Sir Sachin Tendulkar - The Greatest Cricketer Ever

[littlemaster1982]

Sachin Tendulkar - The God Of Big Things

### I first visited the Tendulkar residence when Sachin was still creating waves as a schoolboy. The visit was to get inputs for what was among the first feature articles written on Sachin. The abiding memory of that visit was the image of the family remaining completely unaffected and showing no visible trace of excitement that parents normally betray when they see a media person wanting to write about their young child.

### The Tendulkars have remained conscious of their middle class values and their middle class friends who have been friends long before Sachin became “Richie Rich”. Though the family opted for a very private wedding ceremony for Sachin (the reception was a public affair), they ensured that there was an exclusive celebration reserved for the Sahawas inhabitants and close friends. These were the people with whom they bonded emotionally when they fame and fortune was still to knock at their doors and they decided to treat them in a special manner.

### I cannot recollect a single instance when he hurt a kid by refusing an autograph asked at an appropriate time. In fact, I recall an instance when we were both talking while awaiting a flight when a father butted in with his child and interrupted us. Any other person would have expressed his displeasure at the intruding gentleman, but Tendulkar shook hands with the child, gave his autograph and genuinely made him feel good by telling him to study well and obey his parents. It was a humbling moment. His love for kids has meant they have often left his room with cakes, pastries and fruits.

### I had once requested Tendulkar for an interview after he had returned from a long tour. The request was made at night while the following morning he was heading for a spending some quiet couple of days with his wife outside the state before heading to play a benefit match. Yet, he was gracious enough to say that he would do a long-distance telephone interview for me. I just did not have the heart to take advantage of his niceness. I told him that he deserved his rest and the little moment of privacy he got with his wife and decided not to trouble him. Was I unprofessional? Maybe. But I felt good that I was able to project a human face to a good gesture.

### Former ICC panel umpire VK Ramaswamy told me a story which underlines Tendulkar’s commitment. Sometime in the early 90s, the organisers of a tournament in Meerut were worried that Tendulkar may not turn up as he was playing a benefit match the previous day at Silchar. “But he took a flight from Silchar to Delhi, covered the two and half hour distance from Delhi to Agra by road, reached around 3.00 am and was there at the match, looking as fresh and enthusiastic as ever to play for his office (Sun-Grace Mafatlal)!”

### Hemant Kenkre, a dear friend of mine, recollects the time Tendulkar refused to accept money for an ad he did for Anja San. The exclusive men’s boutique in Mumbai is owned by singer Asha Bhosle' s son, who wanted to pay Tendulkar his price. But Tendulkar would not accept it. Says Kenkre: ``Frankly I would have taken money in Sachin's place. I can understand him refusing the money today, but at that early point of his career he was not making the kind of money he is making today. It truly showed the character in him.”

[ajithfederer]

http://www.thewisdencricketer.com/it...=3&item_id=436

The Poster Boy Untouched By Fame
December 2008

Sachin Tendulkar has scored more Test runs than anyone. To Greg Baum, who has seen him stop trains in their tracks in India, he is the game’s secular saint
Main picture by Patrick Eagar

The two keenest appreciations of Sachin Tendulkar were made from vantage points that could not have been more opposite and together serve as an incontrovertible cross-reference to his greatness.

The first was Sir Donald Bradman’s famous remark to his wife during the 1996 World Cup that Tendulkar put him in mind of how he himself batted. The second is the widespread understanding in the cricket community that match-fixers did not bother to get on with their crooked business until Tendulkar was out; there is an anecdotal account of how Tendulkar once unknowingly ruined a fix by batting too blissfully well. It must be understood that neither reflection would have been made lightly. Sir Donald was not given to hyperbole or glibness. Nor would the fixers have bothered with throwaway lines.

Together, these tributes convey immutable impressions of Tendulkar that accord with less quantifiable, more aesthetic understandings of the glory of his batsmanship. Here is a man capable of changing the course of any game.
Here is a man incorruptible in the face of the temptations that so many of his peers could not resist. Outside the laws or outside the off stump he could not be lured. Here is a man not susceptible to human failing in any endeavour; a man not so much invincible as invulnerable.

Here is a man whose name is synonymous with purity, of technique, philosophy and image. If Ian Botham was the Errol Flynn of cricket, or Viv Richards the Martin Luther King, or Shane Warne the Marilyn Monroe, or Muttiah Muralitharan the Hobbit, Tendulkar is surely the game’s secular saint.

