The legend of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar has announced his retirement from test cricket after the on going 200th test match is played. The urchin who took up the bat at the young age of 16, played the game for 24 years without break and now at 39, retires with dignity, grace and poise as one of the world’s greatest batsmen leaving behind him a glorious record that will be impressed upon the pages of the history of cricket for all times to come. For millions of young Indians, who have been watching him playing classical cricket for such a long time, he will remain a source of pride and inspiration. Sachin has given the Indian cricket its philosophy, its elegance and its style.
For two decades and more Sachin remained the focus of cricket fans watching his each stroke, each stance and each posture. A sportsman to the hilt, Sachin has been the icon with which Indian team was identified at home and abroad. Cricket celebrities all over the world and without exception have paid tribute to this legendry batsman who never made a stroke outside the desk book formulae of the game. There are millions and millions of Indians, young, old, men and women who would be glued to the televisions only to see Sachin hitting classical shots and running in between the wickets like a robot. Kids never stopped expressing their glee on seeing their icon play with a smile on his face. Most of them when asked what they wanted to become in their lives said Sachin. Never did he lose his cool these two and half decades of his cricket career, never did he question the decision of the umpire even if others doubted it. This was just to lend real grace to the game. When the decency of this wonderful sport was getting laced with defamation and degeneration at the hands of sportsmen sans spirit and their handlers sans morals, this great player infused hope and prospect into its veins by refusing to be anything but the iconic player on and off the field. He was the bulwark against unethical cryptogram that left many painted in black.
The nation has done him honour he deserves. He is a member of the Rajya Sabha. After announcing his retirement, which he would like to do on his home turf in Mumbai, hopefully, the parliament will record his contribution to the prestige and dignity of the country in golden words. There is another bright side to the personality of Sachin besides that of sportsmanship. It is his humanism and simplicity. To his playmates in general and to his seniors in particular, Sachin has shown the utmost regard and respect and this has endeared him to one and all. Sachin is a patriot to the hilt as all true sports persons are. He said he had the dream all his life to play for his country. This reminds us of celebrities like Gavaskar, Kapil and others who never detached their play and person from their motherland even for a moment. Many of his juniors who have found a toehold in the world of cricket have frankly admitted that they learnt the secrets of the game by watching Sachin in action on the field. Yet despite these laurels, Sachin never allowed hauteur and arrogance —- the corollaries of popularity and fame—- cloud his personality. His innocence makes him the most loved one among his team mates.
Some people may raise the question about the timing of announcing his retirement. They think he has delayed it by two years and that he should have done it before the form left him some times back. In particular, last two years of his cricket career were less noteworthy, they say. But Sachin understands his body and its language better than anyone else. He took the decision when he thought he should take. A game is a game; winning or losing are the two sides of the coin. It is the spirit, the dedication, the perseverance and the fulfillment that count and not the winning of the game or its losing. A player is great just because he plays a great game. The entire Indian nation rises to its feet to cheer and salute this great son of the soil who dedicated his life to ennoble his country in the sphere of art raised to the heights of spirituality.
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