Cricketing Legend - Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

It’s been 39 years, since the incipience of the ODI format in cricket. Many great knocks have been hammered by teams and so by the individual players. Many teams registered 400+ scores and one did chase the mammoth total of 434. It was South Africa who had chased this successfully against Australia. But this time around it was different; SA couldn’t chase 401 scored by the mighty INDIANS. This knock came with the power pack performance by the little master blaster Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

Saeed Anwar of Pakistan had scored 194 runs against INDIA in Chennai in May 1997, by surpassing the individual record of Sir Viv Richards of West Indies 189 N.O. Saeed Anwar’s knock was equaled by the less known Charles Coventry 194 N.O. of Zimbabwe against Bangladesh in August 2009 but in vain as Zimbabwe had lost the match.

Everyone was expecting this record to be broken sometime by the cricketing legend SRT. Sachin Tendulkar’s bat speaks more than him and has always proved his critics wrong by the brilliance of his batting strokes. The batting strokes from the blade of the little master blaster don’t blaze off with force but also with the fine finesse.

Immaculate and impeccable performance by the little master blaster came on February 24, 2010 creating the history in world of cricket not only by being the highest run getter in an ODI but also reaching the first Double ton ever. Vengeance is seen in the batting of this cricketing god these days after being dropped out from the Indian squad in 2007 and being booed off in his home ground before 4 years, where his career was about to defunct. But nothing stops the boy within him to blaze his blade. He never lost the belief, which inspires us to aspire his heights.

Nothing stops me from watching the highlights of those mystical moments that were created by SRT in Gwalior. One of the best moment that I recall here is of the legendary hero hitting a ball pitched outside the off stump by Dale Steyn and SRT moving across the wickets, flicking flawlessly between the square leg and mid wicket straight to the boundary and Steyn shrugging his shoulders back on the way. Robin Jackman had only one thing to say during this impeccable innings, that the best thing to do is not to bowl Sachin. This is the only secret that would save the South Africans.

Post match presentation, when Ravi Shastri asked him about how he felt on being the highest run scorer in an ODI and getting the only double ton ever in the history of ODI cricket, this humble and down to earth said “I don’t know how to react to this, I dedicate this double ton to the people of INDIA, all those people who stood behind me during my ups and downs in last 20 years. It feels good that I was there at the end of 50 overs, and would still like to bat for another 50 overs at some stage and see that my fitness level doesn’t drop” The best one was when he replied to Ravi Shastri on being asked that, when would the bowlers get some respect and he nicely mentioned “As long as in my heart I know that whatever I'm doing good for the team at that moment, I'm going to go ahead with that” (in short as long as he stays in centre, all you bowlers out there, don’t expect any respect from this little master blaster)

I envy all those people in Gwalior who watched and witnessed the mystical moments of the double tons that came from the cricketing god.

Such is the Power,

Such is the Genius,

Such is the Class...

SACH is the GOD of Cricket, atleast to US (INDIANS).... he made us all proud.....Hats off, Bows and Salute to "SIR SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR"

Right Turn

It was about 1.15 a.m. in the morning when we left from my ex-roomie Kailash’s wedding. Umesh was driving us back to his home. It was about 25-28 kms from Mayur Vihar Phase-III to his abode in Bhajanpura. We were moving from East Delhi to East Delhi and still had to travel some 30 odd kilometers, which once again made me feel how big Delhi has grown and expanded its territory. All this began with a right turn at Mayur Vihar. The next one, again a right turn at New Ashok Vihar or so called Noida mod (turn). We went straight for few couple of kilometers and one more right turn at New Seemapuri. After moving few kilometers from New Seemapuri we’re suppose to take a left turn which would lead us to Bhajanpura through Wazirabad and Shahadra. Right turn was so much on our mind that we started circling over Delhi highways. Around 2.00 a.m. we realized that we’re leading somewhere else. We had completely stuck for half an hour on the clogged highways of Delhi which were flooded with trucks. Delhi now a days is completely dug out to get it’s new look before the commencement of Commonwealth Games. Also, metro rail over-bridges are being constructed to facilitate the commuters. But looking at the current scenario it lives the commuters in dizziness. And this added to our muddle on which way to lead. And unfortunately we traveled almost 50 kms on the same roads and once again we reached to New Seemapuri from were this right turn had leaded us to a night safari of the Delhi highways. Alas, this night safari on Delhi highways we’re able to reach his home by 2.45 a.m. in the morning.