From the archives: The rise and rise of Sachin Tendulkar in the words of Indian Express writers

Debut series vs Pakistan

Sachin, just 16 years and 205 days old, became the country’s youngest debutant in 1989, a record that still stands.

At that point for the teenager, there couldn’t have been a sterner test. Pakistan were formidable at home: they had lost only seven of the 81 Tests they had played in Pakistan. The Indians were depleted with stalwarts like Dilip Vengsarkar and Mohinder Amarnath missing.

The excitement for the series was at a fever pitch. Before the first Test, when the two teams were at the nets, there was some crowd trouble.

As The Indian Express’ on-ground reporter Suresh Menon noted in his report, “It was a ‘mela‘ at the National Stadium, with spectators pouring into the ground with all the discipline of water bursting through pipes.”

At the nets, a young Sachin also caught the eye.

“Sachin Tendulkar’s on-driving at the nets showed just why he is rated so highly,” the report noted.

Despite being outplayed for most parts of the Karachi Test, India managed to salvage a draw.

While Tendulkar managed to score just 15 in the first Test, he scored his first half-century for India at Faisalabad. It was an innings that came when India had been reduced to 101 for four.

“We had a glimpse into the future of Indian cricket at Faisalabad as Sanjay Manjrekar (58) and Sachin Tendulkar (35) put on 99 for the unfinished fifth wicket to take India to 200 for four at close on the opening day of the second Test against Pakistan,” noted Suresh Menon.

On a wicket “where batting was difficult”, by the end of Day 1, Tendulkar had already left an impression.

“Tendulkar, playing only his second Test, has already batted two and a half hours. Just two boundaries marked his effort. For the rest, it was remarkable restraint. He batted as if he had been playing Test cricket for 16 years rather than like one who is just that many years old. The checked on-drive for instance, a stroke which calls for years of practice, was played as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Under certain circumstances, a push is more productive than a drive (as when the ball is played to a fielder) and Tendulkar looked like he could get his singles any time he wanted. He was right behind the rising ball and if he tended to fend the ball on his body with left hand only, it was not a reflex action but a planned answer to such bowling. It is too early for comparisons but rather than a second Gavaskar or Viswanath it is clear that a first Tendulkar has arrived,” wrote Menon.

In Manchester, the tiny terror from Bandra

If it was clear in Pakistan that Tendulkar had arrived, on the tour of England a year later, the teenager announced that he was here to stay. On August 14, 1990, he scored the first of his 100 centuries for India at Old Trafford. The milestone came in the second innings of the second Test.

“What a precious temperament 17 years and 112 days old Indian middle-order batsman Sachin Tendulkar has. He came to the wicket with India fighting to save the Test, at 109 for four in the 29th over, and more than half a day remaining. He became the second youngest player ever to have hit a Test hundred… while some of the senior and more experienced colleagues were out to indiscreet shots,” remarked Express’ S Santhanam in his report from Manchester. “No words of praise and compliment will be too many for the stout-hearted and courageous display put up by Tendulkar.”

The next day, Santhanam noted: “His was an innings of rare quality, scored in adversity against an English side rampaging to what would have been a third consecutive Test win. When David Lloyd announced a cash award for the best player, he jokingly said that for the first time the award was going to the ‘boy of the match’.”

The day’s edition also noted how English dailies had covered Tendulkar’s ton with headlines like ‘Teenage Wonder’ and ‘Schoolboy Prodigy Breaks England’s Hearts’. The Guardian couldn’t help but exclaim in its headline: ‘The kids these days’.

The Indian Express meanwhile chose a much more menacing moniker: ‘The tiny terror from Bandra.’

Days after father’s demise, a steely rescue act

One of the most storied tales from Tendulkar’s career was when he scored a game-winning century against Kenya in a group stage match of the 1999 World Cup. It was a knock that came just four days after his father’s demise. He had flown to Mumbai for the funeral and returned. Tendulkar was unbeaten on 140 off 101 balls as India won by 94 runs.

“Tendulkar looked at the skies as he entered the ground. Instead of his usual brisk walk, he had a thoughtful stride to the wicket. When he completed his half-century, he looked heavenwards first and then acknowledged the applause. He repeated the act when he reached his hundred,” wrote Pradeep Magazine.

“When he batted in the nets for almost three hours, it was obvious that the little maestro was steeling himself to play an innings that would be a special tribute to his father. That he translated his dream into reality speaks of Tendulkar’s resolve.”

Former India stalwarts also heaped praise on Tendulkar in their columns for Express. Dilip Vengsarkar wrote, “To say Tendulkar is a super human would not be an exaggeration.” Bishan Singh Bedi wrote: “This kid is an amazing phenomenon. Admittedly, the Kenyan attack was seemingly Lallu’s fodder for Sachin at his attacking best. But it will certainly go down in the history of cricket as the quickest and the finest tribute to the memory of the father who sired such a brilliant offspring.”

When Sachin blew away Pakistan’s pace attack

At the 2003 World Cup, Tendulkar demolished Pakistan’s fearsome bowling attack and led the Men in Blue to the Super Six stage.

“It’s on days like this that Sachin Tendulkar justifies all the hype, the adulation and the pay packet. For his teammates, the Pakistanis, those in the stands at Centurion and the millions watching back home, he gave a sublime lesson today on the art of deconstructing and demolishing a fearsome pace attack,” wrote Sandeep Dwivedi in his dispatch from South Africa.

“It seemed Tendulkar had come to the crease with demolition on his mind… The second-ball six off the Rawalpindi Express was a fitting riposte to his ‘I will have a go at the Indians’ taunt. He cut with an open blade for six over backward point, then flicked the next ball to square leg for four and, next ball, checked a drive through mid-on for another breathtaking boundary.”

The final game for India

Tendulkar retired on November 16, 2013 after playing in his last Test at the Wankhede Stadium against the West Indies. What actually happened in the game was ignored by most as the only sub-plot that mattered was Tendulkar’s farewell.

“As Sachin Tendulkar started his slow and long descent down the dressing room steps, Wankhede, and the world around it, changed. No one was concerned about the score, match situation or the view of people sitting behind them. Day One of the Test can easily be divided into two unequal parts: The 5 hours before the helmeted 40-year-old walked down the 40 steps and the hour after that,” noted Sandeep Dwivedi.

He ended up scoring 74 and improvising an emotional farewell speech. When he retired, he had amassed 34,357 runs for India in all three formats combined and racked up a century of centuries besides 164 half-centuries.

With a decade having passed since he retired, he has no regrets. As he told The Indian Express in an interview ahead of his 50th birthday: “I am absolutely in a good space. I have zero regrets. I am a fully content athlete sitting here, grateful for all the experiences that cricket gave me.”