SACHIN TENDULKAR - THE LITTLE MASTER

Everyone saw the blood-soaked shirt of a 16-year old Sachin. Everyone witnessed the bouncer that Waqar Younis bowled to disfigure his composed face in their debut Test series and then everyone observed the calmness that this great batsman possessed.

He did not take a fall after the hit, and stood tall with his diminutive height. He seemed tailored for the immeasurable greatness that will come his way, and displayed a glimpse of a cricketing deity that resided in him.

Former Indian fast-bowler Salil Ankola went on to the pitch with the physiotherapist and recalls the moment, “He had the eye of the tiger with fire in his eyes. He put some water on his face and said I am fine.” And on the very next ball, he struck Waqar for a boundary which the pacer later recalled as, “To my surprise, he did not fall. He stood by, shook his head, and was ready to play the next ball.”

The blow, according to cricket pundits, proved to be a kick-start to the great Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar’s era: the man who gave cricket the stature of a religion and made the followers in his home country India worship his divine greatness. He was, without a doubt, the most complete batsman of his time, while his near-perfect stroke-making skills made him the most prolific run-scorer of his period and the greatest icon that the game might ever see.

Even Sir Donald Bradman, considered the greatest batsman of all time, compared Tendulkar’s style to his own. In his biography it is stated, “Bradman was most taken by Tendulkar’s technique, compactness and shot production, and had asked his wife to have a look at Tendulkar, having felt that Tendulkar played like him. Bradman’s wife, Jessie, agreed that they did appear similar.”