TIME TO GO??

Twenty-eight innings since he last scored a fifty! Fifteen since he scored a hundred! He’s 39 years old and isn’t getting any younger. The time has come for him to go and he should gracefully walk away. Does any of this sound familiar? Haven’t you heard of this 39-year-old man before? Well, if your guess is Sachin Tendulkar, you’re right. Talks of his impending retirement have been growing louder with each passing day. All sorts of reports have been appearing in the media, including some so-called talks with the BCCI and the selection committee. “A glorious two-and-a-half decade career has now come down to perform or perish”. That is the talk going around within cricketing circles and a lot seem to be agreeing to that statement.

But, does any of this sound new? Haven’t such reports appeared in the past? While he was going through a similar bad phase in 2008, the same reports appeared saying that he was 35 and well past his prime and had reached saturation point. The only difference this time around is that the figure 35 has now become 39. But, if you just for a moment stopped to take a look at what he has done in the four years that have followed, you would probably agree with the point that I am trying to come to. The period after 2008 has probably been the best of his career. He has produced some of his finest knocks during this time. Many consider the period between early 2009 and the 2011 World Cup to be his most productive one. At a time when most people would call it a day, his game was at its peak.

If that does not convince you enough, just take a look at his record post-2008. Three of his four top scores in One Day International cricket have come during that time. An unbeaten 163 against New Zealand, a 175 against Australia which, given the situation, goes down as one of the greatest innings in ODI cricket history, and a double hundred against South Africa – a feat previously thought of as impossible. Add to that an instrumental role in the 2011 World Cup victory (he finished as the second highest run-scorer of the tournament), and, who could have ever thought – A HUNDRED INTERNATIONAL CENTURIES!!!...

But, Indians and the Indian media are known to have a history of belonging to two extremes. They either hero-worship the team and its players, or, at the first signs of defeat, revolt against them, passing nasty comments and writing them off. Well, Sachin is no stranger to any of this. And, I’m sure he continues to remain as focussed as ever. After all, hasn’t he been fulfilling the unrealistic expectations of a billion people for over 23 years? It most certainly isn’t any simple feat. Time and again, he has defied logic through his sustained passion and longevity in the game. At some point of time, he is sure to regain his past glory.

And, let’s not forget that there isn’t much left for us to see of him. It is definitely no secret that he is fast reaching the final chapters of his career. One thing, however, is for sure – the day he is gone, the entire culture of Indian cricket shall change forever.  So, I guess the best thing for all of us to do is to stop pointing a finger and enjoy what seem to be the final days of a glorious international career, before he reaches the end of the road and fades into the sunset...