Nov 15 – Day 2
The Dream - Well, let me be honest, I had a fitful sleep. And a part of it had a dream sequence in which SRT reverse sweeps Tino Best over Chanderpaul’s head (who is at first slip) for 6. Rest of the dream has slipped away from the waking up memory. Dream might be explained but certainly no cricketing logic can explain the shot. Just remembered his “personalised digigraph” (nice work by BCCI) told me to chase my dreams as they do come true. Now I am wondering…
Woken Up - see a overnight message about the possibility of a ticket. But too late by then.
9:30 A.M: The Delight - Gotten ready in time. Have a ten minute window for watching the game on TV. And what do I say. Loud cheers for Pujara for taking a single and giving strike to Sachin. Sachin takes a single to retain strike. Next over from Shillingford – a square drive boundary. YES. Next ball, goes for a sweep… Has he missed it?… Its going fine and going for a four. Consecutive boundaries… and I now head for work. Not that much work is going to be done while he keeps batting.
In transit: He has crossed 50. Tino Best is sledging him. Seriously Tino, you got to be out of your mind. Meanwhile office is reached in record times for a working day. But as I enter and settle down. I get the news. Its OVER.
10:39 A.M. – Sachin Tendulkar caught Darren Sammy bowled Narsingh Deonaraine 74. (Probably the last batting entry ever). All participants are now to be lodged in quizzards memories like Eric Hollies. Also a certain Cheteshwar Pujara who in all likelihood was his last batting partner.
Mind is numbed. Nothing feels right. Reality has to be accepted. But…
Virat Kohli walks in as SRT walks out. The baton has passed on.
Surreal scenes – Pujara & umpire get booed because he is given not out. Indians – the masters of “jugaad” already thinking of ways to get Him to bat in the second innings.
Kolhi goes out after a fifty [Aside - Why does his century hunger from ODIs disappear in Tests]. Rohit Sharma in, Pujara gets a 100.
End of Day’s Play - It has started to sink in. Meanwhile Rohit Sharma is putting his hand firmly on the baton taken up by Virat Kohli. West Indies are imploding. Maybe giving more party time… But for the Indian fan… Its time to move on.
Records Alert – Darren Sammy has got 5 catches in the innings, equal most by any non-keeper. Shillingford gets his 5th consecutive 5-for in an innings – most by any spinner. Speaks volumes about rest of West Indies bowling attack.
No… not posting this today… Will post together after Day 3.
Nov 16, Day 3 - Likely end of end.
One advantage of growing up. You tend to move on fast. A good nights’s sleep and such sundry memories go to rest in peace.
Meanwhile West Indies have started collapsing. Again I reiterate, these players pretending to play for West Indies are just T20 mercenaries. West Indies should retire from Test cricket and have Ireland take their place in the Test community.
Samuels, Gayle, Deonaraine out. Now Chanderpaul goes too. The end is near…Ramdin resists but at the other end Ojha and Ashwin make short work of Sammy and Shillingford before Shami gets Gabriel out. And then it is all over.
And then this wonderful speech. “My Life Between 22 Yards for 24 Years“. The innings, the match, the staged series are all forgotten. That is how you bid farewell. Meanwhile, a few silent tears rolled along.
There will be countless presentation ceremonies, multiple farewell gifts and momentos, millions of pictures getting clicked. People trying to get in the same frame as SRT to be able to post the picture on social networks. There will be countless others who will say I WAS THERE when it all ended….
I Wasn’t There at the Stadium. But does it matter…
All I can say is THANK YOU SACHIN for all the wonderful memories. Your place in the lineup might be soon taken up by someone else who might even create his own records. But… he will be a hero for a new generation. I may admire his exploits, but there won’t be any romance associated with them. After all the peril of having grown up is you tend to move on fast.
THANK YOU SACHIN
