Sachin may have gone, but his legacy will live for eternity and guide future generation

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has finally retired, and I have many friends who've asked me as to why I am being so partial towards the man India likes to call God as to not write a single article after his retirement. It is not that one doesn't eulogise the man, who I prefer to call a phenomenon who excited & inspired a nation of over a billion and became a hero of the masses. It is just that so many reams of newsprint, airtime, websites & blogs have already been filled with articles, analyses, comparisons and tributes to his genius that one wonders what else is left to say in his honour. Everything that needs to be written about the man has already been written. Or has it? So, here's my two-bit.

The one thing that everyone has been discussing is what really makes Sachin Tendulkar different from the others? The easy answer would be, "His 24 years at the crease, his 100 International Centuries, his 200 Tests, his 34,000 International runs across all forms of the game, virtually every batting record that exists in the game." These are just outcomes, in my opinion, of how the man has lived two dozen years of his life on the cricket field. The true answer to the question lies elsewhere - in his discipline, in his dedication, in his determination, in his demeanour.

Discipline

If one person has defined discipline on the field in cricket globally, it is none other than Tendulkar. As team-mates, competitors, administrators, groundsmen, commentators have said so often, Sachin is always the first to reach for the practice sessions, despite being the one who probably needs it the least. His unmistakable shadow practice on the pitch was a moment the ground staff dreaded. Sachin’s eyes would wander off the pitch and into the galleries behind the stumps. The focus would be on the sightscreens. Manyatime he would suggest - to the fright of the ground staff - that the sightscreen be shifted a bit to a more appropriate position. He did it for years and did it without fail. After the practice session got over, Sachin would spend hours having animated discussions with even the newest members in the team, taking their opinion on how he could have improved something. He always wanted to learn new tricks, and he remained an eternal student of the game.

And this started way before he joined the Indian team, becoming the youngest Indian to don the cap. Sachin's first roommate from his Ranji Trophy days, Suru Nayak, has revealed that the master blaster was always practicing shots in the night when he was barely 14 years old. He recalled the days when the young Tendulkar and he shared a room during the Ranji Trophy match against Baroda and although Tendulkar was selected at the age of 14, the selectors decided not to play him in the fast Moti Baug pitch since some of them felt he was too tiny and may not be able to play well. According to Nayak, whenever he looked at him, Tendulkar was taking batting stances in the room and practicing different shots. According to Nayak, the sparkle in Tendulkar's eyes, coupled with enthusiasm, was something special. No wonder, the young Mumbai boy would go on to become the greatest batsman the world has ever seen.

Dedication

Some of Tendulkar's team-mates have recalled the days, during India's tour to Pakistan in 1989, when he sleepwalked. "One night I was surprised to see a dazed looking Tendulkar walking out of his hotel room and mumbling in Marathi "maajha bat, maajha bat (my bat, my bat)". That's when we realised that he was actually sleepwalking,'' said Navjot Sidhu. Even in sleep, Sachin was dreaming about cricket.

As Harsha Bhogle recalls, "The words that I remember the most from my first major interview with Sachin Tendulkar years ago, when we had talked about subjects as diverse as sleepwalking in search of bats and his love for cars are: "I'm still obsessed". This was, after all, the same individual who used to arrive at Shivaji Park at dawn and ask if the gardeners could be instructed to erect nets right away, failing which he could do it himself."

That hunger has been ever-present. There is an anecdote from his boyhood of travelling all night for a game, reaching the destination at 3:00 am. After getting just an hour's sleep, well before dawn, he woke up the coach and asked whether they could proceed to the ground because he wasn't happy with his game and wanted to practice before the match. All these years, that meticulous streak has always been there, purple patch or lean trot. And it is such dedication only that has made him reach for the stars and made the world to bow before him.

