The Evolution that brought a Revolution

It was definitely not the best way to end the year for me. 2012 marked the end of Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar and not to mention, it's tough for me (or any Indian)  to watch cricket anymore with the feeling that these champions may never walk down the crease. I felt the absence of Laxman's wrist work , his stand and deliver class, Dravid's sweet drive down the covers in this Test Season with England. It's not easy for me to watch test cricket with so much of ease as I used to watch it a couple of years ago.

Inspired by Ram Cobbain, this post is for just this person; the person who we all know as Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar who alternatively is also known as GOD of Cricket.

We would no longer find someone so very worried about the sightscreen. That flat backdrop that no other batsman noticed but seemed to bother only him. Perhaps because the bowler on the other end didn’t. Perhaps because it was the same colour as surrender. And then there are other signs. No more we might see someone so keenly adjusting the front of his pants, that ungainly yet absolutely masculine of gestures – a man among the breathing bodies, a hero by right, a Spartan intent on victory and uninterested in looking pretty.

It's definitely a bad time for us. We who remember what it was like, not so long ago. We who have missed flights but not fights for you. We who have turned living rooms into stadiums and stadiums into bull rings. We who have seen you wield the willow like it were Thor’s hammer and the Reaper’s scythe fused in one. We who were the chant, the clap and the scream to your straight drive, back foot-punch-through-the-covers and the uppercut. We who felt like all was right with the world by just watching you walk out to bat. And now, we’re just as flustered.

You sir, have done more than change the way the game is played or inspire a future line of warriors. You’ve also managed a much tougher thing than scoring a hundred hundreds. That is a staggering statistic, but one that limits you to 22 yards. To roughly quote Rohit Brijnath who said this of Federer: “Others can win but not like this.” Many can dispatch a ball through the covers but none can do this. You have made children finish their homework early, adults forget their cares and the ailing feel happy to be alive. (Though it must also be said that you’ve made the perfectly healthy call in sick at work). You’ve made waifs walk like their bellies were full, you’ve given struts to weak men and made India unite in a non-violent way reminiscent only of Gandhi. Here, sir, is the true measure of your contribution. This sir, is your real Impact Index.

Now that you have decided to put that willow away, please know that many, many, many of us retire with you. Yes, we’ll cheer an Indian victory, follow the odd game and even gasp when Kohli tries wearing Tendulkar's shoes. But it will be with the detached eye of the sports follower, the Indian who wishes the best for his nation. It’ll be mostly through online scorecards and corridor banter. No longer will TV seats be grabbed like prized lottery tickets, no longer will life move in slow motion and no longer will cricket be followed like a rage. Having said that I do not intend to say there will not be other champions. This is only to say that a generation that grew up and grew old with you will have nothing left to give to those who try and follow your small giant footsteps. Our time too, will be up.