Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar : Calleth the hour, Calleth the Champion

Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don’t know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport, that forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat people switch on their television sets and switch off their lives.
Such is the aura and countenance of the great man that it has invoked respect and reverence from all corners of the planet. Such is the propriety and humility of the man that it has prompted millions to revere him as God.
Sachin Tendulkar is arguably the greatest batsman to have played the game of Cricket in modern era. Many might still argue that the title should be reserved for Sir Don Bradman but personally I believe any such comparisons between the two legends is incongruous simply because of the fact that Cricket itself has evolved a lot over these years. Ranging from the rules and regulations to playing conditions to the amount of pressure every cricketer has to cope with, Cricket has transposed in all realms. Cricket was not always this speed driven generation’s game, there was a time when they played timeless Test matches where the matches went on until they got over, with time not being a constraint. All I want to say is that comparison of players of different eras is totally out of place and uncalled for.
What makes Tendulkar stand a class above the rest is not his talent and genius but rather his attitude and his work ethic. A consummate part of excellence has not much to do with talent. In fact, in the course of time, as one goes beyond a certain level, ability or talent is the most useless virtue that he/she can posses. It’s what is done with that talent counts. Talent might open the first door, it might open the second door but talent alone will never open the last door. And this is where Tendulkar stands out. His work ethic and his passion for the sport is unparalleled. As a 14 year old, Tendulkar played 55 matches on the trot, he used to practice for two hours in the morning, then play a match and then again practice for two hours after the match. This is where Tendulkar really scored his runs. He didn’t score all those hundreds 90 plus because of his genius alone at the crease, rather he achieved the implausible feat more so because of his unrelenting work ethic off it.
After the 2003 World Cup, Tendulkar was bombarded by the media and cricketing greats alike as to why he refused to take a runner during the just concluded World Cup. His reply though a simple one, staunchly elucidated why he is hallowed as an oracle. He said that the entire motive of taking a runner was squandered because of the fact that the runner would always be a couple of strides behind him in the sense that Tendulkar, before even playing the ball gets a fair idea as to how and where he is going to place the ball and with what power. Simply put, he takes his first stride even before playing the ball, a feat his runner if he tried to emulate would have got him into trouble more often than not. As Michael Schumacher said, “The race doesn’t begin when all the five lights go out, for me it begins when the first one goes on.” Tendulkar’s case is not very different.
Tendulkar’s accomplishments and achievements are also an outcome of his tremendous faith and conviction he has in himself and his team members. With a daunting target of 360 odd runs staring at India in the 2003 World Cup Finals, it was Tendulkar who raised the morals of his team members, making them see the tiny ray of hope that still shone with all its radiance, with his small but highly effective pep talk during the break. What he said was forget what the real target was. Just aim for a boundary every over. That is all. If that can be achieved, then what’s left was just another 160 runs from 250 balls, not such a monstrous task by any means. This ability to confront nearly impossible targets with such confidence and buoyancy is the real impetus behind his unparalleled success.
Sachin Tendulkar has not just been a revelation on the cricket field. Years down the line, he will not only be remembered as the greatest player to have played the game but also a person who was a source of inspiration for billions off the field, a person who came as close to being revered as God as one can get, a person who united billions of people irrespective of their grievances and disputes among themselves, a person who showed the world that what finally counts is passion and hard work, a true Legend.