Sachin Tendulkar turns 50: The lessons millennials learnt from cricket’s superhero
We already saw the best with Sachin Tendulkar, what could be better?
Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar interacts with media at an event ahead of his 50th birthday, in Mumbai. (PTI) We all love watching superheroes on the big screen. Their spirit, dedication, effort and grace are something we all aspire for. Well, I guess I was lucky then because I grew up watching a real-life superhero and his name was Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Today, on April 24, 2023, Sachin turns 50. On April 22, his “desert storm” innings in Sharjah completed 25 years. I, like many others of my generation, was glued to the tv screen back in 1998 forming a core memory as Tony Greig went wild on the commentary, watching Sachin obliterate the Australian bowling attack. Those two innings are truly our “where were you when?” moment (Even though most of us were probably home, given we were in our tweens or teens).
Now, I know we millennials are continuously harping on about how we had the best tv shows, movies, ads, and colas in the ’90s, but trust me when I say this: we honestly had the best cricketing icon we could ask for. He gave us memorable cricketing moments and memories, but there was also so much more that we learnt from him.
From Sachin, we learnt that physicality and looks aren’t everything. Straight off the bat (pun fully intended) watching Sachin made us feel like we too could be as good, given his modest physical attributes. He wasn’t tall or muscular like the West Indian cricketers, his curly unkempt hair was a departure from the wavy, silken locks of some Pakistani players, and though by no means overweight — Sachin was, let’s say, a little round around the edges. This was a huge factor for a pudgy teen like me watching. And of course, there was that high-pitched voice, a perennial go-to for mimicry artists. All these things gave Sachin an underdog quality despite him being the absolute best. He could’ve carried himself with rockstar confidence (a la Viv Richards or Krishnamachari Srikkanth), but instead what we got was the demeanour of a humble Maharashtrian boy.
From Sachin, we learnt poise. I remember the then-Pakistan captain Wasim Akram saying in an interview with Simi Garewal that Sachin was always the prize wicket. Once they got him, the rest of the team followed. With the expectations of a billion people riding on him, it would not have been unlikely to see Sachin lose his cool or at least show signs of pressure. But he was always composed, calm and up for a challenge. In a Bangalore Test match in 2001 (England vs India), when England captain Nasser Hussain urged the spinner Ashley Giles to bowl a negative line outside the leg stump to frustrate him, Sachin still went on to score a solid 90 runs off 198 deliveries, not once heckling at the bowler.
Sachin taught us how to gel with different dance partners. Whether it was opening the innings with Sourav and Sehwag, or batting the middle order with Azhar, Dravid, and Jadeja, he adapted his game accordingly, knowing when to step up and when to hold the fort.
From Sachin, we learnt resilience. During the group stage of the 1999 ODI World Cup, he got the tragic news that his father had passed away. Despite the emotional turmoil, he flew to England after his father’s funeral to play a do-or-die match against Kenya and scored a crucial century. That image of him raising his bat in the air with his face towards the sky and eyes closed is etched in the nation’s memory. It showed us that despite hardships, you must persevere and move on.
From Sachin, we learnt that leadership isn’t for everyone. His record as captain of the Indian team was not the most impressive, which only goes to show that one may be enormously talented and hard-working, but there will still be that one thing you will not excel at. And that’s alright. Despite his lacklustre record as captain, he did have a say in choosing one of our best captains, M S Dhoni.
Sachin taught us that if you’re good at one thing, you must also give the other thing a shot. Sachin the batsman was piling up runs, but Sachin the leg spin bowler also did pretty well for himself with two five-wicket hauls to his name. Not to mention some stellar catches that he took in the deep.
And finally, Sachin showed us that if you keep trying, your dream comes true. It took six world cups but he finally got us there. When that trophy came into Sachin’s hands, we felt like it was a victory for us all. This man, upon whom we had piled all our hopes and aspirations for over a decade, had somehow not just met our expectations but exceeded them. Along the way, he elevated the whole team and the way the sport was played in our country.
I haven’t followed cricket much since Sachin retired, it was perhaps the one time that the cliched adage “end of an era” held perfectly true. I felt we’d already seen the best. What could be better than Sachin? But I also know that this is a polarising statement that will divide the readers straight down the line, just like a perfect Tendulkar straight drive.
The writer is a standup comedian and podcaster
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