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A stupendous sojourn

Nandita Sridhar

For two decades, Sachin Tendulkar has made the complicated seem simple. In his inimitable manner, he has protected his genius from eccentricities and imbalances, remarkably keeping his head even while acknowledging his gifts.

Benefiting from hindsight, allusion and the sheer heft of his achievements, it might be safe to assume that Tendulkar had ‘arrived’, as a 16-year-old, when he coped with Wasim Akram and Waqar Younus in his debut series against Pakistan.

His first century, against England at Old Trafford in 1990, proved he wasn’t just guts, grit and a youthful abandon of all that seemed cautious. There was poise, maturity and a remarkable control over offside shots on the backfoot — without needless lavishness.

Two years later came his 114 at the WACA. On a wicket made for deeds of technical heroism, the teenagerproduced a knock he rated as one of his best Test innings.

Two years after his first ODI hundred, Tendulkar during the 1996 World Cup, found his dazzling batting had earned him the vocal, emotionally charged relationship with his fans that lasts till date

The champion batsman’s rough captaincy stint and his being made the ‘Wisden Cricketer of the Year’ in 1997 preceded the much-hyped Tendulkar-Shane Warne 1998 showdown, in which neither ego would allow the sub-plot of a contest purely of skills.

Heartbreak in Chennai

Only one ego could survive, and in that series, Tendulkar left the great leg-spinner admittedly scarred. A year later, Tendulkar experienced his most emotional defeat — against Pakistan in 1999 in Chennai. Indians were used to defeat, but few this agonisingly close.

Tendulkar’s stream of major milestones began in 2001 when he reached 10,000 ODI runs. But the one he would cherish more was achieved a year later, when he overtook Sir Don Bradman’s tally of 29 centuries.

Bradman, who claimed Tendulkar’s batting reminded him of his own, would’ve agreed that Tendulkar had left the greatest behind; but was some way off from reaching his own peak.

For most Indian fans, a peak moment of sorts happened in the 2003 World Cup. Only one match, and more likely, only one shot existed — the brief but exhilarating plot of a layered rivalry struggling to retain its edge, a World Cup stage, a super-quick beast steaming in, and the repartee — the slightest movement, the obscene bat-speed and the six over backward point. Tendulkar needn’t have bothered with anything else…even the Player of the Tournament.

In contrast was the double hundred at Sydney a year later. Tendulkar was determined to be determined. There were 241 runs at the SCG in Steve Waugh’s farewell Test, but no cover drives. It was a strange sight, and acceptance came at a price.

Acceptance meant recognising that his experiences had re-aligned his approach towards self-preservation. Acceptance meant that watching Tendulkar bat purely for itself and marvelling at its ability to rise above context would have to change. It was a milestone innings both for the great man and for his fans.

Surpassing Sunny

Runs came at a less hectic pace, but the records poured in. In 2005, Tendulkar became the fifth in Test history to score 10,000 Test runs. He would soon go on to become India’s highest run-getter and thereafter, assure Sunil Gavaskar’s world record 34 centuries made way for his 35th, against Sri Lanka at the Kotla.

Overcoming surgeries and difficult periods, the great man readied himself for the biggest one — the highest run-aggregate. Against Australia at Mohali in 2008, Tendulkar steered a Peter Siddle delivery to third man to better Brian Lara’s word record and scaled one final major peak. It is to cricket’s benefit that Ricky Ponting is close behind, pushing him to raise the bar further.

Tendulkar’s has been a unique sort of appeal — one that’s not characterised by flamboyance or the romanticised temperamental deficiencies of some of his contemporaries; nor is it the grudging kind, reserved for bland run accumulators.

His appeal lies in the premise of his batting — which is to remove frills and frolics from scoring runs. However mind-boggling the shot, however unmatched the technique, there is a simplicity, clarity and a forthrightness to his manner that comes through distinctively. Truly, he’s made it look simpler than it has been.

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