39 and counting!

There have been times when other batsmen have shone more brightly. In a series against England it was Vinod Kambli who outscored Sachin Tendulkar; at other times Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly have done much better; in the last series against Pakistan in Pakistan it was Virender Sehwag who hogged the limelight. But Sachin is like the sun, there might be clouds or an occasional eclipse but everyone is aware of his power and presence.

by REPORTER@DAYAFTERINDIA.COM

It was a small matter but of significant importance to those who are destined to make history. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar had scored more centuries in Tests than any other batsman; he is also on the heels of the highest run getter in Test history and yet there was that small niggling matter that needed to be attended to. He had been to Australia thrice before the current one but his record at Adelaide, the home ground of Sir Don Bradman, was nothing to write home about. None of his earlier visits to the batting crease had resulted in any worthwhile score.

The curator of the ground said that the pitch was perfect for batting on the first three days and exhorted him to produce a special century, a century that he could cherish for the rest of his life. Sachin Tendulkar responded and how! The master demonstrated his skills and the vast repertoire and gears that he has at his command. In the process he hit another century and looked good for a double when a freak shot hit the inner part of his knee and the resultant break disrupted his focus. However, by then the flaw of not having scored a century at Adelaide had been sorted and appropriately at the end of the day he dedicated it to Sir Don Bradman.

Incidentally, the Adelaide century was the maestro’s 39th and the second on this tour. Both are significant as he had missed a number of centuries, both in the Tests and the ODIs, last year. Tongues had immediately begun to wag. They thought they had seen a chink in his armour; he was getting nervous in his nineties! The critics, ever in a hurry to bring the great down to earth had already begun to say that we were now witnessing the sun set. The fire works of the impetuous in the latest version of the game had convinced them to look for heroes in new directions forgetting that legends like Tendulkar do not play to the tune of others. They create their own notes and symphony and play them at will. Sachin Tendulkar was no exception.

Even more significant was another development, off the ground, that assumed greater significance because of what had marred the tour a few weeks ago. The racism controversy involving Harbhajan Singh had created a situation where it was feared that the cricket might lead to a diplomatic row. The on field behavior of the some Australian players including their captain Ricky Ponting, a hero in his own right in his country, had led some to chastise their own team but many more had rallied behind their team and it was feared that the Indians might suffer at the hands of the Aussie spectators. But the sight of Tendulkar changed everything.

The role of Tendulkar and his interpretation of what had happened and what was said had much to do with it. This apparent irony only demonstrates the difference in sporting culture in India and Australia. Sachin Tendulkar is a champion not just because of his exploits on the field on every cricketing ground of the world, thus amply proving his mastery over various conditions, but also because in his long illustrious career he has remained beyond controversies and therefore a role model for all who love sport.