have met so many guys who have fasted for me, prayed for me, done so much for me. Without that life wouldn't have been like this for me. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, and also say that time has flown by rather quickly, but the memories you have left with me will always be with me forever and ever, especially "Sachin, Sachin" which will reverberate in my ears till I stop breathing. Thank you very much. If I have missed out on saying something, I hope you understand. Goodbye.
Coming to this thread after a long long time!
What a day! When one's emotions got better of oneself!
On this D-day, want to reproduce something that I wrote about the God! I was privileged enough to meet him when he came to our organisation! This was written for the company magazine and I am putting it here for your consumption!
D-Day Destiny
It was a day that one had waited to dawn for the past God knows how many years!
It was a day when one's cherished dream of meeting his idol was about to materialise!
When did it all start? Was it when a 15 year old boy was selected for the (then) Bombay Ranji Team way back in 1988?
Was it when the young fellow scored a century on debut in all three (Ranji, Duleep and Irani Tropy) matches, a feat unheard of till then!
Was it when the media speculated that this young turk would be selected for the West Indies Tour of India in 1989?
Was it when he stood up to the pace quartet of Imran, Wasim, Waqar and Aquib Javed in his debut tour and in spite of literally spilling blood on the turf came back and countered the fearsome foursome?
Was it when in the history draped city of Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province, one saw this guy toying with the likes of the wily Qadir who was treated like a club bowler, with the balls continuously disappearing out of the stadium as if possessed?
Was it when the guy stood on the verge of history to become the youngest ever to score a century in a Test at the far end of the Southern Hemisphere in a little town called Napier?
Was it when the guy scored a match saving 119 not out at Old Trafford in the Old Blighty that prompted then the England batsman Allan Lamb to famously remark "Don't tell me this guy is 17"!
Was it when the guy scored a Nelson's Eye of 111 at Wanderers in Johannesburg at the age of 18 against an attack that had a man called White Lightning ?
Was it when the boy still to get out of his teens scored a jaw dropping 114 at WACA, the paceman's paradise at Perth against McDermott and Co in 1992?
One can go and on and on! Now coming to the present --
This man is coming to Chennai and he is visiting our organisation and I am going to be one of the persons selected for meeting him! It took some time for the message to sink in.
The very thought of seeing him in flesh and blood was good enough for me to lose focus on everything else!
Started planning for the meet. What should I talk, what should I ask and what should I wear? A million things were zooming in my mind and people who know me as an addict were asking me what my preparations are?
The D-Day dawned! It so happened that my daughter was to perform a Classic dance recital in the evening on the same day! But that hardly mattered to me! [My daughter knowing me had said "Dad, I would miss you but still it is fine because I don't want you to miss your D-Day". Such a sweet child!)
Though contrary to my expectations the meet didn't happen in the Branch and we were asked to come to another location for the meet and where it transpired that I rather our team from the Branch had to sit among few hundreds, still that didn't deter me. We had to be at our seat early and so lunch was skipped and I for that matter had not taken breakfast also. One didn't even feel it.
We had taken our seats in front of the podium so that there was no hindrance in seeing him. It was 1.30 pm and he was supposed to come at 3 pm. We never moved out and with the ticking of the clock the huge pantry hall was becoming one large mass of humanity and hundreds kept pouring in. All known faces and colleagues were criss crossing and everybody was acknowledged with a mechanical wave of hands with mind hovering somewhere else.
There was this known gentleman colleague of mine who on seeing my excitement and knowing that I outnumber my idol in age (the only area where I can outscore him!) asked me "Sir, you too a fan of him?" for which pat came my reply " No sir! I am not his Fan" and after a brief pause said "He is like my younger Brother" leaving my colleague stunned!
Now the clock was tickling fast and every time the door opened there was a huge roar only to subside on seeing somebody else. Finally the man walked in and the roar turned into a cresendo that was never to die down!
Somebody welcomed! He acknowledged! Questions were put to him! He answered! For me everything was surreal and were getting registered at the back of my mind. But there at that moment the only thing that I was seeing and enjoying was I was in his presence and that lasted for close to 20 minutes, a chance that not many people get!
I did not speak to him! I did not click a photograph with him! I could not even go near him! Well these are all small things. What finally mattered was I had seen him in close quarters and it was my tyrust with destiny.
