The footwork was nil. The deliveries
which he once handsomely charged down
and dispatched into the stands as per his
will knocked his stumps. The bowlers who
once feared bowling to him, bowled
longer spells, knowing that there’s a
chance of getting him out. And to top it
all there was endless debate on whether
it was time for the master to call it a day.
But Tendulkar, the legend, still didn’t
deliver.
When the Little Master hit his 100th ton
against Bangladesh earlier this year, the
century came as a huge relief for the
batsman and for his fans who wanted him
to overcome the pressure cooker
scenario. The ton wasn’t a convincing
one, but keeping in mind the tough phase
he was going through, we all were happy
that it was finally over. The history books
were re-written, the media went gaga,
and it seemed that the 38-year-old will
soon be back to business.
That wasn’t the case and the batting
stalwart’s highest score for this year was
80, with just two half-centuries to his
name.
In an interesting interview soon after
scoring the hundredth ton, Tendulkar said
one should not retire when at peak, as
it’s a “selfish thought”. There are things
which one regrets having said in the past,
and the particular statement must be one
of them for Sachin, as since then, he
hasn’t managed to reach the top of his
game. It goes without saying that the
cricket fraternity would obviously want
him to leave on a high note.
And it wasn’t just Tendulkar. The entire
Indian team disappointed the cricket fans
with their dismal performances
throughout the year. Following
humiliating losses in Australia and
England, the Indian batting order became
even more fragile post Dravid and
Laxman’s retirements. This added extra
responsibility on Tendulkar’s shoulders.
But for some reasons, Tendulkar’s bat
failed to produce the kind of innings
which we had all got used to over the last
23 years.
As a Tendulkar fan, what was even more
painful to see, was his approach. From
Aaron Phangiso, to Monty Panesar,
everybody went into a never-ending
celebration after disturbing Tendulkar’s
bails. His wicket continues to be a prized
possession for the bowlers, but in reality
we know, in 2012, he didn’t put a price
on his wicket and it was just a matter of
time before he was dismissed.
The batting genius never showed the
intent to counter-attack. On most of the
occasions he was caught inside the crease,
something we rarely see from him.
Tendulkar’s on field presence has hardly
threatened the bowlers this year. The
century scored against Bangladesh
remained to be the only one for
Tendulkar by the end of the England
series. In the 9 matches he played in
2012, he scored 357 runs with a below
par average of 23.80.
India will appear in Tests not before
February next year, when the Australians
arrive in India and we would be haunted
with the memories of the series ‘Down
Under’. Playing against the Aussies has
been something Tendulkar has cherished
throughout the career as it brings the
best out of him. Hopefully, the legend
will call it a day then, which would be a
fitting end to a glorious career.
Sooner or later if he keeps playing,
Tendulkar might gain form once again, but
it’s respect which has been deteriorating
for the legend. It is almost the end of the
calendar year, and Tendulkar finds himself
in a similar phase he somehow overcame
at the beginning of this year – a pressure
cooker scenario.
Some of the best batsmen of modern era-
Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Ricky
Ponting drew curtains to their glittering
careers in 2012. While Tendulkar’s
retirement is surely round the corner, the
champion batsman should make efforts to
leave on a high, as no one would
remember what he said after scoring that
century of centuries.
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