Idle Thoughts

Tendulkar failed in three consecutive innings in tests. Worse still, he was bowled in all of the three dismissals. So it is that time of the year when some of us dig out the obituary that we had ready but had forgotten for a while, dust it, update it to reflect the latest dates and numbers and hang it out for all to see. The age has finally caught up with him, we love to write. If there is something more incredible than the number of centuries that Tendulkar has scored, it is the number of times that the age has ‘finally’ caught up with him! He says he still loves the game. But we are sure it must be the Ad money and the pressure from his contracts. If money is what keeps us going, why should his case be different? I have not held any record other than the college lab records but that is beside the point. I am sure his motivation works the same way as mine. By staying on, he is preventing young talent from coming up, you see? You might argue that players like him in fact hav...

Frustrated Sachin approached Chappell These days I am not sure if I can fully rely on the reports that I see on news sites. Right now I am asking myself if I should blindly believe the piece on Tendulkar and Chappell on timeofindia online site or if I should take it as a joke and laugh at it. The report that I am talking about is on the new book called "Fierce Focus" by Greg Chappell. According to the report, Chappell found Tendulkar surprisingly fragile. "At one point early in my time with the (Indian) team ... he came and talked to me for about two hours," writes Chappell. If that itself is not a definite proof of mental fragility, Chappell offers  more. "He was frustrated with his form and racked with self-doubt. Since he'd come back in Malaysia   (in a one-day tournament in 2006), Sachin's mental state had been surprisingly fragile and he came to me for help. ” Most cricketers go through lean patches and it is not surprising if they get f...

Sachin Tendulkar completed 20 years in international cricket. In some aspects, it appears that Sachin is in a zone where time has stood still. Before his debut for India, he was asked in an interview about his ambitions. “I want to play for my country, sir” the boy replied. Not an unexpected answer at all in the context. Some twenty years later, in another interview, Sachin talked about his ambitions - He wanted to play for the country. I heard the same passion, the same determination that I heard 20 years back. Even the voice hadn’t changed! The same goes for the fans attitude as well. I remember watching matches where India was hopelessly staring at defeat: sitting at the edge of my seat, heart in my mouth only because Sachin was around there slaying demons. Anything was possible when he was around. I went through the same experience again last week when India played Australia in Hyderabad, chasing some 350 runs – watching Sachin trying to make the impossible possible. Nothing seems...