Friday the 11th January of 2013 would remain as a blessed day for me!
Thank You (My organisation)!
Thank You Sir for agreeing to meet mortals like us by coming down to our place!
A man whose name is permanently etched in the Hall of Fame!
A man whose name is permanently etched in the History of Cricket!
A man whose name is permanently etched in the hearts of Billions!
But a man who has his head firmly on his shoulders and feet firmly on the ground!
There was no one before him!
There is no one like him!
There will be no one after him!
Supreme Rare Talent
SRT can also be expanded like this!
But SRT will always be Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar !
Long Live Little Master!
Long Live Bharat Ratna Sir Sachin Tendulkar!
Regards
Dear Murali Sir
Very well expressed statement about SRT and from the bottom of the heart. You almost reflected every one's thought.
This is my posting in the Forum Hub other than the Great Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan.
For the first time, I am posting something for some one other than NT and it is the Great SRT.
At this glorious moment, every Indian should be proud of having Sachin as a man of our own soil.
Long live SRT and thank you Sachin for bestowing on us the joy over the last 24 years.
Regards,
R. Parthasarathy
Tendulkar's retirement and the fact that his batting will not be part of my life anymore, is like losing someone near/dear in my family.
I may sound a tad emotional and slightly outdated, but the truth of the matter is, to me, nothing can replace the sheer joy that Sachin brought to my life.
His success gave me joy, when he was hurt, I felt the pain.
Love, you Dear Master and Stay Blessed, forever!!
Thank you for all the Memories.
Very Very Emotional... it is very difficult digest that Sachin is not going to play Cricket any more for India...Quote:
Originally Posted by littlemaster1982
DAVID RICHARDSON, CEO of International Cricket Council (ICC):
"He was an exceptional cricketer who earned the utmost respect of his peers, team mates, opponents and fans all over the world through his talent, performances and fierce competitiveness.
"His 664 internationals, 34,357 runs and 100 centuries over 24 years not only illustrate his determination and commitment to the game but also his mental and physical toughness which are the vital ingredients to reach the highest pedestal in any sport.
"Sachin always put his team ahead of himself during his illustrious career but he picked up a number of personal accolades which highlights his brilliance.
"Sporting geniuses like Sachin are rare phenomena and we are privileged to have seen him in action. On behalf of the ICC and the entire cricketing family, I thank Sachin for his unprecedented services to our sport and we wish him well in the future."
ANJALI, wife of Sachin Tendulkar:
"I have always known, from even before we got married, he is not only mine. Cricket comes first. He belongs to Mumbai, he belongs to the country and then he belongs to us.
"I can imagine cricket without Sachin but I can't imagine Sachin without cricket."
Tweets:
ROGER FEDERER, tennis great:
"What a remarkable career @sachin_rt. Wish you the very best moving forward #ThankYouSachin"
SANIA MIRZA, India tennis player:
"So emotional...the whole country is...we will miss u #RESPECT #SACHIN #LEGEND"
MICHAEL CARRICK, England footballer:
"A true great of sport @sachin_rt retiring, had some innings!! The little master will be missed."
GRAEME SMITH, South Africa captain:
"Sorry I missed @sachin_rt last game.what can you say about a man that did so much for our great game! all the best in retirement & thank you!"
MATTHEW HAYDEN, former Australia cricketer:
"Chase dreams and no short cuts, be a good person #dad patience, prayers and sacrifices #mum whatever you do, do it 100%#brother #Sachin"
BRETT LEE, former Australia cricketer:
"Congrats to the legend @sachin_rt well done mate on everything you have achieved. A phenomenal career"
DARREN LEHMANN, Australia coach:
"Congratulations to Sachin on a magnificent career! One of the best of all time in the world of cricket, plenty of memories from him!"
DAMIEN FLEMING, former Australia cricketer:
"Well done on a great career #Sachin And #ThankYouSachin all the headaches bowling to you in your prime"
TOM MOODY, former Australia cricketer:
"Moving & classy speech by the "little master" composed & graceful to the very end. #ThankYouSachin"
GRAEME SWANN, England cricketer:
"I'm not sure if you heard but Sachin Tendulkar retired today! What a great little player and lovely bloke #ThankYouSachin"
LUKE WRIGHT, England cricketer:
"Such a honour to have watched and played against Sachin. He is a different class and yet still a great person. #ThankYouSachin"
CHRIS GAYLE, West Indies cricketer:
"Was absolutely a pleasure being a part of history Sachin Tendulkar 200 Test Match. #legends"
VIRENDER SEHWAG, India cricketer:
"Been an emotional time for me since the announcement #SRT. Can't articulate what he means to me, it's so personal! #ThankYouSachin"
SANJAY MANJREKAR, former India cricketer:
"He was the first to reach the ground & last to leave for 29 yrs. Don't think any cricketer will miss the game as much as Tendulkar will."
