Dear Little Master,
This is the first time that I am writing to you,and what better time to do it,than on the eve of your 37th birthday and two days from an inevitable IPL championship victory,yet another feather in your now bushy cap.I have been an ardent follower of cricket since the 1996 World Cup in India,and it was there that you-The short statured demigod with the dishevelled curly hair,kid like zeal,squeaky voice and a very very endearing smile,caught my eye.You scored 523 runs in that tournament with two glittering centuries and I became your fan forever.In time,my obsession with those cover drives and square cuts would only increase exponentially and you would continue re-inventing yourself with glorious upper cuts(No one can forget the Centurion Sixer off Shoaib),paddle sweeps and shuffled flicks across the legside,delighting millions with innovative shots of your own..
Of you being the most dominant and technically sound batsman of your era,is but a unanimous opinion.People often ask me why I'm simply obsessed with the SACHIN TENDULKAR PHENOMENON.I mean yes,you are a delightful cricketer and your exploits on the field are enthralling to watch,but all that aside,you still are a source of inspiration for me.Your rise to become the Greatest ever,from the humblest of beginnings is just fairy tale stuff.The documentaries that I have been witness to,show your extreme dedication and respect for the sport that made you.The fact that,even today,after 20 years,you still practice for 6 to 8 hours daily is a testament to the true champion that you are.
The nose bleed incident in just your 2nd test,would have shattered an ordinary 16 year old's confidence,but you just took stance and straight drove Waqar for a boundary the very next ball.Gritty stuff.Throughout the 90's it was Sachin and 10 others versus another team,and somehow you would come up trumps every time.The burden of enormous expectations that you've shouldered in your career,from proving that you are not just a young flash in the pan prodigy in your early years,to guiding India to victories almost single-handedly,requires humongous effort,mental strength and courage and being the superhuman that you are,you just seem to possess all these qualities in an ample amount.
Though we now have an excellent team,I still live in the era bygone,and like millions did in those days,I switch the TV off once you get out.From the Kapils and Imrans to the Pontings and Lara's and now the fresh young crop comprising of the Sehwags,Gambhirs,Smiths and Clarkes,all who have played with you,swear by you and have utmost respect,not only for your prodigial talent,but also for the human being that you are.
Your humility and the ability of staying grounded despite accolades at every step,of not getting carried away by your achievements,your love and passion for the game,the extremely professional handling of the Media frenzy,the patriotism that you and your helmet with the India sticker stand for,are probably the embodiments of your simple and middle class upbringing and we all love you for staying that way.A boundary from your bat induces cheers even in funerals and hospitals and the joy that your batting brings into their gloomy and strife filled lives,and gives them just that inspiration to move on and keep fighting.You know what difference a few runs from your bat may make in a match situation,but I doubt that you know how it affects millions of lives.And Trust me,it does.
Not many batsmen have the ability of totally revamping their batting and giving their career a complete overhaul,but when the need for the team arose,you managed to accomplish even that with minimum of fuss.From an explosive run making siesta who gave Shane Warne nightmares in the sandstorm game at Sharjah to an accumulator of runs,scoring a measured 241 unbeaten runs against a searing Aussie pace attack in Sydney without a single off drive in the entire innings and not to forget the 193 against England at Headingley when you just took blow after blow on your body but never once hooked or pulled to a packed legside field,just because the team needed you there,again is a speaking statement of your commitment,team spirit and ability of change gears smoothly.
After the heartbreaking exit of India from the 2007 World Cup,There were detractors trying to pull you down,but you stood your ground.Your sadness and pain wasn't hidden in the emotional press conference that you gave and I daresay,you have just been unstoppable after that.Critics have always said stupid stuff about you not winning India enough matches or not being the same run machine that you were,but you have always taken it in your stride.As is evident,you have always let your bat do the talking.No team would dare to sledge you because the wrath that you would incur,the controlled aggression and fury of yours,is too scary a thought even for the most brash of Aussie suckers.Most recently the Chennai test hundred chasing 387 which you dedicated to the Mumbai victims,infused that glimmer of life into the darkness and from then on,Mumbai has moved on.There have been countless memorable innings and profiling each one would be an arduous task but who in living memory can forget the 200 that you so effortlessly made just a month ago.At this age,your fitness and zeal is all the more amazing and unmatched and it was befitting that the man who crossed this seemingly impossible Everest was you-The greatest ever.
The adulation,the cheers,the happiness and the sheer love that is reserved for you,makes you a darling of cricket fans wherever you go.Mumbai Indians have a home advantage in every match they play,because no player in India,commands the sheer unbiased worship and fan-giri bordering on crazy,that you do.Everytime you used to get injured,India learns a new medical term.Tennis elbow and back spasms are just examples.
Thousands of greats and few not so greats have paid a glorious tribute to the 20 year old story book career of yours and mine are words,too small,like a droplet in the ocean.If 30,000 runs,93 centuries and countless golden chapters that you have written in the annals of Indian cricketing history do not suffice in speaking for themselves,then no amount of words will ever be enough.
As I end,I just wish what millions do and you do,more than anyone else.Sachin,please wield that magic with the Willow and get us the World Cup.Come February,we all will cheer for you at the D.Y Patil stadium and in the twilight of your career,applaud when you finally get the trophy,that you have so cherished and that has eluded you for so long.
This quote by yourself just sums up your career aptly:-
"People throw stones at you,and you keep converting them into milestones".
Happy Birthday Sachin.We all love you to bits..
Yours Truly
A mere mortal
But a Great Fan .
