I still remember the 82 Sachin made as a opener. The match was played in New Zealand and when I woke up early, it was announced that Sidhu was out of the match with the injury. New Zealand did not make a big score on a that pitch helped the swing bowlers a lot. At the break, I was thinking that if we lose early wickets, we are in for yet another typical Indian batting in NZ.
Come Sachin as an opener for the first time. Boy, that was probably the best thing to happen for Indian cricket in a long time then (or was it for mankind since sliced bread). Before you could think what next, Sachin was blazing. Anyone who came to bowl, was in trouble. The fielders did not have to move, and the bowlers had no clue. A well set Sachin was in for a blazing century but fell short of it, and if i remember correctly, a pretty soft dismissal.
I am sure that many people watching that match felt that here was an opener who will change the game for sometime to come. In fact, I hoped to see more injuries for other openers, so that Sachin can become a permanant fixture at the top.
A few years down the line, the desert storm happened. No one in their right minds would have given India a chance to the reach finals. Fortunately, Sachin that day did not belong to the group with "right mind" and blasted a beautiful century, the sand storm break doing little to break his momentum. That day, one witnessed two storms - the sand storm and the bat storm. He repeated the feat in the finals to win the cup for India.
Many dreams followed, keeping people like me entertained, cheering for India, switching off the tv after he got out, marvelling at his bowling (sometimes frustrated that he was not bowling enough), despair at his captaincy and tenacity at keeping himself fit at his age to play 5 days of cricket.
It was not an easy journey for a fan like me. There were times when it pained to see Sachin dismissed by lesser bowlers or getting bowled repeatedly. It was frustrating to see him getting out to bowlers who he would dismissed with nonchalance at his peak. I truly felt that he should retire, rather than being reduced to a mortal by the bowlers on the field.. It was past his time, may be, i thought.
For over 20 years he brought cheer to fans like me, despite several big and small issues in the country and in our respective lives. He made us forget all that for some time. For all the achievements, what made him stand out was his humility. The mark of a truly great man. God Bless you, Sachin.