He is one of the few Indians who binds the whole of this country. Probably no other person in the country is as much or as uniformly admired as him - not an Amitabh Bachchan, not a Rajnikanth, not a Lata Mangeshkar. His dedication to the sport and the will to do well and win accolades for India and, in the process, for himself have won him so many die-hard fans. One may easily argue that he played for his own records, but had he not played the way he did, he won't have played for India for long and won't have got to those records. Even if one continues to argue that he played for the records only, that still shows his dedication and zeal to excel and be the best in the world. Also, the price that he has had to pay as an individual is incomparable to the records and rewards. Remaining away from family on their special occasions for years at a stretch is not easy for anyone, specially for one who didn't have a need to play for eking out a living anymore or for winning more laurels than he'd already done. He could've chosen to depart earlier; just that his passion & dedication kept him going for so long.

Determination

For two dozen years, Tendulkar sparked the imagination of every Indian and carried their dreams on his shoulders, and it took a lot of determination to continue to do that for so long. He did not teach India how to win against the stiffest competition even in their own backyard (Sourav Ganguly did that), but he taught India to believe in themselves and be ready to take on the might of anyone, and then give some back. He taught India to dream, and dream big. What we couldn't achieve in our everyday lives, we looked at Tendulkar to make up for on the cricket field. His passion to play for India, dominate the fiercest of bowlers and will to win every single match made him a darling of the masses and a nightmare for his competitors. And all of this came through fierce determination, a lot of self-belief and an excessively professional approach.

When back injury and a tennis elbow threatened to ruin his career, there was immense speculation that he would be forced to quit. Globally, almost every newspaper, sports channel and website carried detailed medical diagnosis and plainly asked whether his career was over. Surely, he'd made enough money to live quite luxuriously and yet leave a lot for the next few generations, they argued, and he could quit playing without a worry. But would he be able to do that, or would we get yet another opportunity to see him in action? Many even said (including yours truly) that his era was over, and he should accept what fate had thrown at him and retire gracefully. But, he came back with even more determination and silenced all the critics.

Demeanour

It is well known that at the nets, once Sachin puts on his pads, he does not take them off very easily. Even after he is done with batting, he makes it a point to bowl in the nets or sit at a side and keep watching till the last man comes off. Then, gently, he would offer his observations and give some tips to help the batsmen and the bowlers improve. His magnificent demeanour can also be gauged by observing him when he is thronged by fans. Unless he is terribly mobbed, he always stops to sign autographs for children. If a photograph is requested, he is polite to a fault. He always takes a bit of time to ask kids what class they are studying in, or some similar question that makes them feel that the little master cares.

Those who know Tendulkar well speak of a warm individual who cherishes his friendships and associations. Gautam Bhimani, the ESPN anchor, who was once invited over to Tendulkar's house on his birthday, had this to say: "It never felt as if I was interviewing India's biggest sporting icon and superstar. It was more like being invited home by a loving father who was excited about the fact that his kids had made special cards and woken him up in the morning to wish him." Such is the simplicity of Sachin.

He never comes late to any practice session, never comes late to the team bus, never comes late to any meeting. And then, he is ready for anything on the cricket field. In a match - despite being highly competitive - he has never let raw emotion take over him while rejoicing a century or bemoaning a dismissal. His celebrations when an opposing team wicket falls are child-like, not wild-like. When disappointed with a decision, he does not make any untoward gestures. When given out wrongly, he may look crestfallen, but never steps out of line, and continues the long walk back to the pavilion without any argument.

At a time when cricket is going through arguably its most troubling episodes of match-fixing, people are desperate for someone who stands for all that is good about the game. And Tendulkar is often the man who has had to carry that cross. He is one cricketer whose integrity has never ever been questioned. Does he want to be known as an example of all things good? Probably not. He wanted to be a normal cricket player, with all his weaknesses and faults. But we treated him like God... and he responded.

No wonder, he's been conferred India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in the process becoming the very first sportsperson to receive the same and also becoming the youngest ever awardee across all genres. It is a well-deserved honour not for those records, but for setting a shining example of how one must follow his profession and lead his life... with utmost honesty & humility.

Well played, Sachin. Have a great life ahead!

© Shailesh Nigam

Unforgiving to the falling God!

