It's been a while since Sachin Tendulkar took a call on his retirement. The entire nation continues to be in a trance marred by numbness, heartbreak and choked emotions. The idea of Tendulkar's 'permanent' absence has already given jitters and caused sleepless nights to those who have witnessed the genius create magic for a quarter of a century. And as his glorified path approaches it's end, the entire cricket fraternity readies itself to live through the last two pages of the 'Tendulkar' chapter.
The concept of cricket without Tendulkar evokes an awkward pause along with a mental blackout. It sometimes becomes even more abstruse than imagining Paris without The Eiffel Tower. An entire generation has grown up with him. Over a span of two decades, boys have grown into men and men have moved into the grey zone of age. In a rapidly changing dynamic, Tendulkar has remained the only constant.
No one has entertained the masses quite like Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. His demigod status in India escalated him to a man with mythic proportions. He has been worshipped in temples, had letters written to him in blood and carried the weight of an entire nation. A Tendulkar innings has brought as much joy to business executives as it has to the core society. There was a reason if a barber's clip stopped clanking as his eyes got glued to the TV screen or a train got delayed (according to late Peter Roebuck) when Tendulkar neared a century.
For 25 years, an entire nation has admired Tendulkar, cheered for him and believed in him. In March 1994 when a major part of India was asleep, Tendulkar went bonkers in Auckland, giving Danny Morrison and Gavin Larsen a lesson in batting. A 49-ball 82, and next morning everyone woke up to news of one of the greatest ODI innings ever played. Two years later, a set of Indians currently in the mid-20s was beginning school, when they would hear the elderly lot of their family say "Tendulkar would win us the World Cup this year". Confused, they would indulge themselves into a tiff to swap channels and watch cartoons. With absolutely no clue what was happening at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium in a match between India and Kenya, they saw their kith and kin rejoice as Tendulkar registered his first World Cup hundred.
Chaminda Vaas, Kumar Dharmasena and Mutthiah Muralitharan all got whacked as Tendulkar lit up India's capital at the Feroze Shah Kotla stadium. But India lost, Tendulkar's first World Cup century went in vain. Amid an air of sadness, Indians were introduced to a man who in the years to come would become one of their biggest sources of joy. Kids would acquire the parking lot of their apartments to play, imitate his stance, sometimes even crouch like him and try to speak in Tendulkar's distinct voice - much to the amusement of the onlookers. In short, before any coaching academy, Tendulkar helped instill the element of batting in many youngsters.
Two years to the new millennium and many were scratching their heads trying to learn the fundamentals of the decimal system in a math class. Tendulkar, meanwhile, continued to bat and single-handedly won India the Coca-Cola cup in Sharjah. Two back-to-back hundreds and an over-the-moon Tony Greig generating thrill with his commentary. The world witnessed a 'Desert Storm'. A heartbreak in Chennai and the tragic loss of his father during the '99 World Cup. Yet he was still there, obsessed with his craft. In Nairobi 2000, he derailed Glenn McGrath with a never-seen-before assault, and produced a World Cup moment dispatching Shoaib Akhtar into the stands during the 2003 edition.
Tendulkar has evolved perfectly with time. In fact, he has niched out an entire career reinventing himself. A swashbuckling Tendulkar of the 90s transformed into a more crafted and a more determined Tendulkar who would pile up runs and at the same time entertain thousands in the stadium. The fierce cuts came down but the deft paddle sweeps got added to his repertoire. He wouldn't step down the wicket too often but would not let even a single ball on middle-leg go unpunished. He won't pull or hook with the same intensity but would upper-cut at ease. At times, he would even push himself down the order and still average 38.84 in 61 games. His 200* came in his 442nd ODI, a point where batsmen think of a life beyond cricket. Purely through the force of will, he has conquered and blazed through.
Tendulkar and the Indian emotion go hand-in-hand. Whenever Sachin has played well, India has slept well. A humongous roar signalled his entry into the middle and his dismissal would result in television sets being switched off. People at work carefully pressed Alt+Tab to switch between windows and keep an eye on Tendulkar. He played and played; and from a 16-year-old prodigy, eventually became India's most loved man. As many say, Tendulkar has become a habit for Indians, which they will find difficult to let go.
Gifting India countless memories to cherish, the 'Once In a Lifetime' cricketer has intended to call it a day. Means he has freed us all from the Tendulkar affect. Means we no longer have to associate our emotions with him; means there will no longer be an eruption of joy at the fall of India's second wicket; means following cricket might as well be edited off as hobby from many CVs.
When that moment finally arrives on November 18, an emptiness would descend upon many a hearts. But rest assured, the game will move on, Sachin would move on and so will a billion people. But not before they've had savoured each and every moment of his last two outings and bid him adieu with a smile and a tear rolling down the cheek.
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