Oh my God! Oh my God!

Finally, the day has arrived , I will be no longer seen on the cricket ground as a player. That's how Sachin announced his "ceasefire" against bowlers. Now where to find that straight-drive whistling past the stumps, flick shot from the middle stump, that square cut saying "hi" to the point fielder before reaching to the fence, that transfer of weight on back foot and drive through the covers, dancing down the wicket to spinners and the hit between long-on and long-off, that sweep against -the -spin to leg-spinner.

The last walk

 The day on which you announced your walk, newspaper, media, social media flooded with "Sachin...Sachin".We were in a nebulous state what to write anything else. Your each century, half-century, can be retrieved by the Sachinist on the spot . For the Sachinist you were cricket, they thronged in thousands only to watch you, and as you would be retiring that number would drastically come down. You have such an influence on cricket-lovers that they know each and every aspect of your game, your records, batting, crucial innings. Even those who are weak in mathematics ,remember your test match, ODI, T-20 average up to two decimal. I have even read on FB that a crazy guy put his home on deposit to purchase a ticket of your last test-match! It shows how much devotees adored you.

 In front of these crazies we see ourselves at the bottom of the knowledge pyramid ;However, as a devoted cricket-lover, and affection having for you prompted us to write few sentences about the cricketing-wonder called "Sachin."
"karmanye wa dhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachan" keeping this in mind Sachin kept playing for 23 years and amassed loads of records in all formats. Sachin and records were used to each other. From spin magicians like John Emburey to Shane Warne, then Muralidharan to Saqlain Mushtaq, and along with intimidating Merve Hughes, Mcgrath, Donald, Akram to Steyn, Brett Lee all these bowlers understood what is meant by batting only after bowling to Sachin.
The legendary Bacchhan had a dialogue" hum jahape khade hote hai, line wahise shuru hoti hai", with all your reputation you created " hum jahape khade hote hai, cricket wahise shuru hota hai". You have been known with different terms like God, magician, masiha, the recent being Superman. Every great player is remembered for his remarkable performance- Sir Viv for his innings in the final of WC-79, Botham for the 81-Ashes series. Kapil for his heroic-175 in the 83-WC. Akram's magical spell against England in the 92-WC. Warne's superb ball of the century. But your career itself is exemplary and remarkable performance. Match saving century against England, 1990, century against Australia on the fastest wicket on the earth, WACA, Perth, those two incredible Sharjah storms, that fire-against-fire in the WC-2003, against archrival Pak, and so on... If we keep counting, it will become an encyclopedia. The vivid career, the vivid records...


But every achievement or in that sense shiny career posses dark pages. And you had that impeding phase that contained match-fixing rows, allegations that you play for records, your comparison with Lara and Steve Waugh in the sense of match-winning ability in test matches. Some morally impure players himself even doubted your integrity. But amidst all this, you kept mum, and unfortunately for them you stayed diligent and answered everytime with another century, another record, and another win. The same critic then showered the praise like- "We have seen the God who plays at no 4 for India", Sachin gave me nightmare, I would like to become Sachin etc...
"Sachin" the name itself suggest the purity. Throughout your career you remained pure in your every aspect. Pure play, pure behavior, pure character, pure attitude, pure class. We never observed any extreme reaction, no abusive words like BC, MC after completion of any milestone. You were never involved in any controversy, conflict with the players, non-disciplinary action, that is why people have depicted you as divine God. If the bhagvadgeeta were replaced by your records, people would hesitate to lie. Now that you will be playing your last cricketing innings on Wankhede ground, where you spend your early playing days, devoted cricket lovers would throng the ground to cheer your every move, the stadium shall have only one sweet noise "Sachin...Sachin..." and  in the end they will leave the ground with emotions and tears. Whenever the next generation watch, read, hear about your exemplary career, there will be only one reaction, Oh my god! oh my God!"

That's it!

Note:- It was an honest effort to express my gratitude towards the legend. If anything has remained, pardon me.

Ritesh Kadam
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