Sachin’s final bow — A common man’s perspective!

The very first news I read during the day was stunning to say the least – Sachin Tendulkar has announced his final goodbye! To be honest, I felt like crying, but then the phone rang and an old friend of mine started scolding me like anything. He fumed that a few writers and a bunch of jealous critics have compelled the master to announce his retirement.

My next door neighbor came out, looking sad. He simply said, “Brother, there is no fun pursuing the passion of cricket anymore, as Sachin will not be there!” He added that Sachin should have been compelled to play for another year. He pointed out that the timing chosen by the master was absolutely wrong, as team India has barely come out of the shock of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman‘s exit, and all of a sudden Sachin has given us a big blow.

I tried to pacify him by explaining the fact that Sachin’s age has started taking its toll. His reflexes have become much slower. His feet are not moving in an appropriate manner. Apart from this, he has lost his rhythm as the coordination between the eyes and the hands has been lost. My friend argued that Sachin’s last few shots were so perfectly executed in a copybook style. He put in a big question mark as to who else could play such impeccable straight drives? Simply put, I had no answer. Perhaps he went because of the pressure to live up to the expectations of billions of his dedicated fans!

But to be fair, Sachin has already scaled the peak and it is possible that no one may ever match his exemplary records. He is so passionate about the game that despite being criticized for his non-performance, he was practicing hard, knowing well that his efforts really do not commensurate with his age being 40 plus.

I honestly believe that he continued to play for Mumbai Indians in the IPL partly because of stature of the owner Mr. Mukesh Ambani, and also partly due to his emotional bonding with the team. So in my opinion, we should all show our solidarity towards the little champ and gladly enjoy his gameplay. We all must give him a standing ovation and make his final journey a memorable one – as a return gift for what he has done for the nation and in lieu of the incomparable joyous moments.

Recently, the only matter of solace left is that he achieved a rare honor of a graceful exit by lifting the IPL trophy and CL 20 title within a short span of time. Also, a section of the media has been rightfully demanding the coveted Bharat Ratna for the Master Blaster, though it will be like honoring an honor. Have you seen any other cricketer with such extreme levels of commitment, obsession, discipline, cool temperament and down to earth approach? A cricketer having compassion for social causes and one who endorsed charities without any publicity? He is the role model for the whole world. Yes, you read it right – for the whole world!

I intend to quote just one real life example – my late father used to watch cricket only till the point Sachin batted. He was not the only one. Millions of Indians repeatedly switched off their televisions whenever he got out. Sachin defined cricket for so long!

We salute the master for his incredible contribution in bringing unparalleled glory to Indian cricket as well as engraving the name of our country on the globe. He has dominated the game for about a quarter of a century but he will continue to rule our hearts forever. Perhaps fittingly, he will rule India’s hearts for a hundred centuries!