AAKASH CHOPRA, former India cricketer:
"Damp eyes...lump in my throat. A final goodbye. #ThankYouSachin"
HARBHAJAN SINGH, India cricketer:
"Let's salute the master. Cricket won't be the same without u. For me u r cricket. Thank u paji for everything"
IRFAN PATHAN, India cricketer:
"Most emotional retirement of world cricket but Sachin Tendulkar isn't retiring from our heart, #ThankYouSachin" (Compiled by Sudipto Ganguly; editing by Clare Fallon)
Omar Abdullah, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister
Haven't been a big cricket fan for a while now but to see Sachin retire today brought a lump to my throat, a true gentleman.
Difficult to imagine Indian cricket without Sachin - the highs, the lows, the celebration & the exasperation that he brought #ThankYouSachin
Ashwin Ravichandran
I gave it all i had for the last 24 years,now i see my kids grown up to be on their own".He said this nd my eyes got moist.#ThankYouSachin
Harsha Bhogle
oh dear, i am feeling this emotion....what a brilliant speech. just like him to remember everyone. what a man!
Michael Vaughan, former England Captain
One of the Greatest ever @sachin_rt is retiring... One of my heroes and a absolute joy to play against.. #BornToPlayCricket
Eoin Morgon, England Cricketer
Sad to hear the greatest ever batsman is calling it a day. One man who inspired a nation #Sachin
Monty Panesar
Greatest batsmen retires sachin tendulkar. The Master brought a lot of happiness globally #Tendulkar
Saina Nehwal
I will miss the MASTER! A true legend in every sense.I thank him for encouraging players like us. RESPECT!
Gautham Gambhir
Salutes to Sachin paaji. I think India jersey number 10 should retire as well and preserved forever. Thanks Paaji
Bishen Singh Bedi
Sacho my heart reaches out 2 U Son! This moment had 2 come & V salute U fr yur comitment 2 Ind crkt!May U've all Peace & quiet n retirement!
Ian Bishop
The sight of the straight lines of the bat on its downswing; the power of the back foot punch; thanks for the memories Sachin. Glad you came
Graham Onions
Even if it was only one game I have to say Sachin is one the best players I've bowled against,privilege to have met the little master
Freddie Flintoff
Come to the conclusion crickets only ever had 2 greats Sachin and Bradman . Then there's the very good players then the rest of us !
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...26218845_n.jpg
ஒரு மேட்ச் விளையாடியதும் 10 கோடி விளம்பர ஒப்பந்தம் இல்லை.
ஒரு மேட்ச் விளையாட சம்பளம் 10 லட்சம் இல்லை.
அணியில் தேர்வு ஆவான் என தெரிந்ததும் பின்னால் செல்ல ரசிகர்கள் இல்லை.
பேஸ்புக்கில் பக்கம் ஆரம்பித்து புகழ் பாட பேஸ்புக்கும் இல்லை.
வெளிநாட்டுக்கு விளையாட செல்ல முதல் வகுப்பு பயண சீட்டு இல்லை.
படுத்து உறங்க மெத்தை இல்லை, போடும் துணியில் ஆடம்பரம் இல்லை.
உடை மாற்றுவது போல் துணைகளை மாற்ற காதலிகள் இல்லை.
சூதாட்டம் இல்லை. அரசியல் இல்லை.
எதுவும் இல்லை 30 வருடங்களுக்கு முன்னால் சச்சின் விளையாட தொடங்கிய நேரம். வெற்றிக்காக விளையாடிய வீரனின் கடைசி ஆட்டம் அவன் மண்ணில் இன்று.
சச்சின் கிரிக்கெட் விட்டு போனதும் நான் கிரிக்கெட் பார்க்கமாட்டேன் என பலர் சொல்கின்றனர். நான் கிரிக்கெட் பார்ப்பதை நிறுத்தி 6 மாதங்கள் ஆகின்றன. ஏனென்றால் எதையும் உடனே நிறுத்துவது கடினம். இன்று நான் முழுமையாக தயார்.
