..as yet another milestone is achieved, by the one and only Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.
Almost right from the time he made his debut, cricket experts and enthusiasts alike have fallen over themselves in complimenting and eulogizing the batman from India.
What I find most amazing amidst all this, is that the man himself is never ever fazed or dazed by the hyperbole and incessant 'tributes' paid to him.
Writers have run out of superlatives, but the man has not run out of steam yet. And are we happy about it!!
His humility, level-headedness, composure, focus and zeal to enjoy and keep evolving and keep honing his already supreme skills is what is worth emulating and makes him truly remarkable. Not to also forget that he's been a humble achiever unsullied by any blot against his name for the last 21 years at the international cricket level. And still counting!
We've written, read, before having again re-written and re-read, about all his achievements and abilities. But such is his greatness, and such are his qualities that he never makes repeating them seem unfashionable. Unfathomable - yes, for it is unbelievable to think that someone could do so much so regularly for more than two decades and still counting, under so much constant pressure without being in the bad books of anyone. Ever. Amazing, just amazing!
Find all this unfathomable? - yes. Unfashionable? - NO!
Many times, we tend to skip the fact that the genius that he is, could also be a human being - prone to emotions, troughs and errors of judgement. But the fact that he has managed to remain untouched by any controversy, any dissent (despite having borne the rough end of some real howlers) or anything undesirable both on the field as well as off it, is a testament to not only the man's greatness, dedication and focus towards the game, but also to his integrity, disciplined life and impeccable personality.
We all know of every shot in the book (and even those that he has created out of the book, like his vertically-pointed ferocious paddle sweep and the crisp upper cut) that he has enthralled us with, so many times. But if one also realizes the nature and attitude of the man behind the batsman, it makes Sachin worthy of being adored and regarded, all the more.
ToI aptly put the importance of Sachin's latest achievement in perspective, by writing thus: "In a year when adjectives like ‘biggest’ and ‘unprecedented’ were mostly used to describe scams, it was left to India’s sportspersons to provide cheer to the nation with their stirring feats. It is fitting, therefore, for 2010 to draw to a close with a stupendous achievement by a hero who has epitomized sporting perfection for over two decades and given millions of Indians countless moments of pride and joy."
For being the hope of a billion people for 21 years and counting, for still being the best batsman and the most prized wicket in the team even now, for being the motivation for innumerable teammates, youngsters, and cricket fans all over, for carrying the expectations and pressures of a billion hearts every time he sets foot on field so wonderfully and humbly over all these years, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar - take a bow!!
More power to you, SRT - The Bharat Ratna that India is yet to call a Bharat Ratna!
Oh, by the way, if you'd also like to savor a moment from each of his 50 centuries (till now), here it is - go, indulge!
