Tendulkar has more cricket left: Rahul Banerji
By Rahul Banerji
Sachin Tendulkar turned 33 this Monday. For most cricketers -- as opposed to athletes or footballers and many other sportspersons -- this would be nearing the pinnacle of a career. In his case however, it spells 17 years at the top level, something most tend to forget so very easily.
Sadly therefore, the question that was once asked, "when was the last time Sachin won a match for India" is increasingly turning to, "when has Sachin ever won a match for India"? In a career that has already lasted as long as it has, and served the national colours with such distinction, this is a sorry comment on the instant gratification that now seems to be the order of the day, particularly in the light of younger and more aggressive talent coming through.
To measure Tendulkar's feats in terms of sheer statistics would be to do him injustice. At one point -- as it was for his equally illustrious predecessor from Bombay, Sunil Gavaskar -- it was literally a case of India falling with his wicket. No better example exists of this syndrome than the 1999 Test against Pakistan in Madras, where he fell agonisingly short of the victory target, and India stumbled to a 16-run defeat.
It is of late that injury has taken a heavy toll on his body, leading to a series of absences that have given spur to questions that crop up about his role and effectiveness. In the last couple of years, his aggregates and averages have both dipped somewhat, but only in relation to his sparkling overall career figures. And, perhaps inevitably, the questions.
To expect him to rediscover the heady days of a decade ago would be patently unfair. Tendulkar has changed and evolved over the years, and though nobbled by injury, still clearly retains his love for the game, though for how much longer, given the frequency with which his role and effectiveness are queried these days is a moot question.
Contemporaries, and even the man himself, are clear that Tendulkar has not lost his appetite for what he does best. Said Wasim Akram, probably one of his most respected opponents, in a birthday tribute: "Most cricketers can have nine lives and still wouldn't go beyond the foothills of his achievements. Yet, there is a call for his head. The Gulliver of our times is being held down by the Lilliput. Liberate him and you would still enjoy the genius of this man who has been one of the greatest cricketers ever to walk on this earth."
Added Akram: "From being toast of the nation for a decade and a half, it would now appear as if he stands between the team and the golden future. Shame on all!"
And listen to the man himself: "I feel I have been batting well. I have made one odd mistake and paid the price. I just feel that luck needs to be a bit more on my side," he said in an interview recently, adding, "I am not overly worried because everyone goes through such a phase. I think it is a part and parcel of life. As long as I know from the bottom of my heart that I am trying my best,"
For those who know and understand the game, he remains the finest exponent of the willow in the modern game. Brian Lara may have bigger scores to his name, Ricky Ponting may be a more murderous batsman these days that Tendulkar is, but there is no taking away from his stature and his feats, many of which have helped turn Indian cricket -- at least in the one-day context -- the mean machine it is today.
By Rahul Banerji
Sachin Tendulkar turned 33 this Monday. For most cricketers -- as opposed to athletes or footballers and many other sportspersons -- this would be nearing the pinnacle of a career. In his case however, it spells 17 years at the top level, something most tend to forget so very easily.
Sadly therefore, the question that was once asked, "when was the last time Sachin won a match for India" is increasingly turning to, "when has Sachin ever won a match for India"? In a career that has already lasted as long as it has, and served the national colours with such distinction, this is a sorry comment on the instant gratification that now seems to be the order of the day, particularly in the light of younger and more aggressive talent coming through.
To measure Tendulkar's feats in terms of sheer statistics would be to do him injustice. At one point -- as it was for his equally illustrious predecessor from Bombay, Sunil Gavaskar -- it was literally a case of India falling with his wicket. No better example exists of this syndrome than the 1999 Test against Pakistan in Madras, where he fell agonisingly short of the victory target, and India stumbled to a 16-run defeat.
It is of late that injury has taken a heavy toll on his body, leading to a series of absences that have given spur to questions that crop up about his role and effectiveness. In the last couple of years, his aggregates and averages have both dipped somewhat, but only in relation to his sparkling overall career figures. And, perhaps inevitably, the questions.
To expect him to rediscover the heady days of a decade ago would be patently unfair. Tendulkar has changed and evolved over the years, and though nobbled by injury, still clearly retains his love for the game, though for how much longer, given the frequency with which his role and effectiveness are queried these days is a moot question.
Contemporaries, and even the man himself, are clear that Tendulkar has not lost his appetite for what he does best. Said Wasim Akram, probably one of his most respected opponents, in a birthday tribute: "Most cricketers can have nine lives and still wouldn't go beyond the foothills of his achievements. Yet, there is a call for his head. The Gulliver of our times is being held down by the Lilliput. Liberate him and you would still enjoy the genius of this man who has been one of the greatest cricketers ever to walk on this earth."
Added Akram: "From being toast of the nation for a decade and a half, it would now appear as if he stands between the team and the golden future. Shame on all!"
And listen to the man himself: "I feel I have been batting well. I have made one odd mistake and paid the price. I just feel that luck needs to be a bit more on my side," he said in an interview recently, adding, "I am not overly worried because everyone goes through such a phase. I think it is a part and parcel of life. As long as I know from the bottom of my heart that I am trying my best,"
For those who know and understand the game, he remains the finest exponent of the willow in the modern game. Brian Lara may have bigger scores to his name, Ricky Ponting may be a more murderous batsman these days that Tendulkar is, but there is no taking away from his stature and his feats, many of which have helped turn Indian cricket -- at least in the one-day context -- the mean machine it is today.