7 moments from Sachin Tendulkar’s career that don’t fade away
Sachin Tendulkar was the find of a post-liberalised India, as Harsha Bhogle would put it, he played cricket as though he was trading on the stock exchange – gutsy, flamboyant and with a never seen before risk appetite.
But where Tendulkar stood out though was in the fact that never ever did an Indian batsman bat with the weight of the country’s expectations on his shoulder. Never ever did an entire generation grow up inspired by the exploits of a single cricketer. In the globalised world, Tendulkar was India’s champion, competing with and beating the best across the globe.
Sachin turns 43 today and to celebrate another year in the life of the Master, we take a look at seven moments from his career that don't fade away, just like the Axe Signature range of body perfumes.
1) Bats on with a broken nose
‘Will this bloke be able to play?’ was the question doing the rounds in Pakistan when a baby-faced 16-year-old first made his debut for India in 1989. It was a pertinent question to ask. Never before had a boy barely in his teens padded up to face the likes of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.
However, it didn’t take too long for the question to answer. In the Fourth Test at Sialkot, on a green pitch, a young Tendulkar took guard to help India save the Test with Navjot Sidhu on the other end.
Soon, a Waqar bouncer whizzed off the pitch and hit Tendulkar on his nose. A deep cut not only oozed out blood but also left the batsman dazed. A concerned 12th Man, Salil Ankola ran out to check on Tendulkar, wondering if he would be willing to bat on or not.
Much to everyone’s surprise, Tendulkar took a towel, splashed water on his face – wiped the blood off and said something to the tune of ‘I’ll play!’ and took guard again. Much cajoling and reasoning from the rest of his teammates bore no fruits, the youngster would play on.
The Mumbaikar might have been playing his first Test series, but one could see that he had the makings of a champion.