Larger Than Life

No person representing India in whatever field, can put his or her personal interest prior to, and at loggerheads with, the cause of the nation, not even Sachin Tendulkar, "at his age, and after contributing so much to the game" of cricket. Those who are out to defend Sachin Tendulkar current "cold", "robotic" batsmanship, as the 'Wisden Cricketers' Almanac' puts it, on the grounds of his age and contribution to the game, seem to be under the spell of his once-murderous batting style. Such uncalled-for 'sympathising' actually belittles the Little Master's indubitable dedication towards the game in general and his country in particular. He may not be the entertainer that he used to be a few years back, or as Virender Sehwag is now, or as Vivian Richards continued to be throughout his career, but still the fact remains that Sachin Tendulkar is still an integral part of the Indian outfit. That he is no longer indispensable is not due to any shortcoming of his. Rather it is to the credit of the likes of the Gangulys, the Dravids, the Sehwags and the Kaifs that the Indian team has now become 'Team India', which is far from a one-man show. Slogans like 'Cricket is our religion and Sachin is our God' are better as literary exaggerations. There is no point in taking them literally. Whether or not he is, or will be, a legend, his 'fans' and 'well-wishers', and the 'experts' should remember that he is, actually, after all, a flesh-n-blood human.