When I pause to think about the
remarkable achievements and countless milestones that have defined Sachin
Tendulkar’s career, the only conclusion to draw is that he is the best batsman
the world has seen since The Don Bradman.
No one has ever or will ever match
Bradman’s Test average of 99.96. And I don’t think anyone will surpass
Tendulkar’s record of 200 Test appearances when he retires after next month’s
series against the West Indies.
His longevity and consistency over
24 years has been astonishing and, given the way scheduling is going these
days, I don’t think we’ll see another batsmen match his feats of endurance.
I’m not a huge believer in
statistics, but it was hard not to be impressed when Sachin posted his 100th
international century earlier this year.Many batsmen would be happy to post
just one Test or ODI ton in their career, given how difficult they are to
compile.
To think Sachin has raised the bat
99 more times is incredible. And you’d have to think he’s every chance of
adding to that tally in his final two Tests.
When you’re playing against Sachin
in India, it’s hard not to feel like you’re in the presence of greatness. He is
treated like a God and the noise that accompanies his walk to the centre is
unlike anything I’ve experienced in cricket around the world. I wonder if
there’s an equivalent in any sport, in any arena in the world.
We are always raised to believe that
no individual is bigger than the team, but I’m not sure that necessarily
applies for Tendulkar.
When the first wicket falls, the
crowd builds noticeably as people rush from their offices and schools to watch
the great man bat.
They cheer singles. They scream for
boundaries. They go crazy for sixes. And when he’s out, many of them leave.
There’s no doubting India loves
their national team, but it’s quite possible they love Sachin even more. It’s
incredible.
His technique sets him apart from
any batsman I have seen. His defence feels impenetrable a lot of the time as
that big 3lb bat - mine, by contrast, is 2lb8 - blocks out everything
but the sun. He is equally at home against fast bowling as he is spin and
planning to dismiss him is among the hardest tasks in the game.
It’s incredible to think he has
averaged in excess of 53 in Tests while carrying the expectations of a billion
people to the crease.
Yet, when you meet the man, it
doesn’t seem to faze him all that much. Most of our conversations aren’t even
about cricket - they’re about cars. He has a big collection and he’s
incredibly passionate about them.
We will only see one Sachin
Tendulkar in our lifetime. While India go on to produce many great
cricketers - including the likes of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Virender
Sehwag – no one will rival Tendulkar for longevity or public adoration.
I’ll miss watching him. I won’t miss
playing against him…
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