Lending a new definition to Indian batsmanship

DECEMBER 25: No player, past or present, has made the kind of impression Sachin Tendulkar has made on the Indian psyche. The reasons are n...

DECEMBER 25: No player, past or present, has made the kind of impression Sachin Tendulkar has made on the Indian psyche. The reasons are not far to find. The greatest Indian batsman before him, Sunil Gavaskar, tamed the fury of the fast bowlers and gave Indians a new image in international cricket.Kapil Dev succeeded in showing the world the Indians can be innovative, bold and aggressive and yet consistent.

Tendulkar has taken this heritage to greater heights. Here is a man who is correct, bold, has strokes which can rattle the best of bowlers and makes his runs at a breakneck speed.

On top of it he rarely fails. Tendulkar today is not only the best batsman of our times, he is rated among the finest of all times. If he can succeed more often under pressure and help India to a few more victories away from home, he could end up as the best batsman of all times after Gavaskar.

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His achievements are mind-boggling. Only 26, he has already played a decade of international cricket. His average is more than 50, he has pulverised all attacks on all wickets. He was the man to break the myth of Shane Warne’s invincibility, forcing the great bowler to say: “I get nightmares when I think of Tendulkar.”

Crowds flock to see him and wish he makes runs even though they may be supporting his opponents. He already is the most destructive one-day batsman, giving a new definition to the term pinch-hitter, ever since he decided to open against the New Zealanders in 1994 in Auckland.

There were worries over his fitness when he suffered a back-problem this year and if he does manage to remain fit and keep his interest in the game alive, there is every possibility that by the time he calls it a day, all the world records in batting could be his. Need one say more.

Tendulkar Factfile
Born: 24 April 1973, Mumbai
Major Teams: India, Yorkshire, Mumbai
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium
Test Debut: India vs Pakistan at Karachi, 1st Test, 1989-90
ODI Debut: India vs Pakistan at Gujranwala, 2nd ODI, 1989-90

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