Right from the beginning, he appeared to be touched by divinity. He came among us as a boy-god, unannounced. He was 16 and was hit on the head in his first appearance but neither flinched nor retreated a step. Nothing thenceforth could harm him, temporal or otherwise. He was short and stocky like all the best and mop-topped and guileless to behold. He has scarcely changed since.

Tendulkar was born with extravagant natural talent but he was also driven and indefatigable. He came not from another dimension, nor the mystical east, but like all greats from the nets. When a boy he would bat from dawn to dusk and even a little beyond. By such dedication he came to understand intimately his own gift and at length to lavish it upon others.

His movements at the crease are small but exact. He said once that he did not believe in footwork for its conventional purpose because the tempo of Test cricket did not permit a batsman the textbook indulgence of getting to the pitch of the ball. Rather he thought of footwork as a means of balancing himself up at the crease so that each shot was hit just as he meant it. He scores predominantly through the off side, unusual for such a heavy run-maker, but of course he can play every shot.

Tendulkar’s method promotes an air of calm, reassurance and poise at the crease. Brian Lara’s batting was characterised by explosion and violence, Steve Waugh’s by grim resolve, Ricky Ponting’s now by his energetic purpose; but Tendulkar’s ways are timeless. His battles with Shane Warne, genius versus genius, were for the ages. It is said that the common element to concepts of beauty among all peoples and races is symmetry, a balance between all the parts. So it is with Tendulkar’s batting.

How easily he carries the hopes and takes responsibility for the well-being of untold millions on that impossible subcontinent; in this, too, he is divine. All eyes are upon him, day and night, but no scandal has attached itself in his private life or in his cricket endeavours. Across the land he is the little man on the big posters and hoardings, creating a kind of reverse Big Brother effect; he is not watching them but they are watching him. Still he stands tall.
Sometimes petty criticism is made that he fails India in its hours of need but it is not borne out by the figures. He has made more than 80 international centuries and is not done yet.

When called upon, he also bowls intelligently, if sparingly. He is sure in the field. There is even about him, as there was about many saints, something of the ingenu. He was not a natural captain for the modern era because he can lead only by example. He does not have a charismatic presence in a cricket stadium but fills it in a different way, as the one certainty in a sea of doubt. Batting is the most fraught of sporting pursuits because even for the best the end is only ever one ball away. Tendulkar seems to turn that verity upon itself.

As Tendulkar put Bradman in mind of himself, so he puts others in mind of Bradman. Once I was on a night train winding down from Simla to Kalka that stopped halfway for refreshments at a station lit by flaming torches. On a small television screen wreathed in cigarette smoke Tendulkar was batting in a match in Mumbai. No one moved or spoke or looked away. The train was delayed by 20 minutes. Not until Tendulkar was done could the world resume its normal timetables and rhythms.

[littlemaster1982]

One of the best articles on Sachin Thanks a lot AF for bringing this

[ajithfederer]

Tendulkar as effective as ever: Boycott

December 16, 2008 15:57 IST
Last Updated: December 16, 2008 16:01 IST

The unbridled aggression may have paved way for a sedate approach but Sachin Tendulkar [Images], even after the wears and tears of 18 years of international cricket, remains as effective as ever, according to former England [Images] captain Geoffrey Boycott.

The former England opener said ageing is a natural process but what is unique about Tendulkar is the fact that he is still able to score those runs when required.

* British media laud Tendulkar

"As a batsman it is not how many runs you make but whether you do it when it matters. Tendulkar showed all his experience, skill and ability," Boycott wrote in his column for The Daily Telegraph.

* Images: India triumphant at Chepauk

"As he gets older he does not dominate bowling as he did in his younger days. He does not have the same range of shots and has to use his brain instead. It makes no difference because he is just as effective as he ever was," said the cricketer-turned-commentator, known for forthright views.

According to him, Tendulkar's sublime century in the Chennai Test could be a lesson for all other batsmen.

"This year alone he has made over 1,000 runs in Test cricket at an average of over 50. As they age all batsmen and bowlers must be able to fall back on what they have learned so that when that little bit of youthfulness has gone, you make up for it with experience and knowledge," he said.

