The SUPERNOVA Sachin : UPDATE

UPDATE 2: On Sunday, 19/12/2010, he scored his 50th Test Match Hundred. Once again he set a new bench mark for the next generation of cricketers. He, of course did not celebrate this achievement as India lost the match. Hats off one more time to this YOUNG gentleman of the game!
 
UPDATE1: A couple of days back, I read a news that Sachin refused to endorse a liquor brand for as much as Rs 200 Million per year. At the same time, the Captain MS Dhoni was in the news for endorsing a liquor brand for Rs 260 Million for three years. Comparing Sachin's offer with that of Dhoni, Sachin was to get almost three times more than Dhoni. I am not comparing Dhoni with Sachin (it would be injustice to Dhoni). I am just trying to compare the amount of money Sachin could have got had he not refused. But yet, he refused on the ethical ground that he would not endorse liquor or like. Sachin is not a gentleman cricketer, he is a gentleman!

Yesterday, Sachin Tendulkar scored a double century in limited over cricket match. Does it sound good? If no, then you better don't read this post. If yes, then you can go ahead.... because I am going to talk about some of the innings of his which I like. I would be elaborating the innings in my words and with my length.

1989, when India toured Pakistan, he was included in the team. I had seen his interview on Doordarshan before he went to Pakistan. You might have read many things about how he handled Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram and Imran Khan in that series. In the famous final test match in Sialkot, he scored half century with bleeding nose. He scored 28 runs off one over of Abdul Qadir, you would have read that also. That was an exhibition match. I would like to tell a little more about that particular exhibition match. That was a 20 over game, not of course the modern day Twenty20 match. In that era, run a ball (strike rate of 100) was something that batsman would leave for the hard hitters. Sachin scored 53 runs in that exhibition match, in just 18 balls, that includes 5 six's! That was the match that left everyone talking about him. 53 runs in 18 balls is, even in this era of fast cricket, difficult to achieve. To give you an example, in that same series, one 50-over match was reduced to 16 overs because of rain. Pakistan batted first and scored 89 runs, average less than 6. One would expect India to win easily, but India lost the match by 9 runs! The game was that slow. And there was he, who changed the game later on, scored almost at the strike rate of 300!

Of course, his international debut was miserable, he got ducks (zero) in first two one day innings. What a start, ha ha!

Turning point in his ODI (One Day International or Fifty over match) career came in 1994. Indian team was in New Zealand. In one of the games he was promoted to open the innings. I watched that game live on Prime Sports (now known as Star Sports). India scored first fifty in just 7.2 overs, which was too fast. He scored 82 runs off just 49 balls. People say that Sanath Jaysurya bought the hard hitting in the power play, but it was Sachin. Two years before people started knowing Jaysurya (1996 World Cup, which Sri Lanka won), Sachin had started using the field restriction and made quick runs. I like that innings because it established him as the opening man for India and the rest is history.

I started admiring him like a devoted follower after a few innings. One was a century in 1996 world cup. He scored 137 off 137 against Sri Lanka, the match India lost. The match is more famous for Manoj Prabhakar's nightmare bowling. (4 overs for 47 runs, two overs as spin bowler). What I liked about his batting in that match is his stamina. He got run out in 50th over, but in that over itself, before he got out, he hit a huge six. Though he was just 23 years at that time, but still if you have played for fifty overs, it is tough to hit six.

He became my batting hero after his terrific century in Sharjah against Australia, the match no Indian can ever forget. Popularly, this innings is known as "Desert Storm", I have no better word to describe this innings. In that tri series, that was the last league game and Australia had already entered the final. The fight was on between India and New Zealand. Australia posted a total of 285, and after a sand storm break it was reduced to 276 in 46 overs. To qualify for the final, India needed to either win the match or score 237 runs (254 if the match were of full 50 overs) to get better average than New Zealand. As usual, when India has to chase a big score, all hopes lies on Sachin's shoulders. He did not disappoint! He went on and on and on! He made sure that India get to the minimum needed 237 runs in time.Yet, he did not stop there. He kept going, but could not do it for longer. He got out when India were on 242 in 43 overs, his score was 143 runs off 131 balls. I remember the post match presentation, he was asked what was he thinking when India passed 237 runs, was he thinking to win the match? He said, I thought it was challenge for me and I should go for it! I love the way he plays the game! A substitute talk: The next top scorer for India in that game was Nayan Mongiya. He scored 35 runs. Sachin got out on the last ball of 43rd over. In next 18 balls, India needed 34 runs to win. With five wickets in hand, one can hope for a fight to get those 34 runs (if you doubt, then see the first ODI of current India-South Africa Series, where SA scored 40 runs in last 3 overs, with 8 wickets down). But India managed to score well earned 8 runs in next 18 balls with two recognized batsmen!!!

Another innings, which left no doubt in my mind that is he the best ever batsman was also against Sri Lanka and again, India ended up losing that match. It was in Sharjah, in 2000. It was the first match of the tri-series, featuring India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. This was perhaps the first game of the series. India batting first managed to score 224 runs. Some how the batting conditions looked very difficult because India managed to score only 10 fours in 50 overs. Sachin scored 101 runs off 140 balls, 3 fours and 1 six. This innings was played under difficult conditions. But the way he batted was superb. It is not only fours and six that makes you a great player. If you observe his batting, in the middle overs, when the field is spread, he finds gaps and takes singles and two's and three's.

Here is a picture of the celebration we had after his double century.












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