I was about 7 or 8 years old when I first started following cricket, Kris Srikanth had just taken over captaincy, there was a huge hue and cry (Discussions my dad / uncles used to have about why Vengsarkar was a better captain) about the pity state of Indian cricket.
I will list a few memories from over the years, if I mention all of them, it would probably a book – not a blog.
Earliest Memory (Now I know it was his first international game):
I had an episode of jaundice during the time, and I was at home. Those were the days of Doordarshan was the only channel – the days when pandhula pempakam was the thing to watch on TV. I was trying to watch some TV as I was beyond bored sitting at home – I turn on the TV and all I heard was a distinct and continuous beeping sound with vibgyor colors on the set.
An hour later I switch the set on again, and I see among static dots, very faint images of something that looks like cricket. I go to the terrace and twist and turn the antenna while my mum tells me if the image is clear, and then finally I see cricket players. I see a game on, I call dad at work and tell him Cricket is on, he tells me it only is a practice game as the real game is abandoned due to bad light. I see the players list and it has most names I recognize and one new one – I think it said Sachin. Camera angles were horrible, I do not recall the face I saw, but what I do remember is a short guy whacking 4 sixes off who was (I later knew) the best spinner in that current period. The sixes – I tried to emulate over the years with little luck, often ending up with either a catch at long off or a freakish boundary every time I tried – But hey, I did not stop trying.
Game 2:
Dad is at home, we are all watching cricket together, rain, bad light among other things make it a 15 or 20 over affair. India chase around 90 runs. I try telling everyone in the room, when Sachin walks in at 3 or 4 down that he is the kid I was telling everyone about the other day – No one pays attention – instead my uncles tell me what “Debut” means – This is his debut, it means that he never played before, this is his first game, and second ball he goes back – and they are convinced if that current set of rockstars (Kris, Shastri, kapil and vengsarkar) retired, that would be the end of Indian cricket – Ajju was the only hope. I stay mum, I was not much of a arguer those days, I was a kid, but I did not forget that name – Sachin Tendulkar.
We had just bought a color TV at home…India were touring England. I would rush home to watch cricket on my little bicycle – skip tuition, skip chatting with friends, get yelled at when I got home – Did not wait for sisters, and rode the bicycle too fast (Complaint from my sisters). For the first two days (For the most part anyways) England were grinding India not much to really cheer for. I guess it the one of the days (may be end of second or third), I get to see my hero (He was a national sensation by then – got hit by Waqar in Pakistan and still continued batting to save the game – photos were all over the newspapers) I remember he had made 60 odd runs, but what stood out was one straight drive it felt like time froze on the shot – the most elegant one – replays were on repeat, the night DD News had that shot repeated thrice – It remained etched in my memory. India did well in that innings, but were still short of England’s first innings score. Second Innings comes around, day 5 I think .. India had to score 400 to win the test. I take a “Stomach ache” leave … Sidhu and Shastri leave in a hurry, Manjrekar and Vengsarkar follow suite. In comes my Man, I am willing for him to go there and score a century (First innings he missed out) and save the game for us. He truly obliges. Sachin scored 119 that day, remained unbeaten. I wait for the end of game ceremony, its late at night around 11. Finally he comes up and shyly says a few words. I am elated. New word learnt – “Maiden Century”
Later that year, I saw Sachin on a TV ad – Boost is the secret of my energy – I duly switched to Boost. Sachin advertised for Reynolds – I switched. Every Sportstar every Thursday was bought – Every Star poster was put up on my little “wall of fame” in my bedroom.
India were playing Pakistan in the finals at Sharjah, Ajju bhai was the captain it was ’91 / 92 –Dad was out of town, mom said I had to get his permission to skip school even if it were for my stomach ache. I try, can’t reach him. Reluctantly I go to school, only to be dropped home by the office boy after short interval – Reason: “Stomach ache”. I come home, switch on the TV and watch Pakistan hammer India and score 250+ (Those days a great score) especially in Sharjah. I am once again willing for India to score the win, and more importantly rooting for Sachin to get his Maiden one-day century. India start slow, Sidhu gets out early, Shastri goes. Ajju bhai comes in, first ball duck. I am rooting for Sachin again, score a hundred help us win. This time, he does not oblige. He goes first ball as well. I notice a tear roll down my cheek, which slowly turns into an uncontrollable cry. Mom thinks my stomach ache is severe, gives me some more medication, and puts me to bed. I cry some more, I refuse to eat, drink or do anything. My sisters get back from school, see me crying, freak out. Then one of them slowly coaxes the truth out of me. I cried not because India lost, not because of stomach ache, but because my hero let me down. He got out first ball. India duly lost the game.
World Cup of 1992 – A Disaster, but India beat Pakistan – I took chocolates to school the next day.