Just in case you’ve not noticed yet, I am an ardent Sachin Tendulkar fan. This unconditional admiration comes from years of watching Sachin as well as watching cricket in general. Reasons are several, but the most prominent and matter of fact ones are the amount of runs & centuries he has scored for the country at the average he has scored; the balance & beauty of his batting style; and the dignity and poise at which he has conducted himself both on and off the field for two and a half decades. I’ve been accused of insanity and blind devotion by the same people who often swear by my rationality and pragmatism. But how can one not be devoted to someone who, as an individual has taught me about ‘challenges’, ‘meeting expectations’, ‘hard work’, ‘perseverance’, ‘greatness’ and most importantly about ‘balance’. If a teacher like that is not akin to God, then there is something wrong with, “Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara; Guru Saakshaat Para Barhma, Tasmai Shri Gruve Namah”  (Guru is verily the representative of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He creates, sustains knowledge and destroys the weeds of ignorance. I salute such a Guru).

Not many, including those who consider Sachin as God view him from this perspective. At this point in time, I encounter various schools of thoughts. Worth mentioning are two groups. There is a group which thinks that his cricketing contribution is not big enough, there are better players than him. And then there is a group that says his cricketing contribution is more than enough to call him a God of cricket. With the former group, I’ve debated so many times with stats and figures to win the argument that I’ve lost the interest in doing so anymore. Frankly, it doesn’t seem important to me now to argue with them because I’ve realized that no amount of data and numbers will ever defeat a cynic – after all, “shaq ka ilaaj to hakeem Lukmaan ke pass bhi nahi tha” (even the best doctor does not have a cure for a doubtful person).  

The latter group, however, the one that views Sachin as God for his Centuries and Runs, is the one I’m worried about the most. Not about what will happen to them when Sachin fails to deliver on their expectations, but what they will do to Sachin once he stops meeting their expectations. I was recently told by a friend, philosopher and quide – a great teacher himself – that “something that is more spectacular than watching a God being made, is watching a God fall.” It is foolhardy to expect that Sachin Tendulkar will never stop performing. That is an inevitable. The time between when he stops performing and finally decides to hang his boots will be the time when these people will switch fences shamelessly and come back at Sachin with a vengeance. Sadly, I think that time has come. 

Last few of his international innings have shown that his age is catching up. Barring a few shots, his timing is not the same. This impacts his ability to play on the up and across the line. The innovator and a master of paddle sweep, the tormentor of Shane Warne when he was in his prime is finding it difficult to negotiate a turning ball. His second inning dismissal in Mumbai test against England, where he compensated his first inning clean bowled by taking an off-stump guard and eventually getting out LBW, shows that he is not able to put the bat on to that ball. Reflexes are like hair on your head, they leave you with the age. I feel Sachin, more than anyone else realises that and have expressed it to the selectors in a subtle manner, “I’m not making runs, do you think I can continue?” In heart of his hearts he knows that he is not the same little master (or a 'little champion' that Sunny Gavaskar refers to him in defiance, since 'little master' is a title Sunny felt has been taken away from him).

Sachin will probably play few more matches and if he is lucky he’ll score a century or two from here, but it is time for me to finally say that he and India is ready for him to make way for younger talent. For me there was a life to cricket before Sachin and I am pretty certain that there would be life to cricket after Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar as well. But an enigma called Sachin Tendulkar will always find a special place in my heart and soul. I am a bit worried, because as much as I admire Sachin as a cricketer and as a teacher, I know there are a lot of people who are Unforgiving to the God, especially at the time when God falls!!!

© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)

The game of the Equilibrium

There are various theories about ‘the need of a balance’ as has been spoken and written about length in various contexts - about the ecological balance as a prerequisite for human survival, about the duality concept in quantum physics  and also about the balance of negative and positive forces as described in various spiritual and mythological scriptures of the world. All of these theories address a fundamental need of keeping an optimum mix of two diametrically opposite representations, which lie at the two ends of the spectrum. The moment you shift in either direction, i.e. focus on one and ignore the other, you disturb the equilibrium and you risk harsh consequences, and at times put your survival at stake…

The fundamentals of these theories was put to test by Delhi Daredevils team in their 2^nd qualifier match for IPL 2012 against Chennai Super Kings and the results were expectantly consistent and rather rude.

