Jan 24, 2003 02:55 PM
1862 Views
(Updated Aug 12, 2004 02:12 PM)
Legends are born, not made! If for no other reason, Sachin Tendulkar's birth was perhaps just to prove this saying wrong! That he is a talented player is beyond doubt, but that he is a hardworking soul is a truth beyond doubt! Tendulkar, in an era when most players seem to be content to be themselves, is a picture of a guy continuously trying to improve himself! He may no longer be the swash-buckling kid of yesteryears, but then today he has a reputation to defend and a team to protect! He has made his way to the top of charts on sheer determination and hard work! He might not have the natural brilliance of Inzamam or Lara, but he has something which neither of those two have! genius not applied is a criminal waste! So perhaps where God let others go a shade better than Tendulkar, he more than made up for with an untiring body! warne has made some big names look like idiots, simply because they were too arrogant to acknowledge warne's skills! But not Tendulkar! That he had practised for months to counter Warne pitching the balls outside the leg-stump, is now a part of cricketing folklore! Tendulkar does not have the elegance of Azhar, Mark Waugh or Carl Hooper! nor does he have the silken touch of Inzamam or Lara! But when the little man has a willow in his hand, he is not the most respected name for nothing! The impressive part of his career has been his consistency! And when 64 centuries dont qualify you as the best batsman, nothing can! with averages of almost 58 and 44 in Tests and one-dayers respectively, this man is nothing short of a phenomenon!
That he has been at times guilty of putting his own self before the team, is the sad part of his career! But in an age where being ungrateful is the only constant attribute of fans, why blame him?
for my money Tendulkar is definitely not the most talented bat even among his contemporaries! But he is still the best batsman the game has seen in a long time, simply because of his achievements! Being talented is a step towards success, achievements a measure of success! And for all the money in this world, if any batsman in the world can stake a claim for the coveted tag of the best batsman in the world, this man can!
