SACHIN @ 20: SAGA CONTINUES

Twenty years back a day after the children’s day , a child prodigy made his debut in cricket facing the first ball from one of the fiercest bowling attacks in Test cricket. He is none other than Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. As said by Harsha Bogle in one of his cricket’s columns that he is most the analyzed cricketer ever in the game of cricket.

Now after 20 years there are two opinions divided based on his contributions to the world cricket, one community agrees that he is one of the greatest cricketer ever played in the game but not a match winner where as other community says he is "the greatest" cricketer ever played the game. I belong to the latter one and in this column I try to bring the some of the data to the table even though we trust in GOD.

When Sachin started playing cricket West Indies domination was on the decline and Australia started becoming one of the most formidable sides in World cricket. South Africa coming from apartheid ban joined the cricket nations and went on to become the most competitive side. As Sachin himself said the level of South African cricket was so high in 1992 tour were India has a disastrous tour except few innings from Sachin and others against the Donald Company. The countries where Sachin played Official International cricket are India, England, Australia, WI, Pakistan, SriLanka, Bangladesh, South Africa, Bangladesh, Zimababwe, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Holland, Canada, Kenya and some Arab countries He played cricket against all these nations as compared to Don Bradman who played only in England and Australia. Sachin has toured Australia on four occasions, as many times as Bradman toured England. Like Bradman, he has never gone home without a Test hundred to his name.


If we take his career it can be put in five phases, first is the one he came into the team with a huge expectations, remember there was the print media and the only one national tv channel. He proved himself that he is on the course of becoming a legend which includes his histrionics in Australia, England, NewZealand, South Africa more in Tests than in one dayers. He scored his first one day century after playing 2 months short of five years for Indian Team. That is almost one fifth of his carrer is without a one day century.

Sachin’s second phase starts with already proven expectations he went on to become the hightest score in the 96 world cup, England tour, his elevation to captaincy in the home and west indies tour. In this phase Team was looking as a one man army where he could achieve many mile stones but not the team wins.

Sachin’s third phase started with losing the captaincy and his contributions in Aus series and his histrionics in Sharjah 1998 and a series of Cup wins from Bangladesh, India, Sharjah , Srilanka. No discussion on Sachin completes without Sharjah and Australia 98 series. He plundered the runs all over the world during this phase. His third phase includes the unwilling captaincy , match fixing rocking , Sourav’s captaincy and the Last frontier series. This was a bit a roller coster ride from him except his contribution in Chennai test for the decider with Aussies and ball tampering episode in South Africa.

Fourth phase was the Nat West Series win, World Cup 2003 contribution, his injuries and the emergence of quartet in the form of Laxman, Sourav, Rahul, and Sachin. This period subdued his aggression as he played a marathon innings 248* without playing a cover drive in Sydney. This phase includes Indias win the historic series in Pakistan, tests have been won in South Africa, England, Australia, Zimbabwe, Srilanka, Bangladesh. There was an article written by Ian Chappel asking Sachin to look in the mirror for the former self. First time he was booed in his home turf and one of his ex- team colleague compared him the big fat Elephant in the dressing room.

During the fourth phase there was a talk that he may be retired after 2007 world Cup. But just after the disastrous world cup tour, his fifth phase has started and blossomed like anything which includes his contributions in Aus, against England, South Africa, Pakistan and right until his magnificient and marathon 175 in Hyderabad on Nov 5th 09.

I don’t think any cricketer played cricket spanning over four decades 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, 2010’s. For the coming generations it will be a hot topic to know whether Don Bradman has been tested as much as Sachin facing the bowlers of four generations right from Kapil, Hadlee, Imran, Botham and Marshall who were at the fag end of their careers when he entered the arena. From their on he faced the most hostile bowlers like Akram, Donald, Waqar, Dermott, Hughes, Walsh, Bishop, Vaas, Mcgrath, and wily guiles of Warne, Murali, Saqlain, Mustaaq etc. Played on the different coninents and different conditions. More than the data and Stats, there is a hope of billion people which carries on his shoulders and I hope Sachin Saga continues…