Most loved Indian cricket icon - Sachin Tendulkar

Premasara EPASINGHE

Sachin Tendulkar was born on April 24, 1973 and on Sunday, April 24, 2011, he celebrated his 38th birthday. The birth place of this great cricketer is known as Sahitya Sahawas an uncricketing environment. This colony was a place for litterateur. This housing scheme was set up by the State of Maharastra, for writers, poets in the1960s. From Dadar, Marathi poet, Prof Ramesh Tendulkar moved into this new housing scheme with his family.

Prof Ramesh Tendulkar named his new arrival Sachin, after the famous popular Hindi musician Sachin Dev Burman. Prof Ramesh Tendulkar, after the demise of his first wife, married the deceased wife's sister, Rajini. She was an employee of Life Insurance Company - LIC. Nitin, Savita, Ajit and Sachin are the children of Prof Ramesh Tendulkar. He was a school teacher.

He taught at Siddhartha and Kirti Colleges. He became the head of Marathi language. He was an erudite scholar. Little Sachin studied at Kirti College. I presume, Sachin's must be discipline he practiced in his earlier birth. This would have been something he inherited in his Sansaric journey.

One of my cricketing heroes and an idol is Sachin Tendulkar. I first saw him in 1989 in Sharjah, participating in Australia Asia Cup, as an under 17 boy representing India.

I had the distinction of commenting in his final appearance, ICC World Cup 2011 at Mumbai. I consider Sachin Tendulkar as one of the greatest players that I have seen in my four decades of commenting career.

The great team man, Sachin Tendulkar, always put country before self. The winning the ICC 2011 World Cup was the proudest moment of his life. In the entire tournament he played a vital role. He was the most outstanding 'senior citizen' of the World Cup 2011.

Cricketwise, the only cup that was not there for him, in his cupboard, was the 'plum of cricket world cricket', the World Cup. In his last appearance, he achieved his life long ambition.

After a long wait, 28 years, India won the World Cup for the second time. With this great victory, now the World Cup belongs to Asia and proved a point to the world that India and Sri Lanka are mighty world powers in the world.

When Sachin was a toddler of 2 1/2 years, he loved playing cricket with his brothers and sisters. Laxmibhai Ghije, his maid, must have been the first bowler he faced before Walsh, MacGrath, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Chaminda Vaas or Muralitheran or Lasith Malinga etc.

Tiny tot, Sachin, started playing tennis ball cricket in the Sahitya Shawas small playground. He enjoyed playing cricket, and later cricket became his life.

At the age of eleven years (11), Sachin came under the watchful eyes of cricket coach Ramakant Acharekar.

The 79 (seventy nine) year old coach, before the World Cup 2011 finals at Mumbai stated: "It will be the most valuable gift for me, if India wins the World Cup and my boy Sachin scores his 100th international century. Sachin calls me regularly. Even before the high voltage match against arch rivals Pakistan, he telephoned me. I advised him concentrate on his job. He is a lovely boy," stated Acharekar.

The Padma Sri and Dronacharya award winner - Ramakant Acharekar coached Vinod Kambli, Ajith Agarkar and Romesh Pawar, to name a few out of many.

Undoubtedly India's most loved cricketing icon, is Sachin Tendulkar. He is the darling of many cricket fans in the world. He is a batting artist, a genius.

The boy from Bandra, who grew up in Ushakhal, Sachin Tendulkar, son of Professor of Sanskrit and Marathi, Ramesh Tendulkar is considered as one of the greatest batsman of all time. The most outstanding batsman of India, scored a half a century against Australia in the world on March 24, 2011.

He is the most experienced World Cup cricketer who played in six World Cup matches in a period of 21 years, scoring more than 2000 runs. In his distinguished and cherished career he won the Man of the Match award in the World Cup tournament six times.

Very rarely he gives a chance. If a catch was dropped off him, the spirit of billion people were lifted.

As a Sri Lanka commentator, who commentated for FM Derana Radio the recently concluded pre-quarter, semi-final and final matches in Ahamedabad, Gujarat and Mumbai, without any exaggeration, I state here, Indians consider Sachin Tendulkar a cricketing god, a valuable kohinoor (the most valuable diamond). He is simply brilliant, an absolute genius I have seen.

Sachin Tendulkar, the maestro for the past two decades has been the backbone of Indian batting line up. He smashed two hundreds, many half centuries (2) in his final sixth and final World Cup - 2011. In the ICC World Cup 2011, in 9 matches in 9 innings scored 482 runs.

After, India won the World Cup, the team members carried Sachin on their shoulders. While I was commentating I saw Sachin Tendulkar waving the proud prestigious tricolour Indian flag, while celebrating the biggest victory in his lifetime. I remember very well how Virat Kohli expressed his sentiments on Sachin. "He carried our cricket for 21 long years. It is a moment of glory to carry him. This Cup is for Sachin," stated Virat Kohli who carries Sachin. Harbajan, Gambhir, Shewag they totally endorsed the sentiments expressed by young Virat Kohli.