Cricket, irrespective of the format (i.e. Test, One Day or T20) is basically the game of bat and ball. You have eleven players and a set of rules to create the optimum balance between the bat and ball in order to do well in the sport. You miss this balance either way, and you are consigned to defeat and left to sulk in a dressing room, licking your wounds. In the match in question, Morne Morkel, the highest wicket taker of the tournament and a lethal weapon on the bouncy and otherwise stale Chennai track, was left out rather unceremoniously.  The reason quoted for this catastrophic judgement was that, with Irfan out due to injury you had to have another (so called) all rounder in the team without sacrificing a batsman. The replacement was identified in Andre Russel in this case and it meant that the Daredevils of Delhi had batting up to eight but was short of a quality bowler. They say that there is a thin line between being bold and being stupid and this dividing line is generally called ‘the result’. However, sometimes you do not need a ‘result’ to identify the difference. This was one such occasion… the rest, as they say is history.

The fundamentals of these theories are applicable universally in every sphere of our lives. Various sports streams, politics and corporate are no exception. However, unfortunately this theory is put to test constantly across the board. The applications in sports is easy to understand, for example it is easy to assess what will happen to a football team who have nine attackers and two defenders, or what will happen to a table tennis player who has the speed but no accuracy etc.

The theory also has an interesting way of proving itself in Corporate or a Business set up. There are basically three constituents of any business – The Shareholders, The Employees and The Customers. Intrinsically the interests of the shareholders and the customers at a very fundamental level are diametrically opposite. The shareholder interest is profit maximisation - so the best scenario for him is to create a product with least cost and sell it to a customer on a highest value; similarly a customer would be best off by buying a product which has the highest value for him at the lowest cost. If the shareholders and the customers are at the two opposite ends of the scale, then the employees are the fulcrum which provides the balance between the two and create value for both these constituents.

The position of this fulcrum (i.e. of the Employees in a corporate) is basically decided by the function in which the employee is working. For example, a sales rep will be closer to the customer and hence focussing more on the customer need and consequently lifting the Customers' side up and causing the Shareholders' side down. Similarly an employee in a control function, say in audit and compliance role, whose job essentially is to protect against any losses, is working more in the interest of the shareholder and often creating processes and controls which a customer may not like. A conflict between these two sets of employees is imminent and regular. This is not to say that both these employees are at the wrong place and both of them should be at the centre to provide the balance and avoid conflict all together. On the contrary they have to be at their respective places to provide a balance and strength that is required. Their conflicts and its resolution provides this balance which is essential for a corporate to function optimally. The moral of the story is that the optimal balance does not come alone by having the fulcrum in the centre. The balance and stability comes when the multiple fulcrums of equal strength are placed at various distance which allows for constructuve conflicts.

The situation is no different in the game of Cricket. A captain and team management in the game of cricket play their role in deciding the playing eleven. Quite clearly, the captains of Delhi Daredevils and the team management did not identify and place right fulcrums in their IPL 2012 final match with Chennai Super Kings in Chennai yesterday.

© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)

It's time for the seniors to hang up their boots... or, is it?

The Indian team has had a consecutive drubbing and whitewash in tests, first at the hands of England and now Australia. An 4-0, 4-0 score-line doesn’t look good in any sport, and especially in cricket – given our best-ever batting line-up, arguably – this is shameful if not downright disgraceful. With legends like Sachin, Dravid and Laxman leading the charge and other greats-in-the-making like Sehwag and Gambhir, not doing themselves and their nation a single favour in the just concluded down under tests, there have been a lot of cries for their heads. In a recent poll by a leading media-house, even Sachin Tendulkar, the God of cricket, has 1/3rd Indians rooting for his removal from the test team here on!

