Nov 19, 2014 08:02 PM
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(Updated Nov 20, 2014 06:54 PM)
Sachin Tendulkar is a cult icon in the annals of Indian sports history.Perhaps it would be wrong to bracket him just in the category of sports because his impact exceeds far beyond cricket as he is a national hero, who got equated to a GOD in India. There are people out there who might not know their own grandfather's name, but name SACHIN and you might find an instant smile on their faces indicating that they know this man who strode like a colossus on the cricket field shattering every possible record. When Tendulkar announced his autobiography, the joy of his fans knew no bounds. This was the chance to get closer to the life of their God!
Sachin's cricketing accomplishments as well as some parts of his life have been dissected to pin point detail and some might argue that there might not be anything more to know about him, but just the fact that the story is coming from the man himself makes it a momentous book to read.Co-written with cricket historian Boria Majumdar, the autobiography promised a lot. The book begins in right earnest with the philosophical words of Ramesh Tendulkar, Sachin's father who had exhorted his son to be a good human being first. Infact the first paragraph is the perfect beginning to the book, setting up things nicely for the master to start his innings on paper.
Sachin recounts his childhood and it is good to read a few unknown things about his early years, love for food, the pranks he played on others and how he was drawn to the game of cricket. As he writes about the struggles he had to endure while learning the game, it makes one remember the adage "Rome was not built in a day". Yes, Sachin was immensely gifted, but without the years of practice and the right guidance, he would have ended up as just another cricketer.But just when things were warming up nicely, it feels like he rushes through the initial stages of his life as he quickly jumps to his international debut right at page 33! It is possible that he might not be remembering most of his early years, but the reader would not have minded a few more pages.
Once Sachin starts writing about his international appearances, it feels more like a statistics book. He hardly ever tries to deconstruct his best batting displays and is more content to provide the runs scored, balls faced and boundaries hit; information which people can get easily in cricinfo website! The writing is pretty sloppy and inconsistent. Sachin was a genius with the bat and the same thing cannot be expected of his writing, but the presence of Boria should have made the writing or narration a lot better.
The chapter about Sachin's wife Anjali is one of the best in the book and it is truly heartwarming to read about the maestro's love story.It is said that behind every successful man, there is a woman and it perfectly holds true here.It just makes one realise that without the support of family, Sachin would not have been the God that he is today. He also writes how tough being a Tendulkar is and one can only empathise with the man and his family. The Indian public can be very volatile, one day you are a hero and the next day you suddenly become a villain with one bad performance and this chasm has been well brought out in the book. I found the relationship of Sachin with his wife and children particularly endearing. When he writes of his personal life, one can make out that it is coming straight from the heart and they are some of the best moments in the book.
Sachin is particularly hurt about his two captaincy tenures, but he is diplomatic about it never once pointing fingers at any individuals.But it would have been more prudent if he had written more about the tactics that he employed. Also, when he describes his batting performances, cricket aficionados would have loved a more analytical Tendulkar than a mere narrator.It would have an unmatchable experience to read the dissection of his game and technique from the master himself, but that's not the case though he does open up a bit in some places and it is truly an education to read about the finer aspects of his game.
One big disappointment is his complete silence on the match fixing issue. Though it is in the courts, one would have expected Sachin to express his views on the topic which would have gone a long way in creating good awareness about it on young minds who would already be reading this special book.As he turns his gaze to the later part of his career, his battle with injuries is very well written and this is one area which would inspire a lot of readers. It is stunning to see the passion and the love of the game that the genius has as he writes about how tough the battle was and how he overcame the grueling challenges. When Tendulkar, the aggressor changed his game to be an accumulator, there was wide criticism about it, but Sachin has ignored to write about this change of game plan which would have been very interesting.
There are very few controversial things that Tendulkar writes about, but he is particularly scathing in his criticism of Greg Chappell. Negative things aside, India did produce good results under him and why he chose to turn a blind eye on those good results is a mystery. The 194 declaration was keenly awaited and Sachin minces no words to express deep disappointment about the then captain Rahul Dravid's intentions.It appears from the outset that these two legendary team mates shared quite a frosty on-off relationship.Being in the team for close to 25 years, the reader would have expected some more pages on the team camaraderie, the dressing room atmosphere, his friendships with fellow players and the like and this is one thing that Tendulkar should have thought about. There are quite a lot of unseen Tendulkar photographs in the book and all in all, they do provide a wholesome feeling to the awesome story of this man.
For an avid cricket fan, most of the innings and matches that Sachin describes invokes a sense of nostalgia and makes one miss the sight of the master blaster wielding his willow and tonking the best bowlers to all parts of the ground. At one point of time, it feels like Sachin's journey is our own and his pain, his victories, his records are ours too and to that extent, the book succeeds brilliantly in involving the reader.Perhaps, many reading the book would be interested in knowing how he could handle the burden of expectations of a billion plus population. If he had let out that secret, it could have been a psychological case study. The mind mapping of Sachin Tendulkar can be an engrossing story on its own!
One more highlight in the book is the 2011 world cup win and many would be emotional reading about it. Despite the plethora of records, Sachin treasures the world cup win as the best moment of his career and rightly so.There is also a good description of the way India climbed to the top spot in tests and one can feel the excitement that the man shows for this achievement.One entire chapter is dedicated to his quest for the 100th hundred and that one year was particularly frustrating for Sachin fans as he came so near on numerous occasions, but missed out. When he reached that milestone, a gamut of emotions was on display in the nation and it is very well brought out.But yet again, he misses out on mentioning the period when he was frequently getting out in the 90's and his views on that.
All good things must come to an end and Sachin manages to bring on a fitting finale to the book as well. The last few chapters, especially "Winding down" and "The final test" are particularly worth mentioning for they bring in varied emotions and it is hard to not let a tear drop by. For 24 years, he carried the hopes and aspirations of a country with utter distinction.It was the time for the final swansong and the way he describes the last few days of his cricketing journey is extremely touching and worth re-reading.His farewell speech that moved the entire cricketing world is also included in the end and there could not have been a better ending to this autobiography of a man worshipped as a God, a man who gave uninterrupted JOY to a cricket mad nation.
As pointed out earlier, it is not an autobiography without blemishes. It could have been a lot better giving a more fulfilling experience. If you are interested more in his exploits on the cricket field, watch videos of his best innings' because the writing in the book cannot capture the brilliance and the ecstasy of those unforgettable knocks. It is a story well known, but just the feeling of reading the story in the master's own words is an indescribable feeling. It is an absorbing tale which is very unique too because it is a dream story, the ones which have the perfect beginning and the perfect ending with lots of high points in between.Negative things aside, it is a must read for people of all age groups.The way the story progresses from a middle class background to an elite one, the passion on display, the struggles faced all along and the way they were overcome is a stuff of legends and remarkably inspiring to say the least. We were lucky enough to watch the ingenious stroke play and the sheer class of Sachin Tendulkar and to be a part of his incredible journey. To be able to read the exceptional story of his is surely the cherry on top of the cake. Catch hold of the book soon for it will hold a special place in your book shelves. This is no ordinary work, this is the BIBLE of cricket!