படம்: ஓய்வு அறையில் சச்சின் உறங்கும் காட்சி
From FB
The Little Master's farewell Speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfCBWUkWzXM
Discussions related to Bharat Ratna award are moved here.
Cedy..Thanks for all the tweets.
Nice tweets :thumbsup:
#ThankYouSachin :bow:Quote:
Mihir Bijur @MihirBijur
Players from the England team urinated on a pitch. Sachin bent to touch a pitch & offer his final respect. The difference. #ThankYouSachin
http://pgresize.outlookindia.com/ima...y=40&width=964
Now that all the dust has settled, I would like to take the opportunity to thank Sachin for all the entertainment for the past 20 odd years of my life. I cannot stop watching cricket , but I am pretty sure it wont be the same for me. The rummaging of the stomach every time you walk in, the expectation, the anxiety , the elation every time you get to a century along with the satisfaction I get from it can never be experienced again. Heck I cant even remember the first time I had a glimpse of you on TV. Thank you and Goodbye SRT......
http://services.digigraph.me/sign/ef...eecd1d9c97?f=1
A fine balance
The year was 1996, the venue was Edgbaston in Birmingham, and I was there. England won that game by eight wickets, and it was a low-scoring affair, too. However, the reason I, and many others, remember that game is the way Sachin Tendulkar set about the hapless English bowlers in the second innings. On a fourth-innings pitch that offered everything and more to the seamers, and made the ball seam and swing, Sachin single-handedly took the fight out of a marauding Chris Lewis. Of the team score of 219, he made 122. The second highest scorer was Sanjay Manjrekar, with 18.
The discipline and focus required for an innings of such calibre are perhaps at odds with flair and aggression, yet Sachin displayed plenty of both. What struck us all was his complete fearlessness in the face of a hostile bowling attack with blood on their mind, and his refusal to call it a day, even as his fellows departed in a steady procession from the other end. That temperament, I believe, can only belong to someone whose technique makes him well-nigh invincible, should he so choose. It is the approach of someone who has visited, and conquered, weaknesses that have felled many lesser players.
I have seen so much of Sachin over the years that I now find it impossible to pick and choose my 'Sachin moments'. To give a random example, I recall him getting ready to tackle Shane Warne during an Australian tour of India. Conventional wisdom would dictate that Indian batsmen get ready to counter Australian pace, given the state of things, but conventional wisdom would be wrong. What sense does it make to plan for pace when the pitches support spin? Sachin was perhaps the only member of the team who understood that. And he took the trouble to ask Laxman Sivaramakrishnan to bowl at him, round the wicket, into the bowlers' rough. The results are history, cliches be damned.
I remember that practice session largely because it impressed upon me Sachin's unorthodox intelligence. Here was a batsman who had spotted a possible loophole and was working on it. He wasn't going through the motions as many do, no matter how hard they practise. Practice alone does not make you perfect. Only perfect practice makes you perfect. If you're practising the wrong things, you are merely getting better at being wrong. For the greater part of his career, Sachin has displayed this uncanny ability to practise right. And that has translated into footwork that is a coaching manual's joy. If you ignore the bumpy ride of the past year and a half-and you should because that was simply nature doing its job—I have never seen him put a foot wrong. Like a well-trained dancer, Sachin has, time after time, got into the best position to play a shot. That's because, as I was telling British Prime Minister David Cameron recently, you need to get your feet set first. The arms and hands simply follow.
In Sachin's case, the footwork becomes even more important because, like Sunny Gavaskar, he is a small man. And small batsmen take smaller strides when they play forward. If your footwork isn't right, and your step is just about a foot and a half and you are too far away from the pitch of the ball, the outcome can be fatal, not least because you're caught at the crease and rooted to the spot. During his best time, which was pretty much all the time barring the past 18-odd months, I have never seen Sachin caught at the crease. Ever. But those feet have finally stopped moving as well as they should, I feel. And that's what time is all about, isn't it?
