Retirement of Sachin Tendulkar: The beginning of an end

Tendulkar, 1998 Sharjah

The year 1998 saw a marauding Tendulkar give nightmares to opposition bowlers. It was the year that saw him scoring 1894 runs in 33 ODI innings with an astonishing average of 66 that included 9 centuries and 7 fifties. He dominated the bowlers in Test matches, too, by scoring 647 runs in 9 innings with an amazing average of 80 with the help of a solitary ton and seven fifties.

One of his most terrific innings that won’t have any haters other than Mark Taylor’s Australian team is the “The Desert Storm” against the Aussies at Sharjah, in which he tore apart all the Australian bowlers enroute to his 134 that helped India book a place in the final. The innings that took place in April 1998 gave nightmares to the bowlers especially Shane Warne, who eventually came out and jocularly accepted that he had some worst nightmares of Sachin dancing down the track and hitting him over his head for a six.

Soon, brand Sachin moved worldwide and many people started following the gentleman’s game. With each passing day, there was an increase in his followers count. As the world moved into the 21^st century, Sachin still continued to boss the bowlers.

He had a tremendous 2003 World Cup in South Africa in which he was adjudged the player of the tournament. He didn’t stop his journey there and continued to break records.

In 2004, he surpassed Sunil Gavaskar’s tally of 34 Test hundreds and in 2008, he became the leading run scorer in Tests. In February 2010, he achieved a feat that no batsman in the past even dreamt of. Against South Africa in Captain Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior, Sachin Tendulkar became the first man in the planet to score a double hundred in an ODI and in 2012, he became the only batsman to have scored 100 international tons, a record that is almost impossible to get broken.

Tendulkar, 2011

Even at 40 years of age and with an experience of 24 years at the top plight of cricket, he holds almost every single record in terms of batting department. The elusive ones that are missing from his record books are the highest Test average that will never be broken (Don Bradman’s 99.94) and a triple hundred in Tests (his highest Test score is 248).

Most people who admire Sachin only see the successful part of him – scoring runs, winning trophies and taking part in endorsements. I wish they had an opportunity to see the other side too. They would see how diligently he works behind the scenes and with how much care and intensity he prepares each day even after spending 24 years in international cricket. Such is the passion and determination he has towards the game.

In simple words, if cricket is Ram, then Sachin is Hanuman, Ram’s biggest disciple. After spending over 8,500 days in international cricket, he is slowly becoming a soft target for the media critics.

Since the start of 2011, there has been a gradual dip in his form. His legs aren’t moving quickly towards the ball as Sachin is falling prey to the pacers’ inswinging delivery from a good length. The talks over his retirement are looming large. In December 2012, he called it a day from ODIs and in 2013, he quit IPL and Champions League T20.

His retirement talks are making headlines on a day-to-day basis. Since the start of 2011, the stats too don’t speak in favour of him. In the 14 Test matches he has played, he has scored just over 350 runs and holds a below par average of 27 with just 2 centuries. Whereas in his entire career, he has scored a total of 15,837 runs with an average of 54 with a total of 51 centuries (a century in every 4 matches).

Having played 198 Test matches, the entire world is expecting his retirement after the landmark 200th Test. With India’s tour to South Africa, where he was scheduled to play his 200^th Test getting deferred and the BCCI engaging India to play 2 Tests against West Indies at home, it is certain that Sachin will play his 200^th Test in his own country.

But, he has been receiving criticisms from various quarters. Few pundits feel that Sachin is just blocking the place of a youngster in the playing XI. The media, too, is baying for his retirement. It is the same media that was praising Sachin few years back when he was calling the shots. The fans who were behind him for the past 24 years started criticizing him. Many feel that he should leave on a high rather than retiring when his performance is in a freefall. His fans feel that this is the right time for him to bid adieu.

At the moment, the million dollar question is: “Will Sachin Retire after his 200^th Test? Is this the right time for Sachin to announce his retirement? Who can give the exact date of his retirement?” The answer for all these questions should be in the hands of Sachin Tendulkar.

No one has the right to force him to retire from cricket. The player of his caliber deserves to retire on a high.

The stage is set. Within few months, cricket will start losing its gem and some fans well. At the same time, it is impossible to imagine cricket without Sachin. Such is the impact his batting has had on the minds of cricket aficionados around the globe.

While writing this article, I felt that writing about Sachin Tendulkar is as difficult as bowling to him.