{"id":10552,"date":"2011-01-13T17:29:59","date_gmt":"2011-01-13T17:29:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/drishtikone\/2011\/01\/sachin-tendulkar-why-he-god-cricket\/"},"modified":"2011-01-13T17:29:59","modified_gmt":"2011-01-13T17:29:59","slug":"sachin-tendulkar-why-he-god-cricket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/drishtikone\/2011\/01\/sachin-tendulkar-why-he-god-cricket\/","title":{"rendered":"Sachin Tendulkar – Why he is the God of Cricket!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"Sachin.jpg\"<\/a>There was a time in India in early 1990s when Nirma detergents had suddenly took over the nation. The incumbent soaps and detergents leader Hindustan Lever was suddenly beaten up. And at that time, the business news pundits were proclaiming \u2013 \u201cNirma has beaten HLL\u201d. That left me wondering. Hindustan Lever Ltd. (or HLL as it is popularly known) \u2013 was the main Consumer Products leader in India for almost 100 years. Nirma has hit it on a low cost detergent flank and made itself a success. But that was because HLL wasn\u2019t looking at that time.<\/p>\n

But HLL was \u201cTHE HLL\u201d for 100 years. Nirma was \u201cthe Nirma\u201d for just 10 months! To say that the latter had beaten the former was nonsensical. It is one thing to be great for an year. It\u2019s quite another to be great for 20 years.<\/p>\n

Sachin Tendulkar\u2019s greatness should be viewed in this light. It is not easy to bear the burden of stardom in India. Specially in cricket. Because cricket is a defacto non-denominational Religion for Indians. We live and die by it. We cry and rejoice together. Any star player is put on a pedestal and brought to the ground very quickly. Ask Saurav Ganguly. While a new left hand batsman Gautam Gambhir, got the highest bid in the new IPL series worth millions, the quintessential \u201cGod\u201d of left hand batting and on the Off-side \u2013 Saurav Ganguly didn\u2019t even get picked up by any team!<\/p>\n

Sachin, however, is different. Even after 21 years of being in business at the highest level and being the best in the business that the world has known\u2026 he still is there. Like an Energizer bunny. He keeps going on.. and on.. and on! He has thrashed several generations of bowlers of the same nation \u2013 for example, from Pakistan \u2013 he has given nightmares to Abdul Qadir, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis.. then to Shoaib Akhtar and now to the new generation of their bowlers.<\/p>\n

Recently, facebook saw this interesting quote going around \u2013 attributed to the Time Magazine. It probably is not from the Time. But it does a great job of summarizing the greatness of Sachin \u201cthe God of Cricket\u201d! By linking his entry to the events and personalities around at that time to those today, the quote shows his longevity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Sachin Tendulkar traveled to Pakistan to face one of the finest bowling attacks ever assembled in cricket, Michael Schumacher was yet to race a F1 car, Lance Armstrong had never been to the Tour de France, Diego Maradona was still the captain of a world champion Argentina team, Pete Sampras had never won a Grand Slam.<\/p>\n

When Tendulkar embarked on a glorious career taming Imran and company, Roger Federer was a name unheard of; Lionel Messi was in his nappies, Usain Bolt was an unknown kid in the Jamaican backwaters. The Berlin Wall was still intact, USSR was one big, big country, Dr Manmohan Singh was yet to \u201copen\u201d the Nehruvian economy. It seems while Time was having his toll on every individual on the face of this planet, he excused one man. Time stands frozen in front of Sachin Tendulkar. We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never will.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mind you, Tendulkar, cannot just be evaluated on his longevity in cricket \u2013 which is India is no easy task \u2013 but on his devastating presence for such a long time.<\/p>\n

Sachin has been compared to Don Bradman, the best batsman of all times. But then Bradman was \u201cthe Bradman\u201d for a few years. And worked with very little pressure \u2013 almost none compared to what Tendulkar goes through. And he played and excelled in only one form of cricket. Sachin has been the master at every form and at every level!<\/p>\n

Game is one dimension of the pressure. Money and business \u2013 and the betting that goes on with it (which did affect Sachin and his other team members, as he admitted recently<\/a>) \u2013 is the other aspect. And a BIG aspect at that. Any lesser person would have been hurt badly.<\/p>\n

But as the lore goes in the betting circles \u2013 that money is not put on the game until Sachin is playing for he is \u201cunpurchaseable\u201d. Rest everyone is. He also recently turned down the adverting offer for an alcohol brand<\/a> \u2013 a fat one at that \u2013 based on ethics!<\/p>\n

Integrity, Longevity, Aggression, Amiability, Quality and basic humanity is a difficult combination. In fact in today\u2019s sports \u2013 an IMPOSSIBLE ONE. That is the greatness of Sachin!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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