New Delhi: Every birthday must be different for Sachin Tendulkar, yet remain the same. As each year passes by, the most abundant batsman of our times seems to be shouldering new responsibilities, facing new challenges. Over the years, he has had to do just everything a batsman is expected to, but acknowledged as a legend, has had to do just that little more.
In his almost two decades at the top, Tendulkar has had to score runs when others failed, get fast runs up the order, slow down in order to hold one end, listen to senior players and teach juniors. The Mumbai maestro has won matches for India, ran the opposition close and saved matches. He has scored runs in India and abroad, in Tests and ODIs. All along, he has also had to face criticism for not doing enough or failing when it mattered.
Tendulkar approaches his 35th birthday as a superhero who is not just indefatigable but who continues to have an aura around him that earned him the sobriquet “God of Cricket” some years ago. He might have been booed on the odd occasion but people still want to see more of him. No one knows this better than the Indian cricket Board, which has roped him in for their new baby, the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Along with the likes of Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag, he is among a list of icon players, who IPL officials hope, will help create a fan base for their respective cities.
Tendulkar’s records in both Test cricket and One-Day Internationals have been well documented but his stature can be better gauged from the fact that he is the centre of attraction even in a form of the game he has abstained from. It was little wonder then that crowds thronged the Wankhede Stadium and the Chepauk in his team’s opening two IPL matches, hoping to see their favourite son in action, but sadly for them, he could not play.
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Honoured recently with the Padma Vibhushan, which adds to the Padma Shri and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awards that he has already been bestowed with, Tendulkar seems good to keep going for some time and the 2011 World Cup no longer looks a bleak possibility. His body might be giving way but a strong mind and the ability to adjust to the needs of the team as well as his own physical limitations, more than make up for any frailties. So, you may see the paddle sweep more than the inside-out loft over cover, but the results of such dissimilar shots have been similar.
John Buchanan said last year that Tendulkar was susceptible to pace bowling because of his deteriorating footwork, while Ian Chappell called for his retirement. But after his match winning knocks in the CB series finals, both would have realized, as would a certain Sanjay Manjrekar, that having a dig at the little man only leaves you red-faced.
Between his 34th and 35th birthdays, Tendulkar has scored 11,114 runs in 12 Test matches with four centuries and 1,514 in 33 ODIs with one century, averaging 61.88 and 47.31, respectively. Along the way, he also missed out on tons by the bagful.
The last birthday and this one though are a contrast as regards the Indian team’s prospects. Last time around, the World Cup debacle was still fresh in the minds of people, while Indian cricket has found certain freshness with new names and a new attitude to show for. Even though the Mumbai batsman was not part of the Twenty20 World Championship victory in South Africa, he has played his own part in the resurgence of Indian cricket, especially on the tour of Australia.
Even as a new generation of players looks set to take over from the established names, Tendulkar is expected to work as a bulwark to ensure the transition is smooth. For, he still has a role to play in the fortunes of Indian cricket.
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