Grand finale for a golden era

When Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar walks into sunset after his last game in competitive cricket, it will mark the end of an era that offered unparalleled entertainment. Beyond the records and milestones he created in 24 long seasons at the top, the real Sachin Tendulkar shines as a batsman who kept the common man riveted to action, be it at the stadium or at home, watching on television. A fulcrum of a batting line-up that until recently had some of the finest players in the history of the game, Tendulkar changed the way we looked at the game, lifting it to a different plane almost every time he walked to the crease. His 200th Test match, beginning at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday against West Indies, will be an emotional occasion touched by memories of his swashbuckling knocks at venues from Mumbai to Multan and Melbourne to Manchester. For a nation in search of a hero at a time of sagging cricketing fortunes, Tendulkar was just what the doctor ordered, capturing the attention of fans almost instantly on debut with his fearlessness as well as the power and beauty of his strokes. The courage he showed to stand up against the Pakistani quick bowlers in his debut series was an indicator to the future - a lone, towering lighthouse of talent amidst the mediocrity that gripped Indian cricket in the 90s. "He has been a genius when it comes to ability, a Trojan when it comes to work ethic and manic when it comes to his focus,” remarked Vivian Richards once, the West Indian giant’s words capturing Tendulkar’s talent perfectly. He was indeed India’s biggest hope. There was a time when people switched off their television sets when Tendulkar got out, for they knew capitulation followed. There was also a time when the man on the street didn’t mind an Indian defeat as long as this little man fulfilled their wish for some fireworks on the pitch. More often than not Tendulkar repaid their belief with knocks of gold standard, particularly in one-dayers. Some of his exploits like that attack on Shoaib Akhtar in the 2003 World Cup, that aggressive fifty against New Zealand in 1994, which also heralded his arrival as an opener, and the twin classics at Sharjah against Australia, now famous as Desert Storm - will remain etched in memory as knocks that built the image of an infallible hero. In his talent, the game found new wings as the sport widened its base. "First and foremost, Tendulkar is an entertainer and that for me is as important a factor as any fact or figure,” remarked South African great Barry Richards, commenting on Tendulkar’s impact. "Too often boring players have been pushed forward as great by figures alone. For sheer entertainment, he will keep cricket alive.” No wonder, his was the wicket the opposition wanted desperately, and even a genius like Shane Warne was left scratching his head in the face of a Tendulkar assault. "I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He was unstoppable. I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player,” Warne had said. In Tests, Tendulkar had to play a different role. Batting with almost no support till the arrival of Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, V V S Laxman and Virender Sehwag at various junctures, the boy from Bandra had to be more defensive in the traditional format. But occasionally, he would come up with gems like his 169 against South Africa in 1997 and that stupendous hundred against the same opposition at Cape Town in 2011. It was Tendulkar who showed the Indians that pace bowlers could be dominated, not in the purely aggressive ways of Sehwag, but with more method. Used to the defensive ways of Sunil Gavaskar and the obduracy of Mohinder Amarnath, a new generation of Indian cricket fans found their own enforcer in Tendulkar. It was a massive cultural shift for them. Tendulkar told them through many of his knocks that Indians can put fast bowlers under pressure through pulls and hooks, and of course through those occasional upper cuts too. He has been a giver of pure joy, and time has come for us to allow him to enjoy his cricket - even though as late as in his last game. Indian skipper M S Dhoni said as much on the eve of the second Test. "I would like him to enjoy, because you can’t guarantee performance. Of course, you can hope he gets a hundred, a double hundred, a triple hundred or 500, whatever. But at the end of the day the most important moment is that it is his last Test match. It’s important that he enjoys this match,” said Dhoni. Perhaps he will produce one of those signature innings to entertain us, also his mother and brother - Rajni and Ajit Tendulkar - who will be in the stands to witness the momentous occasion. Even if he doesn’t, memories of those magically enthralling innings will live on, as the curtain comes down on a magnificent career and an era of unmatched entertainment.   DECCAN HERALD