‘What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:’ Psalm 8: 4-6
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat more can be added to the pages and pages that have been written on Sachin Tendulkar and more will be written in the days and years to come.
But then again how often do opportunities come in sporting history, when one can add one’s thoughts to a special moment in time.
This day (16 November 2013) will be a red letter day in the hearts of cricket lovers and Sachin fans. I don’t fall into any of these two categories so there should be a third for those who just admire Sachin, the mortal.
Yes, a mortal who became a God. A God of cricket to his fans.Over the roar of a billion thank you’s and the sound of cameras capturing a million images and tapes that recorded him from every angle, forever imprinting his minutest move ,the twitch of a muscle, and expressions that immediately set off a thousand million speculations of his thoughts …what shone through all of this myriad activities as Sachin left the ground was the larger than life sensation of a true mortal, fashioned after God’s own heart.
His greatness was in his humility.
The day may have signalled the end of an era in cricket but it also echoed the frailty of man but not a spirit like Sachin. One man through steadfast focus on his dream and sheer hardwork and passion for 24 years, united a billion hearts across the world without malice or prejudice, envy or criticism. That is truly an achievement unlikely to be repeated in one’s life span by any other.
There may be many batsmen that will come but not another phenomenon like Sachin.
Admiration and adulation poured out from the hearts of his fans, celebrities and cricket commentators. Many wore a teary eyed stare at the Wankhede Stadium as Sachin took final bow. Tears of gratefulness for all the joy and entertainment he provided his fans, tears because this was a farewell to someone moments before he crossed into the age of the legends.
The headlines will scream that ‘its all over’ but on the contrary for a man like Sachin the best is yet to come. How can that not be?
The warmth of the farewell that embraced him is unlikely to grace any sports star for a long time coming.He is on record when in reply to what his next milestone would be after his 100th century he simply said ‘I don’t play for milestones, I play for India’. With or without cricket and off the cricket pitch, India can still rest assured that she has a true son in Sachin. A son who has taught a nation not to give up her dreams.
He did not and achieved it.
‘The dream I did not give up, I worked for it.’
-Sachin Tendulkar.
