It’s finally official. Sachin Tendulkar will retire after his 200th Test match next month. It will be a special moment for the Master Blaster as he takes guard on his home ground, Mumbai, for the last time.

The news does not come as a complete surprise as it has been doing the rounds for a couple of months now. No official confirmation was coming, however, till Tendulkar made it public on Thursday. It marks the end of an incredible era in Test cricket where over 15,000 runs came off his bat with 51 tons to his name. It is a record that is unlikely to be broken for a long, long time.

But more than these numbers, Tendulkar’s imminent retirement will mark the exit of the last gentleman cricketer in recent times, after Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble. Over the 24 years he has been playing cricket, the little genius has been the epitome of dignity and the perfect ambassador of the game.

There is no other Indian cricketer who has grabbed the kind of adulation of crowds across the world. A sense of tremendous expectancy greets Tendulkar each time he has walked out to bat. Not everyone in cricket has this kind of charisma; only Viv Richards in my generation had this larger-than-life aura.

The difference is that Tendulkar has played a lot longer, which is a tribute to his fitness and passion for the game. Imagine beginning your Test career even before you are qualified to sign a cheque. Notching up your first hundred when you are just 17 and saving the game for your country. Absorbing the pressure of millions of Indians who expect something miraculous each time you step out into the field. And stoically bearing the taunts hurled mercilessly as the failures begin to add up rapidly.

You can bet it has not been the easiest of journeys for Tendulkar representing a country where the passion for cricket borders on hysterical extremes. Sure, success means stratospheric levels of fame and money but, equally, a setback can consign you to the deepest depths of ignominy and despair. The fact that the Master Blaster has been able to strike the balance so well reflects a tremendous inner strength when anyone else in his shoes could have just gone to pieces.

There were a couple of blips like the ludicrous ball tampering charges made by the late Mike Denness who was match referee in a game against South Africa. Likewise, the Monkeygate controversy in the Sydney Test against Australia in 2008 was threatening to derail a series which was already turning ugly. It was Tendulkar’s testimony which finally buried the issue even though it did not leave everyone jumping for joy.

How does one start picking the most memorable knocks of a records-filled career that spans nearly 25 years? I remember how colleagues at work broke into a war dance when he took the Pakistan bowlers to the cleaners in the 2003 World Cup. People just left their work stations and huddled in front of TV screens as he smashed 98 and took India to victory.

And then there was the onslaught in Sharjah against Australia, immortalised as Desert Storm, where back-to-back tons won us the Coca-Cola Cup. Here was a genius who was single-handedly taking on the best team in cricket. Less than a couple of years later, Tendulkar almost won the game for India in the Chennai Test against Pakistan with a memorable 136. When he fell, the rest of the batting just crumbled.

This is perhaps what prompted critics to say that Tendulkar’s tons have seldom won a Test for India. Even if this is true, does it take away his mastery and class? Brian Lara’s West Indies side lost more often than they won but would anyone, therefore, dare suggest that he was not good enough? Agreed, victory is sweet but it is still a game by the end of the day where the likes of Tendulkar do not come by too often.

Even post-retirement, it is unlikely if he can step out of his Bandra bungalow in Mumbai without being mobbed. The most famous face in cricket is not going to be forgotten in a hurry. Sachin Tendulkar, thank you for all those fabulous moments which brought such joy to our lives.

murali.gopalan@thehindu.co.in

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW