Book Review: "SACH" - Truly inspirational

“SACH – TRULY INSPIRATIONAL”

MS Dhoni is someone I admire the most and whose every single step in life is a source of inspiration for me. If he writes foreword for a book, then such a book will be the first in my must-read books list! SACH, giving people an insight into the many unknown tales in Sachin’s success journey, by Gautam Bhattacharya (published in 2011), is that book. When my hero compares cricket to Lord Ram and Sachin to Rams’ greatest disciple Hanuman, then the story of that disciple is bound to be an awe inspiring and one of its kind story. And I was proved to be right after reading SACH.

SACH starts with 40 questions which Sachin never answered in the past 25 years. And when Sachin starts answering them in this book, each answer becomes a lesson, a lesson to be learnt, followed and adopted in life. Every single instance of Sachin’s life that the author presents in the book, gives us a glimpse of the attitude of the phenomenal Sachin Tendulkar. The way he could not come to terms with his non-performance in an exhibition match under the captaincy of Imran Khan, when Sachin missed Kapil Dev’s catch because of Imran’s wrong field placement, shows his hunger for achievements and his never-settle-for-less attitude. And yes, you read it right; Sachin did play his first big match for Pakistan and this is just one of those many tales of Sachin that Gautam sings in SACH which I am sure not many of his common fanfare is aware of. The way Sachin accepted his first (and last) rejection, as a fast bowler, only makes the reader realize how a rejection or a failure breaks a genius, only so that he fights back to change all the equations and returns to claim a position that is rightfully his.

Sachin is an epitome of self confidence and this oozes out in his every act and thought. He tells his brother, Ajit Tendulkar right after his first coaching session with Achrekar, “I can play better than all those boys”. It is true that there is a thin line between confidence and over-confidence, but Sachin knows just too well to stay on this side of the border. His confidence comes from self analysis and realization; simply put, in his own words, “if you basically know yourself pretty well, it does not matter what people say. You know what you are capable of. If you remain confident of yourself, outside opinion won’t matter”. These words, I presume, are not only the most mesmerizing and striking piece of motivation for somebody who reads through his life, but for the genius himself.

No doubt most of us believe that God wanted to play cricket and hence Sachin was born, for Sachin is, unequivocally, one of the greatest players of his era. But one can never guess what the situation would have been, had Sachin been born in the post colonial generation, when both Indian and world cricket’s scenario were completely different. But the author of SACH does go into an adulatory tone, claiming Sachin to be more talented than Gavaskar. In Gavaskar’s words, “It is not fair to compare people from different eras as cricketers’ mental make-up is shaped by what they see and encounter during the years they grow”. In fact, there are many other instances in the book when the author makes such statements but one can never blame him for doing so. We Indians go crazy for the cricket God, and Gautam was just playing his part as Sachin’s fan when he praised him so.

That apart, SACH is a must read for every single soul. The book brings a closer view of Sachin’s life for all those who want more of his success journey. To complement the book, a great collection of Sachin’s rare pictures is presented in the book, and the photographer is to be particularly applauded for the same. All in all, SACH presents Sachin – the story of a genius honed by a happy and protective family. And anyone who has watched Sachin closely would agree that the only key to success, is hard work.