There was once a time when owning a record meant something. Players used to leave everything they had in their tanks in the middle of the field, trying to better one another’s performances, claim the records, be the top dog. But all that has changed. With 16 November being the last time that Sachin Tendulkar ever played, it draws the end to an era, an era of intense rivalry and competition.
In modern cricket there is no sense of competitiveness and contest. Players are no longer willing to challenge each other to break the records. The days when Brian Lara and Matthew Hayden both wanted to become the first Quadruple centurion; and when Brett Lee and Shohaib Akhtar were in contest to break the 100mph mark, are long gone. Ponting vs. Tendulkar vs. Lara. Who is the greatest batsman of all time? It was these type of things that made cricket all that more exciting. Now it is just who can hit the biggest six and who can score the fastest hundred, but the class that this generation of players provided is not there anymore. And Tendulkar was the last batsman to play. His classy 74 on day two of his 200th test in a full house at the Wankhede Stadium, was the sending off that era needed.
Tendulkar’s retirement also brings a close to a Golden Era of Indian cricket. For the last 15 years it has been the batting of India, led by the legendary quartet of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, that has bought them so much success. But with Ganguly retiring in 2007 and Dravid’s and Laxman’s exits last year, Tendulkar was the only one left. And now that the Master Blaster is gone, Indian batting is left to the young uprising stars such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The effects that Tendulkar had in the dressing room will be impossible to replace, but Indian cricket will have to get over the fact that the man who has been the backbone of Indian cricket for the last quarter a century is now gone.
He was very naturally gifted and talented; but also it was his attitude towards the game that made Tendulkar such a great player. His mentality and thought process that he had to be perfect and try to improve on any mistake he made was phenomenal. The amount of effort he put into his game and the intense training sessions he participated in helped him cement his legacy as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, player of all time. Throughout his career he remained out of any controversy and the dressing room looked up to him. Unlike some sportsmen, he did not become arrogant after his success and remained a down to earth human being. He was a true role model to the Indian dressing room.
Not only does it bring the end to a chapter of cricket, but also it brings a whole lot of opportunities for the fresh talents that India is producing. It is a chance to make their mark in the cricketing world. But it will not be easy as the place of arguably the greatest cricketer of all time is no walk in the park.
I’m sure somebody can do it. And I know that Sachin, in his dream home, will be watching the young characters lift cricket through what is going to be reinventing the new game.
Nothing lasts forever. Things change, records are broken, and everything starts again. After an era, another one will start. And there will be some young boy just waiting for his opportunity to seize and become the next big thing. As the remarkable period of time draws to a close, another dawns upon us. But for now we are here to thank the man who has devoted his life to cricket – Sachin Tendulkar.
We will miss you…