A tale of two Indians: Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni

We have been a lucky generation. We have witnessed the transition of cricket in this country from close quarters. We saw a change of the power shifting from the metros of Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai to the lesser known cities of Lucknow and Ranchi. Change is always a funny thing. As the English author Arnold Bennett says – any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts. In this case the discomfort for the Indian cricket viewer was the difference in stroke play, the approach towards a situation, the approach to fielding, and the approach towards the game. These eras can be clearly defined between these two outstanding players – Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni.

With Sachin Tendulkar, we associate stroke play of artistic elegance. It’s like he is writing poetry with the most ornamental language and the audience is simply mesmerized by the Pied Piper. His approach to the game has always been with a bit of caution. Give respect to the shiny leather ball and wait for the shine to wear off. He takes his time, leaves the good balls and hardly plays a lofted shot for some time when he comes in to bat. Once he is settled, it’s toil for the bowlers and fielders. This is if it is a Test match. If it’s a limited overs match, then he shifts gears, there are more shots on the rise, there are more pulls and hooks. What helps him is his ability to read the length of the ball quickly. Hence it is rightly said, Tendulkar will always have one shot more for a delivery than any other batsman in the world. He knows the field placing precisely, he knows his strengths better than anyone and he has the confidence to pull of the shots he plays. Hence, we see the upper cut being displayed in South Africa and Australia, the trademark orthodox cover drive in England and the slog sweep on the sub-continent pitches. What has also been a hallmark of him is the foot work. His cricket comes from the background of coaching which had the teachings of waiting for the bad balls and not giving away your wicket cheaply. He takes pride in staying at the wicket for more and more time. He learnt this from his coach and then he improvised it with his attacking nature and scripted some amazing wins for India.

While Tendulkar was busy scoring single handedly for India, the kids were watching his adventures on the television. A lot of tennis ball and rubber ball cricket was being played on the streets and maidans of the country. The power-play led to a lot of new strokes in the game. The kids were picking this up and new strokes were cultivated to beat the field restrictions and score runs. These kids had exposure to the world. They were also lapping up the fielding exploits of Jonty Rhodes, Mark Waugh and Herschelle Gibbs to name a few. They were now ready to throw their bodies around to save a few runs and pick some stunning diving catches. They were also the ones who wouldn’t think twice before reacting to a bowler if he starts giving them a mouthful.

The best example that signifies this growth of cricket in the interiors of India is MS Dhoni. A ticket collector who went on to be the most successful captain the country has ever produced, Dhoni’s is a story worth telling. He is someone who has played a lot of tennis ball cricket, someone who has had to hit the ball hard to ensure he gets a boundary or a six as the tennis balls don’t travel quickly through the air. Also, he has had a humble family background. This gives him the go-getter attitude which has come from the life he was living. To go and search for answers, to set innovative field placing as the situation depends and to go by instincts, is what life has taught him. He does not have the best of technique but he surely does have the best temperament. He will go for the shot irrespective of the situation. Backed with tremendous self-belief, ‘Captain Cool’ can play that helicopter shot to win the World Cup or place a mid-off and a long off in the IPL final to get rid of the dangerous Kieron Pollard. These decisions sometimes work against him but he is strong enough to stand through tough times. All this attributes make him what he is today. He represents the new India that wants to dream big and is ready to face the challenges life throws at them.

I think these two stalwarts not only are an influence on the cricket field but they transcend their abilities to life in general. While one represents the India which wanted to make a mark of its own, the other is the one that wants to stand out and dream big. While Sachin is the one who makes us believe that we should always dream big, Dhoni is the one who personifies the phrase ‘believe in yourself’. It’s even better that these two individuals have played together for close to 8 years and we have seen Team India achieving a lot in these years. Hats off to two of the best sportsmen our country has ever produced.