Upset with Monty Panesar's [Images] average show in the match, Boycott said the England spinner should learn from Tendulkar.

"Panesar and Tendulkar are two opposites. Panesar has talent but has learned nothing. Tendulkar is brilliant and has learned everything," he observed.

According to Boycott, the Sikh spinner still has a long way to go in Test cricket.

"Shane Warne's [Images] comment is very appropriate. He basically said Panesar has not learned a thing in Test cricket. To be a great spin bowler, it is not enough to spin the ball and bowl it on a length ball after ball. That is only the simple basics. You have to think batsmen out by subtlety and variation. You have to be able to cope with pressure. It

demands a different mindset when you bowl in the fourth innings and have to get a team out to win the match.

"For a spinner there is no bigger pressure than bowling at Indian and Sri Lankan batsmen, because they are brought up with spin and are very, very good at playing it. Monty simply has a lot to learn," Boycott said.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.a...211&na=1&nst=1

HAS SACHIN SLOWED DOWN -- Oh Really
Plenty of people we come across today, say things like Sachin is good but not as positive as he used to be before, his reflexes has slowed down ............he doesnt dominate these days is it really the case.

I dont like to talk abt the glorious past of the master as i feel that the present is just as mesmerizing as it has ever been.

Lets take a look at all 50+ innings of Sachin during the last one year, as its pointless to talk about Strike rates for low scores.

Point to note here is, apar from the lanka series and the one off inning against SA Sachin has scored a fifty in all the matches he has played ........except perhaps missing it by 1 in bangalore.




56 vs Pak Delhi Strike rate 50.50

82 vs Pakistan Kolkatta Strike Rate 75.22

62 vs Australia Melbourne Strike rate 80.51

153 vs Australia Sydney Strike rate 63.37

71 vs Australia Perth Strike rate 55.46

153 vs Australia adelaide Strike rate 74.63

62 vs Australia Melbourne of 77 balls Strike rate 80.51

88 vs Australia Mohali Strike rate 79.27

If you are still wondering what that means .


here's a head to head with a player presumed to be perpetually attacking
Last one year 50+ scores


Ponting : 7 innings --------------650 runs --------------Strike rate --58.45

Sachin : 7 innings --------------666 runs ------------Strike rate -----67.75




Talk about Slowing down..............????

Not Dominating ???????????????

If you notice the only 2 innings where the SR is in 50s are in




Delhi test against pak


4th inning deteriorating pitch .............and a reasonable score to chase, considering that India has faltered many times in doing that



Perth Test

Well that 77 was a masterpiece, maybe at strike rate of 55 .................but boy wasnt it a genius .

Moral: Sachin only slows down when the situation really demands it .........or the opposition resort to negative line tactics

[ajithfederer]

http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.a...860&na=1&nst=1

All Blame on Sachin???????Is it
I always see people raising this question,Sachins century never ends up with Indian wins..is it true..yea it has a bit of truth..but let us just see those centuries at a glance and see...is the general remark true..

Out of 41 centuries he has scored it has resulted in an Indian win for 15 matches and 17 were drawn and 9 ended up in loosing cause.

He avgs a staggering 64.88 for all the matches India has not lost.

Centuries against Australia which has gone vain
Now let us look into matches where his century has resulted in an Indian Loss.
Lets take the 4 centuries he has scored against Australia,which has ended in loss
1.Played against Australia,Ground, Perth, on 1,-5 February 1992
Sachins score==>114
India Losses by 300 Runs.Sachin scores 114, rated many as the best innings seen.The notable point is the second highest scorere was Kiran More 43 runs.
MOM:Mike Whitney
2.Played against Australia,Ground Bangalore, on 25-29March 1998
Sachin Scores ==>177 &31 in second innings
India lose by 9 wickets.Sachins highest score for a losing cause.After helping the team score 424 in the first innings,if we still lose the match is it this mans fault.u decide.by the way the second highest scorer was sidhu with 74.
MOM Kasparoviz,MOS:sachin
3.Played against Australia Ground melbourne on 26-30 December 1999
Sachin Scores==> 116 in first innings and 52 in second innings
India Lose by 180 runs
Sachin as captain does all he could,the next top scorere for india was H.kanithkar the debutant with 45.This loss is also because of sachin.pity pity
MOM :Sachin Tendulkar
4.Played against Australia Ground Sydney 2-6 January 2008
Sachin scores 154 not out and 12
India lose by 122 runs
Many can blame on the poor umpiring and all others,but i would put the blame squarely on India,2 overs to go 3 wickets in hand score 210 for 7,Indian tail collapses to part time spinner Michael clarke and end the innings with the same score 210 all out....this match is also lost because of sachin..what can one do more than this.
MOM:Andrew Symonds

Against ENGLAND
5.Played against England, Birmingham, from-6-10 June match)
Sachin Scores ==>24 in the first inningss and 122 in the second innings
India Lose by 8 wickets.