The other aspect of Sachin's technique that has always delighted me is his judgement of length. I probably do not need to explain this, but we've seen so many players play back when they should be playing forward, and vice versa, that this bears repetition. Even a player of the calibre of Mahendra Singh Dhoni nicked one to the wicketkeeper during the recent Kolkata Test against the West Indies because he stayed back instead of coming forward. That isn't something you would normally associate with Sachin. The lad just possesses a sublime sense of length. And that's all, really. Footwork and judgement of length. These are, or ought to be, the basics of any good batsman's technique and the beauty of Sachin's game has always been that he has kept things simple.
This is largely what has allowed him to play any kind of bowling on any kind of pitch. This is also what allows him to play those perfect drives, cuts and pulls with minimal expenditure of energy. That economy of movement comes from hours upon hours of dedicated practice, whereby perfectly orthodox technique wins over on-the-spot, sometimes desperate, innovation, every time.
For anyone who cared to notice, Sachin's feet were always aligned wicket to wicket, bat perfectly in line with the off stump, the back-lift enabling the release of the bat and a cocking of the wrists. The fact that he hits with such power can be attributed to the perfect transfer of weight as well as the release of his wrists at the top of his bat swing.
You can also sense that there is a definite plan behind each and every innings, that technique is subservient to Sachin's assessment of the game, and that he isn't using technique simply for the sake of it. While this may not be actually possible, he gives the impression that he has thought every innings through, prepared for every ball, studied every individual bowler, and conducted a personal risk assessment for every shot. All of which make him a game controller, and a game changer on occasion.
There is no shame in the gradual decline that Sachin has been going through. And I completely understand his desire to continue to play. Through all the ups and downs, Sachin Tendulkar has never stopped enjoying himself. And now that he has finally called it a day, the judgement, as usual, is perfect.
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Very good technical analysis by Boycott 8-)
Why was it so tough to bowl to Tendulkar?
Picture this: A genuine fast bowler streaming in from the top of his run-up. Tall, big-built, face covered in white paint; his hands and legs moving in rhythm as he gains in pace with every stride. It's a sight that often keeps batsmen awake the night before a Test match, shuddering at the prospect of what they will face the next morning.
Now picture Sachin Tendulkar at the crease. His crouching five-foot-five frame looking even smaller. His bat aligned with the off-stump. His gentle eyes peering from behind the visor. It's a wonder how this benign vision has turned out to be the most fearsome image for bowlers around the world for more than two decades.
What is it that makes Sachin such a huge problem to tackle? How did bowlers approach a match knowing they would come up against his straight drives, his horizontal bat strokes, and his silken flicks? How hard, really, was it to bowl to him?
Waqar Younis, who had famously struck Sachin on the face with a bouncer in the fourth Test of his debut series at Sialkot, says the oft-recounted incident only tells a fraction of the story. "First, I don't think the ball hit him as hard as it's been portrayed. I was bowling at around 145 kmph but it went off the glove before it struck him. He went down, we had a chat, shook hands, and he was up in a minute, ready to play the next delivery," the former Pakistan captain told India Today.
The episode, Waqar says, turned out to be an aberration. The 16-year-old boy they had first heard about from Ajay Jadeja during India's under-19 trip of Pakistan just before the 1989 tour, didn't allow himself to be dominated ever again. "I remember we didn't think too much when we had our first team meeting. There were other important guys to worry about: Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Mohammad Azharuddin, Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar. By the end of the trip, his image within our team had changed entirely."
Over the next few years, as India and Pakistan started playing one-day cricket on a regular basis, all talk in the Pakistani dressing room would be about how to counter Sachin. "We'd realised that if we didn't get him out in his first few overs at the crease, he could do a great deal of damage."
Waqar says that Sachin had no particular chink in his armour to begin with, and his technique got only better with time. "As a fast bowler, you set a batsman up, bowl different deliveries in a pattern, and then induce him into a false shot. Sachin was much better than any other batsman I've bowled to at reading that pattern. But I always felt that more than any other delivery, he was slightly vulnerable to the ball coming into him at good pace early on in his innings."
Allan Donald, another great fast bowler of the 1990s, had heard so much about Sachin's prowess before India's tour of South Africa in 1997 that he turned to West Indies pacemen Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, who had got Sachin out lbw on a few occasions, for help. "Generally fast bowlers don't give away their secrets, but they knew what I was up against, and were nice enough to talk to me about Sachin," he says. Ambrose and Walsh told Donald to bowl fuller and make him play a majority of the deliveries early on in his innings. They said that he just sits pretty at his crease and leaves the balls he doesn't need to touch. "They suggested I bowl full and slanting in from outside the off-stump," says Donald. The ploy worked, but only on occasion, considering that Sachin got a big century in the series. Donald dismissed him just once in three Tests.
