On 24the Feb, Sachin Tendulkar did what I thought would not happen for a long time to come. And no... I don't just mean the double century that he made. He did something more than that. Sachin Tendulkar, on 24th Feb, made a non-cricket fan want to write another post about him and cricket. And that, I believe, is definitely a compliment to him. Don't get me wrong now. It's not like I am a huge cricket critic and getting an appreciation from me is hard. It's in fact the complete opposite. I can never recite the scores of famous matches or remember any such match that should remembered in "the history of cricket". I don't know of most of the achievements by Sachin or for that matter by any other cricketer. And my cricketing knowledge is itself very limited (as already mentioned in one of my earlier posts).
So what's so special now, you ask. It's simply that Sachin has done something, the magnitude of which, even a complete cricket-less non-sports person like me can appreciate. And there lies Sachin. At the age of 36, when most people (especially in the sports field) are losing their grips on their skills and are getting ready to look for alternative paths, here we have a person who refuses to slow down. Who continues to show that he is still capable, probably even more than the youngsters. Who continues to display what sportsmanship is all about. And why there won't be another Sachin.
The best part of the match was when MSD was playing well too and everyone watching here was scolding him for not giving a chance to Sachin to get his score. For once, ppl were actually asking a batsman not to hit boundaries and just give the strike to Sachin. And there wasn't single point where Sachin actually went up to him and said anything to MSD about giving him the strike (Probably he did so using telepathy a la SRK in Chak De)
There is a lot to learn from Sachin. His stubbornness to not stop playing and slowly fade into oblivion may be regarded by many as childishly adamant or even over-ambitious nature. But then, the real question is, why should he. He has repeatedly proven that he is capable of more. The fact that he scored the double century at the age of 36 rather than 26 is in itself proof enough. Yes, he is physically not as energetic as the teen who entered the cricketing world. But the experience that he has culminated over the years has helped him play smart cricket. And that is thanks to his brain. In the modern world when everything from planning to strategy is computerized, a person who is able to remember, analyze and adapt to the playing conditions is definitely a super player. And Sachin is, quite simply, that - a super player. Not just because of his performance. But because of the type of man he his. I cannot think of anyone else, who rose to stardom at such a young age and who did not let it get to his head. And not just in cricket. It's rare to find talented persons with not only the skills but also the humility to carry it. If only we had more persons like Sachin - down-to-earth, humble, still having the inner drive to perform and someone who respects everyone around him. When Sachin scores magnificently and quite calmly states that he is honored to play for India, you can't help but feel proud to be an Indian.
And that is the magic called Sachin. Which reminds me of this small Tickr on MTV that I once saw. It said that the best way to attain Peace and Unity in India was to make Sachin the Prime Minister and President (at the same time) because everyone loves Sachin and no one would oppose anything he says. Making Sachin PM would ensure that smaller parties don't fight and bully the major parties. There wouldn't be any religious/ communal fights. Pakistan would give up it's struggle over Kashmir. Babri Masjid can be resolved by building a stadium there. And with a person like Sachin, we can be sure that he wouldn't let the power go to his head and that he would do good. Whilst the other things stated may be just wishful thinking, the building of a stadium is indeed a good idea.
Sachin for PM!!! Sachin ki jai ho!
Till then, may he continue to keep setting records and keep breaking them himself and may all that attract me to be a cricket fan. Okay, not the last one...
Note: Any facts mentioned above have been googled. I really don't remember the day when he took the double century or for that matter, his correct age!
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