Sachin Tendulkar
Mumbai: For the first two hours on Saturday, I thought that the West Indies with their spineless batting would take the sheen off Sachin Tendulkar's last Test.
They crumbled yet again to an ignominious innings defeat, but in its wake came a farewell address that resurrected the proceedings and made it an occasion to savour. For a quarter of a century, Tendulkar has moved people with bat in hand, but on Saturday afternoon, it was surely not only Anjali Tendulkar but also the millions that heard him who would have been choked with to tears. The choice of words was simple, but the thoughts were lofty and offered some insight into the mind that has taken an unlettered man to such extraordinary heights.
Tendulkar's retirement speech, not much more than 25 minutes, was riveting and telling. It was pathos-laden, emotional and thoughtful: full of grace and gratefulness remembering everybody who has contributed to his growth, and delivered with a spontaneity that, at least to me personally, was quite astonishing.
When I had first met him, Tendulkar was not quite 15: a callow, curly-haired, shortstatured youngster who could barely mumble a few words. In the 25 years since obviously much has changed.
Along the way to becoming a batting legend, he has also enriched himself in the school of life too.
Over the past three weeks leading to his retirement, the country had been gripped by a kind of frenzy that, must admit, even I thought was perhaps going over the top. But beyond the hype, the admiration and love that he commands from millions has been unmistakable.
What defines his enduring appeal over 25 years? My contention is that the Tendulkar phenomenon cannot be understood only in the cricketing perspective; it goes way beyond.
There are revisionists who challenge his batting greatness. This is hardly offensive; rather, it enriches the cricket debate.
But this is only one half of the story . The other is that it he has easily the most influential Indian of the last half century certainly. Starting his career at a time when the country seemed massively divided against itself along caste, class and religious lines, Tendulkar, even without his knowing at least for his first decade, became the glue which unites such a huge and diverse nation.
He became both anchor and hope for a people seeking relief from every day problems and trepidations. Later on, he became a metaphor for the aspiration of an India that was seeking its place in the upper echelons of a new world order. He rise found the most potent symbol for the rise of the Great Indian Middle Class.
His brilliant skills earned him tumultuous worldwide acclaim and great wealth, suggesting to a New India what talent, passion, ambition and discipline could achieve. The longevity of his career -a phenomenal 24 years -has in several ways been a beacon for the generations his career has spanned.
?
( Source : dc )
Next Story
