"Sachin!,Sachin!" the chant which had become a nationwide anthem for all cricket fans is echoing in my head, as I write my first blog piece on this forum. It was an emotional moment for me, to send a news alert at my office that Sachin Tendulkar -- the God of Cricket -- would never step onto the grass after November.
I was born in 1991, the year Sachin, a fresh leg in the team at 17 years of age, became the youngest player to hit a century on the Australian soil. Playing on what went on to become one of his favourite grounds -- Sydney -- he had hit a superb 148 runs in that test match.
Growing up, the 'Master Blaster' has sailed team India through many a rough weather. My parents always teased me about how, in their time, Sunil Gavaskar dominated the cricket fraternity with his bat and that Sachin could never match his class.
For them -- they were convinced -- there couldn't be another Gavaskar. For me, there couldn’t be another Sachin. Although, both lay a claim to the 'Little Master' title.
Of the faintest memories I have, I remember whenever I used to go to bat while playing with my friends, I had visuals of Sachin coming into my head. My dream was not so much to become a cricketer, but to become a “Sachin Tendulkar”. Perhaps, I am not alone in that.
Nevertheless, it was India vs Australia in the 1998 Sharjah tri-series, and was another drawing room discussion where I was convincing my parents that Sachin is the greatest player and would even break Mr. Gavaskar's feat someday. With four wickets down at the score of 138 runs, India was chasing a tough 284 against the mighty Australia. More importantly, India had to win the game with a good run-rate to steer into the final. Sachin took it upon himself and delivered. Stepping ahead, hitting all over the ground for sixes against one of the strongest bowling line-up, it was the Sharjah Sandstorm (yes, not the Gayle storm) that had come.
After the match, the legendary spinner Shane Warne famously said, "I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He was unstoppable. I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar"
That was the day, after his exuberant performance, I felt I had finally proved to my parents that there was no one like Sachin Tendulkar.
Like him, I remember, I used to keep a heavy bat while playing because I somehow felt if he does it, I should also do it. Such was the obsession that a whole generation of Sachin followers had, when they picked up their bats.
It is perhaps true that as far as the cricketing era goes, there would now be BS and AS -- 'Before Sachin' and 'After Sachin'. For now, I know the feeling hasn't sunk it yet but I can proudly say that I lived in an era where I could witness the God. For my next generation, I will surely carry forward my parent's legacy to say, that there couldn't be another Sachin Tendulkar -- the man who conquered the cricket field.
