How do you describe him. I think we should simply shut up and accede that there are no words that befit him. Not often does someone make language poor, stand taller than all adjectives put together, be more worthy than all laurels. His stature exposes the poverty of expression in pen and paper. One can only marvel mutely at such beings.
Very few players lift viewers out of the realms of a match. Very few players transcend from the field into your personal being. Very few players make you endorse your soul to them.
As mere mortals we are left to peck at numbers to define the greatness of this man and that is a rather easy assignment. Glorious testaments to his skill and talent are abundantly evident in numbers and statistics. But how does one encapsulate his passion, his drive, his single-minded devotion, his longevity, his self belief, earthiness and how do we explain our adulation towards him ?
Whom do idols like him idolize in order to keep going ? From where does this man get his ceaseless inspiration ? 20 years running why is this man still fun to watch, and why does he still play like it was the only thing he can do in life ? How do we determine the cause of our own refusal to exorcise ourselves from the spell that this man has held us under ? How do we quantize this man's contribution in making Cricket a de facto religion for millions upon millions ? How do we put a specification on the amount of respect he commands from mates and foes alike ? How do you put dimension on his popularity, star value, likeability, humility, dignity ?
On 9 days out of 10, the site-search engine on Cricinfo.com will have a pre-populated link for him. So frequently does he get 'hit' on Cricinfo that one doesn't even have to type his name, they make it easier for you open this man up on your screen.
If Cricket were to mint a symbolic coin with a batsman's image on one side and a bowler's on the other, I am sure the face of batting on the coin would be that of this little man from Mumbai. Of course, by virtue of his customary graciousness - despite the overwhelming favor on his side - he will step aside to allow Sir Don Bradman's to be minted will be another story.
The latest decoration on this mans chest is the record of the highest individual score in a one day international.
With the 200 runs he scored in the Gwalior one day international, he has distanced himself even more from the rest. Distanced so far ahead that to refer to his cricketing contemporaries as 'followers' or 'challengers' gives comic sound to it. One who is unpursuable can only have devotees, not followers.
The more you think of it, the more you are convinced that he is something else trapped in a human body. How can so many right things converge into a single human, and conversely, how can a single human do so many right things ?
Sachin Tendulkar is an experience, and lets leave it at that.
I'm sure you've already received this in a mass mail from somewhere:
सुखकर्ता दुःखहर्ता वार्ता आनंदाची !
अविस्मरणीय खेळी तुझी द्विशतकाची !
सर्वांगी सुंदर उधळण चौकारांची !
आकाशी झळके माळ उत्तुंग षटकारांची !
जय देव जय देव जय तेंडुलकरा !
तुझ्या चरणी माझा मानाचा मुजरा !
जय देव जय देव ..
१४७ चेंडू खेळपट्टी वरी उभा !
सर्व गोलंदाजांची दिसे दिव्य शोभा !
मदतीला कार्तिक पठाण धोनी आले गा !
धावांचा डोंगर उभा राहिला बघा !
जय देव जय देव जय तेंडुलकरा !
तुझ्या चरणी माझा मानाचा मुजरा !
जय देव जय देव ..
दुमदुमले मैदान झाला जल्लोष !
थरथरला गोलंदाज मानिला खेद !
कडाडली बॅट चेन्डुचा शिरच्छेद !
असामान्य अद्भुत शक्तिचा शोध !
जय देव जय देव जय तेंडुलकरा !
तुझ्या चरणी माझा मानाचा मुजरा !
जय देव जय देव..
घालीन लोटांगण वन्दिन चरणं !
डोळ्याने पाहिले द्विशतक तुझे !
पोस्टर लावूनि, आनंदे पुजिन !
भावे ओवाळीन, "सचिन" नामा !
त्वमेव ब्रॅडमन, बॉर्डर त्वमेव !
त्वमेव गावसकर, लारा त्वमेव !
त्वमेव फलंदाज, गोलंदाज त्वमेव !
त्वमेव क्षेत्ररक्षक, ऑलराउन्डर त्वमेव !
गुड लेन्थ टाकले, यॉर्कर टाकले !
बाउन्सर टाकले , व्यर्थ सारे !
ड्राइव्स तू मारले, पुल तू मारले !
फ्लिक्स तू मारले, सार्थ सारे !
हरे सचिन, हरे सचिन, सचिन सचिन हरे हरे
हरे तेंडुलकर, हरे तेंडुलकर, तेंडुलकर हरे हरे !!
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