Identifying the sport: Of hypocrisies, Sachin Tendulkar and Indian cricket

It’s quite heartening to watch Sachin Tendulkar take guard on the cricketing pitch. And in many ways, it’s quite disheartening too. This last afterthought is not to imply that one doesn’t want to watch Sachin play, but to rather imply the sorry state of cricketing affairs in the country that still necessitate Sachin to come to the rescue.

The present crop of Indian cricketers are believed to be in what is called the transition phase. In laymen terms it can be – somewhat even insultingly so – translated to mean a time-period where relatively untried and untested players find themselves in the final Test playing XI. The emphases too has, thus, come to be placed on these newcomers, with featured articles elaborately dissecting their talent and television commercials blatantly declaring them to be the next generation of cricketing heroes before the whole nation.

Amidst such a furore, it presented a shoddy picture when none of the Indian bowlers – barring one – proved effective against the rampaging Aussie captain. And while the lone bowler who succeeded in dismantling the Australian innings proved his value, his solitary contribution brought out the deficiencies in the Indian bowling order, yet again. However, deficiencies or not, even as the bowlers redeemed themselves in the end, restricting the Australian total to 380, the abject let-down by the opening batsmen was even more frustrating. Thus, elaborating and justifying the opening salvo about Sachin coming to the proverbial rescue of the Indian batting order.

Granted that the match is still open-ended, but the lack of contribution from both Indian openers has not been without repercussions. Even before the start of the series, as one dubitable opener was dropped unceremoniously, the credibility of the resultant opening combination still remained in doubt. But even with the scepticism surrounding the partnership between a sharply fading maverick and one of the national-level cricketing talents, the loss of both openers with just 12 runs on the scoreboard was not short of adding insult to injury. And though the Indian innings stabilised after Sachin and Pujara played a well-crafted, steady game, the onus of expectation from both these batsmen – especially Sachin – has made the team vulnerable. Far more vulnerable, than what the team actually is.

Way back in the past, there were numerous times when Sachin rose as the knight in shining armour amidst otherwise weakened Indian efforts. He would single-handedly destroy opponents, inspiring fear and awe such that it had no comparisons. Younger and more assured, Sachin was the ultimate word when it came to defining Indian cricket. Years have passed, the man has aged and yet there’s no let-up or a take-over for him. An 11-man performance still gets transformed into a one-man show in Indian cricket as Sachin Tendulkar is expected to pick up from where others have – or have not – performed. Be it in Tests or ODIs, even post his abrupt retirement in the latter format, it is expected that Sachin would provide deliverance. Innumerable justifications, as to why his sovereignty in cricket deserves to continue, and platitudes about why he ought to be the go-to man to inspire the new-gen breed of cricketing talent debuting in the international circuit, abound in all corners.

Ironically, the tinge and tone of these clamouring are quite different to the critical statements laid out merely a few months ago. Then, Sachin was almost likened to an unwanted guest, critiqued and written off. Now, it’s as if those things never happened. He’s back in the fold, with everyone expecting him to deliver. This volte-face isn’t simply an example of typical hypocrisy but is also reflective of the way the nation treats its cricketers and more importantly, its sportsmen.

Sachin Tendulkar may well find himself on the right side of the harshest of critics after his performance in the first Test. The downside of this revival however, is the glaring fact that Indian cricket still has not completely ventured out of the comfort zone that this one man has brought to the sport. A sport, which was in existence in the country even before his time.