For Indians, Sachin Tendulkar is the Zeus of that common religion called cricket. A cricketing God residing in Mumbai, and delivers the lightnings of joy and pleasure to millions across the country with his stirring deeds with a willow. Tendulkar enjoys a much similar status around the globe as well.
That world-wide respect and adoration has not gained overnight. It has been build over the years through sheer hardwork and willingness to stretch himself that extra yard to attain perfection.
There is one man who had witnessed that growth from a child prodigy to a great batsman -- former Indian fast bowler Javagal Srinath. I had the fortune to listen to 'Mysore Express' detailing the transformation of his one-time team-mate. He cited the example of Tendulakr's innings against Australia in Perth in 1992.
"That was our first tour to Australia and, and we were struggling on that tour. I always felt that one of the main reasons for our scratchy shows abroad is the time taken to adapt to the conditions. Situation was not different '92 also, but one young man was determined to make his mark and he did that in Perth.
"WACA at that time was one of the quickest pitches and Mike Whitney took seven wickets to rattle us. There was a huge crack on the wicket and the ball almost took the head off a couple of batsmen. But this 18-year was batting against Whitney, McDermott and Reiffel like a seasoned pro, scoring runs all over the park. His cut shots were a treat to watch on that day. Though we lost that Test, we were sure that Sachin will one day top the batsmen's chart."
The reminder of his battle with Tendulkar at nets brought a smile on Srinath's face. "Yes, I had some success against him at nets. You have to get him out mentally, and there is no point to wait to find technical flaws in his batting."
Then came the part we were expecting from the beginning -- Srinath's view of Tendulkar the captain. "As a captain he was very aggressive. It was tough to live up to his expectations some times. It had at times led to arguments between us -- of course a bowler has a different view point from a batsman -- but it was always on healthy grounds and for the betterment of the team. For ex. Sachin (a senior in the squad then) was furious after our loss to Zimbabwe in the 1999 World Cup in England, and the fact was that we also did not have the face to show him. I feel he became a lot more mature in his subsequent stints as India captain."
"In the same tournament, he scored a hundred just after the sad demise of his dad, he did that for the team. The two incidents showed his firm character, mental strength and the overall strong personality."
Srinath's 3 favourite Tendulkar moments: 1. Hundred in Perth against Australia in 1992.
2. Hundred in Johannesburg against South Africa in 1992.
3. Hundred against Pakistan in Chennai in 1999.
"There are a lot of memorable one-day hundreds as well, but these three knocks, I believe, illustrates Tendulkar's qualities as a batsman and human being."
It seemed that curtains came down on that evening pretty quickly, but the time spent was worth its weight in gold for it shed light on the remarkable personality of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.
Thanks Sri!
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