I was pondering over the same, and wondering whether as a nation we have such impatience built into our DNA, or do we have such short memories that we forget and overlook the achievements of these same cricketers of very recent past, which we were revelling in and celebrating. Why, just a month ago, Rahul Dravid was second only to God, having scored the maximum test runs in the world in 2011, with 5 centuries coming last year itself, in the process becoming only the second batsman after Tendulkar to score 13,000 test runs in the history of cricket. Just a few months ago in November 2011, Laxman was being hailed as the unsung hero of Indian cricket, when he scored 176* against the West Indies in the 2nd Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, which India won by an innings and 15 runs. And what can one say about Tendulkar? Yes, he’s had a very strange & longest-ever run of 22 test innings without a century, but watching him bat in 2011 was pure magic. His elusive century of centuries notwithstanding, the man looks 20 years younger in his aggression and stroke-play, and such is his batting prowess right now that even one of his harshest critics like me is left wondering if his detractors have chosen the right time for seeking his departure.

As regards Sehwag, all I’ll submit is that the man plays like the way he plays. You can love him or hate him for it, but you can’t ignore him. A proof of his genius & dangerous abilities lies in his ODI world record double century in 2011, which made him only the second batsman after Sachin to achieve the feat. This, of course, is not made in a test match and purists may argue this is comparing apples to oranges, but his innings still is testimony to the way he bats in any form of cricket, and I’d happily pay every time to watch him play. His opening partner, Gambhir has struggled in tests the whole of 2011, but if one is to look at what he provides to the team, one look at his ODI average of 56.90 in 2011 – including his World Cup Final winning inning of 97 – is enough to demonstrate his class. Not for any other reason was he the most valued player at $ 2.4 mn of the IPL auction of 2011.

Moving away from these 5 great men, I’d also like to spend a minute here on our captain, M.S. Dhoni – the man with the Midas Touch. He’s done so much for India’s glory in the past 3 ½ years at the helm – winning the T20 World Cup, winning the ODI World Cup, and taking India to Numero Uno in Test rankings – that it is almost blasphemous for him to be castigated the way he’s being castigated for his uninspiring captaincy and failure with the bat. One would do well to remember that he’s no bunny with the blade. In fact, he scored a big & brisk century in November 2011 in the Kolkata test innings victory against Windies, and still has a lot to offer to Indian cricket. It may be time to infuse younger, less tired hands behind the stumps, but I feel that India needs to persist with Dhoni as a batsman and the shrewd captain.

Yes, India has not been doing well in away tests. But the reason lies beyond our batsmen. Yes, they have failed individually and as a unit. But our bowlers haven’t also done anything to write home about. We’ve not been able to take 20 wickets to win a match. In fact, the pressure of chasing humongous totals by the Aussies in almost every match has overcome our batsmen, and cut through their nerves and gut. The fielders also haven’t done much to prevent the run-riot of the Australians. So, why lay the blame at the batsmen’s door only and ask them to leave?

It is time for some introspection about what all ails the team, and how the World’s No. 1 Test Team has declined so suddenly and so steadily. Part of the blame rests with the cricketers, but there are enough questions around preparing the right pitches at home for preparing the team to play on bouncy wickets abroad, the team training & mentoring process, the selection policy that needs to focus on the future without giving up the present, et al. All these are grave pressures that the team has to encounter, and adding to the pressure that our players already face is our nation’s obsession with winning everything or being damned. I’m particularly amused and curious about the last one, since I rarely come across such passion in personal lives of people. How come we don’t measure ourselves with the same yardstick that we use for measuring our cricketers? How come we don’t care about being the best and winners in everything we do, or at least in our chosen professions? Why, there are so many times, we don’t even try! And yet, we have the obnoxious arrogance to pronounce death to our heroes who’ve done so much for Indian cricket and our personal happiness in the past!!!

So, let’s not jump to any sentimental & irrational conclusions and ask for heads to roll for these losses, unless we get to the root cause of the same and work towards removing that cause rather than our players. For, if we don’t do that and go ahead and take short and easy measures like removing a few off-colour players, we’ll be akin to the Mad Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, who keeps shouting “off with her head” without a single right reason, and without a single right cause being served by the same.

© Shailesh Nigam, Varun Khanna (for respective articles)