(This article is about Sachin so you can take
some time out from your usual desk job. Your boss won’t dare to stop you)
Sachin Ramesh
Tendulkar played his last test match at Wankhede stadium, Mumbai. For that day,
Wankhede became the best hangout place for celebrities from all walks of life.
Some of the names who were present there to witness master blaster playing his
200th test match were- Rahul Gandhi, Raj Thackeray, Hrithik Roshan,
Ashutosh Gowariker (director of Swades
and Jodha-Akbar), Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao and our chief minister Prithviraj
Chavan. Many celebrated faces from cricket world were also present at the
venue. This date 16th November 2013 will be remembered for years and
it will find place in almost all cricket write-ups because every cricket
article will be incomplete without the mention of God of cricket.
Personally I was
never a SRT fan and even now when the whole nation is emotional about Sachin’s
retirement, I am too occupied with other works. No you don’t need to abuse me!
I said I am not a fan of Sachin as a cricketer because I just simply don’t
follow cricket but I am a great fan of SRT for his family and humanly values. I
always loved the way he used to raise his bat towards the sky after every century,
the way he thanked God before stepping in the field. On one of the show on Star
Sports, on which SRT was interacting with kids, he told one most valuable thing
to these kids that ‘Character and respect will remain with you forever’. Though
we have heard and read this line many times earlier also but it is the extra
value that this line got when spoken from God’s mouth. The biggest achievement
that Sachin has achieved personally will be the power to inspire each section
of society. While kids playing in gallis, narrow lanes, terrace and grounds got
to learn new styles of handling bat, aspiring bowlers noticed each ball
delivered by Sachin, grown up men and women looked up to Sachin as the true
idol representing a common Indian. We all loved him for being so simple in his
approach towards his game and in public. As far as I can go in the flashback,
never did I heard of Sachin being put in jail for rash driving, taking drugs at
rave parties, partying late night with foreign models and getting caught for being involved in match fixing
cases. He kept his files cleared. In some of the matches which I watched accidentally,
I never saw SRT abusing other players and misusing his powers to change the
batting sequence. My father used to tell- ‘Sachin comes to ground like a
innocent child, plays his best and even go back like a child with same
innocence’. Now that SRT has retired, my father sees a glimpse of SRT in MSD who
also remains in a neutral state after every ball.
After the 200th
game was played, an emotional SRT was standing on the same Wankhede field from
where his limitless glory started. It was not just emotional moment for SRT and
his immediate family but also for his extended family that includes my building
watchman, electrician who made our bedroom fan, my father’s office car driver,
millions of fans at Wankhede and more millions of people who were sitting at
home and watching this legend. In his last speech on field, SRT delivered
exactly what was expected from him, a perfect thank you speech for all. First
he thanked his father Late Mr. Ramesh Tendulkar who gave SRT wings to fly at
the age of 11. But senior Tendulkar also told his son ‘not to take shortcut to
success’. While on one hand Mr. Ramesh Tendulkar believed his son’s talent, on the
other hand Mr Tendulkar told Sachin that life is tough and only hard work will
bring you success.
To be continued...
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