1994 – We got a Pomeranian Pup… I was made captain of my school team. India tour New Zealand, I wake up early every morning. First memories of a wonderful ground, stables, people watching the game from knolls around the ground, commentary in a weird variation of English, which was at times hard to comprehend. By the end of the tour I tried to imitate Geoff Boycott’s style. Sachin scored a 80+ – most amazing innings of Sachin. I was rooting for a 100 – missed out, felt bad, but was happy with the 40 ball 80. First time I saw my Man open the innings. I started opening the innings in my school league ( No prizes for guessing where I batted previously). Sachin became a regular opener, later that year, tri-nation series in Sri Lanka, my hero finally scores his first 100. India beat Aus and later Sri lanka in the finals (My Man went for a Duck)
Some day around this time, I remember reading a Sachin Interview – he said Kapil had a bet with Sachin that went something like – Sachin would not last 100 games before he was dropped – bet amount 1000 rupees. I disliked Kapil – even though Sachin went on to win the bet – the mere factor that Kapil could not read into his talent. Those were the days when TV would be switched off when Sachin got out
1996 – World Cup in India – Sachin scores 137 – Not flamboyant but a great innings nevertheless – I hated Ajju for getting him run out. India Lose the game – I wept, skipped dinner – I got scolded for not being sportive. The semi-finals came, India lost miserably, the only bright light was a fighting 50 from sachin – remembered as a black day in cricket for crowd antics.
1997/98 – a bigger TV came home, I passed out of school, the sachin special hundreds became a norm now. Back to back hundreds – one to qualify for the finals and one to win the finals. Sachin’s birthday special was truly a special one. My uncles, cousins and everyone who was a hater bit their tongue. I was no longer the shy introvert from the early 90’s – I gave everyone an earful, and made sure sweets were distributed marking the special win. The worst internal exam paper in my intermediate exam and I get a full score. India tour South Africa – a bouncy pitch where everyone struggles to pass 20 he scores 169. India lose the game – no affect on me, I am not worried about losses, I take it in the stride.
1999 – I am pursuing the dream – be an engineer like my Dad. Sachin lost his dad, pursuing his dad’s dream – keep playing for India regardless of whatever else happens. Looks skyward and cries after the 100 in England – I feel very emotional – my heart is heavy – I hug my dad – but I don’t cry – I am a proud male teen – men don’t cry. India play Paki in Chennai, sachin gets a duck in the first, plays through back cramps and severe ache in the second, scored a hundred and takes india to the brink – team mates let him down – he says it’s the worst feeling and blames himself for the loss. I feel bad for him – argue with people who call him selfish. I go to a game in Hyd, where he scores 186* – My joy knows no bounds. To this day, I brag – I was in the exact spot where Sachin hits an innovative shot from out side off to fine leg fence. In the same series Sachin gets a double – the first of his career. Y2K is the topic of discussion for most people – the world would end is what some said – Did not matter to me, Sachin got his double.
’01 – People go gaga over VVS – I am happy for him – happier that sachin made a great contribution in the Chennai test. This time, India won in Chennai.
‘03/04 The years pass in a haze, I moved to the US. India come close to winning the cup – fail miserably in the last lap – people say sachin is not a big match guy – I chose to ignore. I remind them of the effortless 98 that took us to the finals in the first place, the insane upper cuts the crazy helicopter shots smacking shoaib who can only smile in disdain – My hero laughs and pumps the air in delight when he gets an overthrow.
The 175 he scores in a lost cause – the 200 he scored against south Africa – many more innings in Australia down under – the 5/32 – everything that seemed like it happened yesterday is now a distant memory, and will be spoken of as if it were a legend.
One thing is for sure, the many changes that life has brought, the one thing I could always count on was Sachin’s innings and the inspiration one could draw from him. Sachin has been an integral part of my life from the days when I was learning to ride my dad’s scooter, when I was trying to master the art of batting, when I was leading my school cricket team, when I had an appendicitis surgery, when I passed my 10th, when I moved to a different city to pursue my education, when my pocket money (Exaggeratedly higher than most friends) was not sufficient – but still I managed to have a TV in my bachelor apartment, when I got my first job, when I hated my first boss, when I switched jobs for the first time, when I fell in love with my job, when I met my future wife, when I lost my dad, when I rediscovered myself, when I wondered if I was in the right job, when I made that switch to make sure I was in the right one, when I started my own gig, when I won my first big contract, when I got married, when I moved to a different country to support my mom – in a nut shell – he was a part of my life as I grew up – inspired me, excited me, hurt me, made me laugh, cry, yell scream, argue and fight (in his defense). This past weekend, when he said “That’s it” – It hurt somewhere deep within, it made me realize all the little wins – the silly things – the stomach ache leaves – the fights I got into defending sachin like he was my brother – the victory lap in the world cup – the tears that rolled down my cheeks when he had tears in his eyes from the win –
In short, for everything that “we” shared in the last 23 years – Sachin is family, for the simplest reason that he was a part of me growing up.
Cricket is my religion, Sachin is my God – is one of the placards that made its fair share of rounds – well some may argue more than its fair share, one slogan lasting over 20 years is probably a first. My Love for the sport, for the most part is driven by the love for the man perhaps.
The newspapers are all writing about it, bookies (The face kind) are unstoppable, tweeple are tweeting from their mobile devices, some rightly saying mayans were right – every pan shop conversation is about it. People have forgotten (Pardon the insensitivity for making this statement) the gruesome act in Delhi.
All this makes me wonder – where were thy or why were thy making statements about “Please Retire” a few weeks ago? A politically incorrect statement again? Probably so. But reality being, when he failed to score decently in the last 7 innings he has played, people were all for getting him hanged (Oh hang his boots I mean), and now when he decides it is time to go, all the halla about why now, why not after the Pakistan series – Give him a break guys, Please. We Indians are seriously an emotional bunch, with little logic.
This part – this little part of my life is called being a Cricket fanatic in this nation of close to a billion others like me. The only time I feel one with the billion odd country men.
Singaraju 