100 100s

Another Sachin Tendulkar stat to show how exceptional it has all been

There was a year and 33 innings between Sachin Tendulkars 99th and 100th international centuries. When it came on Friday,it was amid some of the most sustained criticism Tendulkar has ever faced in his exceptional career: it didnt come when it was needed like in Australia; it slowed down the game; it prefaced a defeat against ordinary opposition in Bangladesh against whom hed never scored a century. Not just that,even in its run-up, there were calls for his retirement,especially since contemporary Rahul Dravid had hung up his boots. When Tendulkar said he would miss Dravid in the dressing room,there were many who sneered that he was merely hanging on. The success of players like Virat Kohli at a time when Tendulkar found it hard to score only emboldened critics who said it may be time for him to make way for younger cricketers.

Such criticism may have some basis to it but its only part of the story. It ignores the fact that this century marks an achievement that probably will never be matched in the future of the game. Ricky Ponting,second on the all-time century list,is 29 centuries behind.

Of course,Tendulkar didnt need one more century to burnish his credentials. But he needed it,in the last lap of his career,if only to prove to himself that he could get one more century. Thats a small thing for a cricketer so big but it goes to show the mettle of his excellence and commitment. At a time when heroes are created and almost simultaneously crucified,Sachin Tendulkar stands for enduring excellence and integrity. He bears the pressure of being all things to a billion people with grace and humility. The 100th hundred,therefore,is an occasion to be grateful for his gift and his game.