The second highest scorer in that second innings when sachin scored 122 was 18 by sanjay manajrekar.How in the world can he be blamed for such pathetic performance from the team.

MOM :Nasser Hussain

Against New Zealand
6.Played against New Zealand, Wellington, 26-30 December
Sachin scores==> 47 in the first innings,113 in the second innings and take 2 wickets for the cost of 8 runs
What more can a batsman do more than this in low scoring match..yet all the blame on sachin..he never wins you matches..The only other player who did contribute was Azhar with a fighting century in the first innings

Against South Africa
7.Played against SA, Cape Town, from 2-6 January 1997
SA win by 282 runs
Sachin scores ==> 169 ,a flamboyant fighting century only to be dismissed as the last batman by an adam Bacher magic at the ropes.All other batsmen capitulated like 9 pins apart from Azhar and India lost the match with ease.

Blame it on sachin...He is no good..he should have scored 300 batting with the tail..

8.Played against SA, Bloemfontein, 3-7 November 2001
SA win by 9 wickets
Sachin scores ==>155 in the first innings and along with century from sehwag takes india to 378...But what followed was great display of fast bowling and great fielding and India lost by 9 wickets...put the blame again on this man...easiest thing in the cricket world...

Against Pakistan
9.Played agaisnt Pakistan Chepauk, Chennai, from 28-31 January 1999
Sachin scores ==>136 runs chasing a modest 271 in the last innings.The second highest run scorere for india was Mongia with 52..Sachin departs when India need 15 runs more with score on 256..the great Indian tail wagged and score 2 runs...we lost the match by 14 runs..this is called team effort...But at the end of the day..again the blame falls on sachin...pathetic player..no good in finsihing the match..


This is to all sachin fans who at some instance had to face this blame game...."Sachin never makes india win"..this questions will come across again and many a time...

Happy new year...

And to all sachin fans who are putting threads to degrade other stars...please stop as that in hand is just like degrading this community as a whole.

[ajithfederer]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ranj...ch/368287.html

Meera: "this really isn't even a challenge for Sachin. it's just a question of whether or not he gets bored out there. i think he'll collar domestic attacks when he is 65 also. i can't remember a time when he hasn't scored while playing for mumbai."

456 for 2. Kotak applauds Tendulkar's effort as they walk back to the pavilion. Meanwhile, TN are 375 for 7 (Balaji 10*, Ganapathy 13*)

That comment by Meera about a 65-year old Tendulkar reminds me of a lovely story told by Jeff Thomson about Bradman.

Thommo: "On a rest day during the Indian tour in 1977-78, Don Bradman was around in the nets. I was bowling only legspin to him, but he had a couple of young blokes trying to get him out. With no pads, no nothing ... for a 68-year-old, he belted the hell out of them on a turf wicket. And he hadn't batted for 20 years. I went back in and said, 'Why isn't this b!@@rd playing with us tomorrow?' That's how good I thought he was."
Btw it's a super interview of Thommo by Nagraj. Do read it .. http://content-www.cricinfo.com/maga...ry/330770.html

[ajithfederer]

131.6 Makvana to Tendulkar, SIX, He usually slog sweeps these days in international cricket but here today he has been charging down the track like the good old days. Another dash down the wicket, another big heave and another six over long-on.


Thalaivan Irukiran !!!

[ajithfederer]

133.4 Dhurv to Tendulkar, FOUR

133.3 Dhurv to Tendulkar, SIX, The little big man is hammering the Saurashtrians. He charged down the track to lift the flighted delivery over long-off and into the stands. Pity about the lack of the crowd.

[ajithfederer]

Karthik: "Tendulkar's love affair with Chepauk continues. He has made 5 Test hundreds on this very same ground. 4 of which helped India win the Test 1 of which almost helped India win. "


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