Opinion Weight of a ton
Whats with this obsession with Sachins hundredth hundred?
What delicious irony it would be if Sachin Tendulkar were to get his long-awaited 100th century at Centurion,the picturesque stadium in South Africa. Unfortunately,India are not scheduled to play South Africa for quite some time. Also,disappointingly,Tendulkar may not be getting that history-making century anytime soon. The wait would he now make it in home turf Mumbai? has created a sense of national frustration,much like India Inc complaining about the slowdown in the reform process. The headline writers are running out of headlines at the start of every match or every innings when the lead story is not about the pitch or team selection but the anticipation for the elusive century.
The headline has been hanging fire for quite some time: it first appeared during the eminently forgettable first Test against England at the Lords last July. It was a series where all the batsmen failed but Tendulkars 100th century was still seen as being within the realm of possibility. After all,England was where he scored his first Test century,becoming the second youngest cricketer to do so. Fans,including English supporters,turned up in their hundreds to see him get to that magical landmark,but they,like the rest of us back home,remained disappointed.
Its been an agonising wait,for him as well as the legions of his fans,but the longer he takes to reach the milestone that no other batsman has come close to,the anticipation and the interest would start to wane. Cricket is a unpredictable game but even so it will start to wear thin,this waiting for Godot,or Gods ton.
For over two decades,Tendulkars performances on the cricket field have mirrored the national mood,upbeat when he is on song,taking India to victories over England,Australia and Pakistan,and depressing when hes going through his unproductive phases,of which there have been quite a few.
No Indian sportsman has become a national talisman like Tendulkar,and that comes with its downside. The pressure to perform can often get unbearable. With Tendulkar,theres also the heavy hand of history. Consider this: Tendulkar has got out 27 times between 90 and 100 in his international career. There is,of course,another factor that most people miss. He is 38,an age when most cricketers are writing their memoirs or joining the commentary team in the press box. No individual,no matter how talented,can ignore the handicaps that come with age; slowing reflexes,greater chances of injuries and longer recovery periods,and finally,the most serious of all: the niggles in the mind.
For a man who has so many records to his name,this one is undoubtedly special,like Bradmans Test average of 99.94. The thinning crowd at the Test venues in the current series against the West Indies may be a reflection of the dwindling interest in Test cricket but is surprising considering the hype created around the Tendulkar landmark. There could be another reason and that may have to do with the batting legends performances of the past,one that his fans will no doubt be aware of. Tendulkar is crickets most prolific batsman but also one who has a record of passing through unusually sparse spells. In his career,starting back in 1989,there have been no less than eight occasions when he has gone without a hundred in 10 or more consecutive innings. In the 2005-06 season,he failed to score a hundred in as many as 17 innings.
That,sadly,is part of his cricketing DNA. In the 2002 series in the West Indies,he scored 79 in the first Test,and 117 in the second. Then,to the shock and horror of his fans,he scored a total of eight runs in the next four innings. The so-called decline phase in his career lasted till 2006. In ODIs he was still firing on all cylinders,but 2003 was his worst year in Test cricket,with an average of 17 and just one fifty.
His performance in the last Test series against England has added to the doubts in the fans,and perhaps in his own,mind. There will be huge celebrations,and plenty of relief,when that century does come his way but the obsession with Tendulkar not only adds pressure on him,but it also takes away from the awesome performances of batsmen like Rahul Dravid which is hardly fair on them. It is time we focused on an important fact: Tendulkar,lest we have forgotten,is human.
dilip.bobb@expressindia.com
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