As Sachin's career progressed at an astonishing pace around the mid-1990s, the hardest thing was how to prepare against him. Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar, who began his Test career in dramatic fashion by dismissing Rahul Dravid and Sachin off successive deliveries in 1999, says he knew he needed to treat Sachin differently from all other players. "I never sledged him while he batted against me. There are some players who are better off left alone. Players like Sachin will only hit back harder."
Akhtar says he has no qualms in admitting that most of his plans against Sachin fell through. "I would think that if I bowled like this, he will play like that, and then I will stand a chance. At the 2003 World Cup, I tried to bowl short outside the off thinking he would pull me. Instead, he decided to cut me over point for six. It was a shot that made me famous," Shoaib laughs. "Then I decided to bowl at his body, and he flicked me away. I bowled full to him and reversed the ball, he drove straight." That's how he unsettled most bowlers.
Javagal Srinath, who has bowled to Sachin perhaps more than any other bowler in the nets and in domestic cricket, says the only preparation you could do against Sachin was to ensure your mind was always ticking. If you had a set plan, he would always outsmart you. If you didn't have a counter, he would run away with the game. "From my experience, I can remember only Fanie de Villiers, the South African fast bowler, who could think one step ahead of Sachin and beat him regularly," Srinath says.
The Indian quick, who shared the dressing room with Sachin for more than a decade, says Sachin knew the bowlers' tricks so well that he would keeping telling batsman at the other end what the bowler would do next. "He would say, 'Ab yeh upar dalega (Now he will pitch it up)' or 'Thoda chota marega (The next one will be a little short)'. He would be right 90 per cent of the time," says Srinath.
There is no doubt that Sachin had his flaws. But it was his ability to iron them out that kept him one step ahead. During India's tour of Australia in 2003-04, he offered the ultimate example of this quality by scoring 241 runs in Sydney by cutting out the cover-drive completely from his repertoire. That's what the art of batting is all about-playing to your strengths and minimising your weaknesses. That's what let a tiny little man tower over the world of cricket for as long as Sachin has done.
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Another good one!
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Originally Posted by littlemaster1982
இரு தினங்களுக்கு முன்பு இதையே நானும் நினைத்துக் கொண்டிருந்தேன். டிவிலியர்ஸ் ஒரு வானவில் போல. வந்ததும் தெரியாது. போனதும் தெரியாது. ஆனால் விளையாடிய சில வருடங்களிலேயே பத்து வீச்சிற்கே ஒரு தனி இலக்கணமாய் தெரிந்தார்.Quote:
Originally Posted by littlemaster1982
He openly says here that http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine...ry/531388.html ( I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article)
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I reckon I was the best in the world with that offcutter. Without slowing it down. It went whirrrr. And it worked like a bomb. I took a lot of wickets in England with offcutters. Grassy wicket, bowl offcutters. We had a game here where the West Indian A side had nine left-handers. I took eight of the nine. I could have used that more if we had played a lot of Test cricket in India
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County cricket taught me how to bowl the offcutter, which is what you should bowl to Tendulkar all the time. I am not talking slower balls - the fast offcutters.
Thanks Sachin for all your memories.
My pick of whole Sachin's career is his century against Aus at Sharjha :notworthy:.
To me, 114 v Australia, Perth, 1992 and 136 v Pakistan, Chennai, 1999 are the two best test knocks from Sachin because IMO, these were two occasions Sachin had a terrible bowling line up from opponents. I also rate his first double century for Mumbai against Australia as one of the finest.Quote:
Originally Posted by VinodKumar's
I always feel that each and every run in those two Sharjha innings came at will. Intha ball-la inga run adipaan da appdinu sollitu adicha maari irrukum. Dominance at its best :smokesmirk:.
Not to forget Tony Greig's commentary..
http://www.youtube.com/v/x141nJaVijg
What a six what a six... what a player :notworthy:
Sreedhar Pillai @sri50
#Sachin200 has emerged as the highest rated (TRP') Test match on television (Star Sports) in India in the past 8 years. WOW 8-)