Sachin Tendulkar's career began as a junior school cricketer. As an under 15 boy, Sachin played in the Haring Shield matches and in the quarter final he scored his first hundred.

This paved way for his selection for the Mumbai under 15 squad. He attended the English Sardhashram School. In 1986-87 season they lifted the Giles Shield and the Harris Shield. He scored 276, 159, 156, 123, 197and 150 respectively. Amazing! He was selected for Vijaya Merchant Trophy under 15, and against Maharashtra scored 123 in 140 minutes. Name Sachin Tendulkar now became the talk of the town. Vinod Kambli too joined Shardashram and with Sachin they created a school batting record. They made their Kanga league debut together.

Dilip Vensarkar and Sunil Gavaskhar kept a keen eye on Sachin and they new that he is a future champion. The star cricket club included Sachin in the under 17 team to tour England.

At the age of 15 years 7 months and 17 days Sachin Tendulkar became the youngest Indian to score a century on debut for Ranji Trophy. After witnessing this innings, Ajit Wadekar, former Indian captain said although Sachin is the baby of the team, it did not show in his batting.

Sachin Tendulkar played his first Test on November 16, 1989 against Pakistan. He scored 15 runs, bowled by Wagar Younis. At 17, and 112 days, Sachin became the second youngest player to score a Test ton in England. It must be mentioned here, against Pakistan, Sachin scored 85, in this World Cup 2011, and lived a 'charmed life'. He survived four dropped catches. In fact, I remember my mentioning in the Derana Radio commentary that Sachin Tendulkar was dropped thrice off the bowling of Shahid Afridi - Pakistan skipper. In the battle of Mohali, it is true that Sachin played a 'scratchy' inning. We must not forget the fact, he batted till the 37th over to collect the highest score of the match. Further, he was adjudged the Man of the Match. In short after four lives to Tendulkar, Pakistan batted for India. I noticed that Sachin, found himself in 'tangles' against Afridi, Ajmal, Hafeez. Indian total 260 was mainly due to the generosity of Pakistanis in the field.

Pak-India encounter was like a final. It is a high tension match. India wanted two things to happen. Sachin Tendulkar's 106th century and Dhoni and his boys to win the high stakes quarter final. Till the 18th over, there was hope that both wishes would be fulfilled. When Tendulkar scored his 53rd run, he crossed the 18,000 run mark. India's 1.21 billion fans were delighted.

Tendulkar conceded that the final with Sri Lanka is the most important in his life. For the 37 year old Sachin there was a battle royal. He has virtually broke every record out there, only one missing. The crown of the World Cup. As this 2011 ICC final is the farewell match for him it will be sweet memory to be the winner of the 2011 World Cup. Of course, Sachin Tendulkar could not achieve his 100th international hundred, but won the World Cup in his home ground in Mumbai - Wankhede stadium.

Another great quality of this great cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, is that he is a disciplined, unassuming good human being. He is a good samaritan. Without much publicity, this gentleman cricketer Sachin, played a prominent role in raising funds for children suffering from cancer. Sachin's charming wife Dr Anjali Tendulkar is a paediatrician, she is the wind behind Sachin Tendulkar.

When Sachin Tendulkar arrived at Motera, Ahmedabad on March 24, 2011, he was on the verge of approaching a very rare milestone. So far, Tendulkar has 51 Tests, and 48 ODI hundreds in a career spanning 627 matches. Out of this, total 177 Tests and 450 ODIs. The mighty atom, has more than 14,000 runs in Tests and 45 behind 18,000 runs.

Motera has been a pet hunting ground for Sachin Tendulkar and it provided some unhappy memories too. It was in this ground Sachin completed his 20th international cricket in November 2009. Sri Lanka seamer, the boy from Matale, Chanaka Welagedera, spoiled the 'party' by getting Sachin Tendulkar for just 4 runs in the first innings. Sachin cannot fail twice. In the second essay, he scored a century. In 1999/2000, he scored his first double hundred at Motera.

Sachin Tendulkar played county cricket for Yorkshire and in 25 (twenty five) innings, scored 1,000 runs. He came up the ladder.

Tendulkar become the captain of India in 1996 over Ganguly for Sahen Cup against Pakistan in Toronto.

The greatest tribute to Sachin Tendulkar was paid by no lesser person than Sir Don Bradman. He said "Sachin, this little fellow bats the way I did."

He is one of the most sought after cricketers. The money never blew his brain. He had a very clean record, as a man of character and high integrity. Sachin Tendulkar is a legend in India as a cricketer. He excelled in Test as well as ODIs and at very young age he was known internationally. Indians consider Sachin Tendulkar as a cricketing god. It is interesting to note that an Indian newspaper in one of villages of Karnataka, during an Indian parliamentary elections, revealed that the villagers had never heard the name of the then Indian Prime Minister (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) but knew very well Sachin Tendulkar's name.