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Tendulkar's talent is backed by single-minded passion

Makarand Waingankar

Success has a strange formula. Destiny is perhaps part of it. But the great write their own.

Big dreams start small; achievers often visualise their destiny when they are carrying schoolbags.

Different facets

From the day he played his first under-15 Vijay Merchant Trophy match on October 7, 1985 against Gujarat at Pune (he was run out for 2) till now Sachin Tendulkar has presented various facets of his mental make-up, his boyish enthusiasm, the smartness of a street fighter and adapting to technicalities because Mumbai school of batsmanship was not ready to accept his lower grip three decades ago.

When people imagine a genius, they attribute some ‘special' innate trait which makes him magical or special. What they don't realise is that the magic lies in the single-minded passion backed by talent.

At the age of 12 he played in a selection trial tournament for under-19 and whacked bowlers who were six years older than him all over the park. Such was his enthusiasm that even before the openers were padded up this kid was already geared up.

Tendulkar scored 2400 runs that season for his school and association but missed out on an award for the best junior cricketer of the year of MCA.

Gavaskar's note

A small handwritten note from Sunil Gavaskar saying he and Dilip Vengsarkar too weren't fortunate to receive the award convinced a dejected Tendulkar that the game was far too noble for anyone to treat it as one's property.

Since then it's an unstoppable Tendulkar that we have witnessed.

After playing Ranji Trophy against Saurashtra on October 17, 1985 he insisted on playing two games of under-19 at Ahmedabad from 22 to 28 and rushed to Mumbai to play another Ranji game.

The rise was so rapid that within 11 months from playing in his first Ranji Trophy he was on his way to Pakistan. And apart from scoring a century on debut against Gujarat, he scored a very timely hundred in the Irani Trophy. Albeit, it was a second innings century but you could see the class.

One remembers his 81 at Aurangabad against Maharashtra that year. He arrived at the crease when Salil Ankola was bowling at his quickest with the wind behind him and three slips and two gullys to terrify the kid. And Tendulkar, calm and composed, hooked the first ball to the mid-wicket boundary. He went on to massacre the bowlers as witnessed by Chandu Borde.

Later when Tendulkar's name was discussed for the Pakistan tour, Indian team manager for the tour Borde concurred with selector Naren Tamhane who uttered the famous lines ‘Tendulkar never fails'.

Is it passion or ambition that is motivating him to go on? One never knows.

Perhaps it's his quest for perfection. The streak of mischievousness that he displayed coming from a society in a suburb that breathed literature, was never curbed. He was encouraged to find his way.

A game is more about reading situations. He read the signs well and worked his way through for 25 years despite ups and downs because of injuries and unsolicited advice from people to quit the game.

Tendulkar, indefatigable from his school days is an epitome of commitment.

I have watched him from 1985. He hasn't changed one bit and the way he practises for hours, the aspiring number four batsmen in the country must look at another spot for the next two years.

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