Friday, November 6, 2009

**** Sachin

First and foremost, this is not to confront anyone, don't take it as if i am arguing or grumbling, instead i am just putting up my thoughts..

  • A great batsman.. agreed, but a good sportsman NO
  • A great human.. agreed, but is he known for being a great human NO
  • Very modest.. agreed, but is he known for his modesty NO
  • Great technique.. agreed, but was that of any use NO
  • Fantastic player.. agreed, but a team player NO, NEVER

Let me take the help of my favorite analogy. Consider Sachin to be a cook. A world renowned cook who has reached the pinnacle of aesthetic, orthodox cooking, one who knows every damn dish and still keeps on adding some new variety, some new flavor and some new aroma to the dishes. But this chef has unknowingly cultivated a bad habit. As soon as the dish is ready to be served, ready to fill someone's belly, he throws it away. As simple as that, he just throws it away.

Everybody saw him cooking many a times; everybody enjoyed the lovely aroma of the splendid food that was being cooked. BUT, what good that food is, if it can not satiate the hunger. Smell, however sweet it may be, can never fill the appetite. You have to eat food, but our master chef loves throwing it away.

I completely agree that there are ten other players who are equally responsible for the debacle, but is it like necessary for HIM to throw away things for the junior cooks to reassemble and serve. They sometimes do it too, but why only Dhoni or Yuvraj think of sticking around till the end and not our GOD. Ponting, who has been considered next best, tries till his last breath to take his team to the podium; he might have a short hand at batting when compared to the GOD, but this lord of Cricket has done more for his team than for himself. He might have thought of chasing Sachin in the number of centuries scored but did Sachin ever try to actually stick till the end and score the winning runs? NO.

I hated Brian Lara for the very same reason, he always played for himself. He was rarely a match-winner. His square drives, cover drives, those hooks and whatever, did they serve any purpose except his own? No. Chanderpaul or Sarwan must have sailed the drowning Windies boat more than what Lara did. Even though both of them are not even near to what Lara has to offer in statistics.

I sincerely feel if Sachin had been a part of some individual sport like Tennis or Chess, he would surely be a great for me too. But he has hurted my feelings not once, not twice, but a million times. He was made the captain, I was more than happy; but he fumbled, I was perfectly okay with that too, being a human he has every damn right to fumble, he was never a GOD for me, but i certainly admired him for the various facets of his personality; particularly his humbleness, his calmness, the love for his family and above all, the way he handled burden of fame on his tiny shoulders.

BUT, he should understand the difference between taking your team to the victory and the actual victory. You kill a thousand soldiers of the rival army and being the king, foolishly jump into the well; you are not doing any good to your nation. You will be admired for being a fierce fighter but will you be a patriot. NO. I don't give a damn about his 170 odd runs or that mammoth 17000, what i know is INDIA LOST..and that is where the story ends for me.

This might sound foolish or immature, but that is how cricket rules our brains. Our emotions are attached to it; till the last ball, our hopes, however shattered they are, still stand tall against the hot and scorching winds of the rivals. That's cricket for us, and Sachin in those senses is neither God nor a loyal responsible sportsman. My heart weeps writing this, but this is the truth at least in my soaring eyes.

--sudharm

16 comments:

  1. "First and foremost, this is not to confront anyone, don't take it as if i am arguing or grumbling, instead i am just putting up my thoughts..

    Your start i believe is amazing...you've pulled ppl in your thoughts....but honestly this cant change one's thoughts....

    Lemme talk about ur cook analogy.....A cook who's a great chef isnt able to feed ppl coz he throws away food.....
    But can you define a good chef for me? I believe a good chef is a person who cooks good food....(i hope i am right)
    But who decides the cooked food is good? I believe the one who gets to taste....(in this case the indian team)
    As per this he has made himself a good chef only because he has satisfied the hunger of people by the food prepared by him in the past.

    To put this analogy correct i wud say that now the hungry people are not trying to take the good food prepared by him....
    This Chef named "Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar" has taken all the pains of preparing the good food. Its just that he is asking the hungry people to eat it themselves and these hungry people arent able to do that...

    Let me talk of Dhoni and Yuvraj.....Amazing cricketers and amazing future.....But is it not hard on tendulkar to open the innings every match and ask him to bat for 50 overs so that he can score the winning runs? Its just that the arrival times of dhoni/yuvraj are much later than that of sachin....If the criteria of a great team player is to score the winning runs or stay till the last ball then i think a lot of tailenders steal the show....

    Dude the point its not impossible to stay throughout the match which makes u a team player or a great player or watever u wanna call him....but one can only be a team man when the team contributes.....

    Tell me of those instances when yuvi or dhoni won us a match and we blamed other players for not scoring....i mean if dhoni scores a tonnn and we win its a team effort but if we lose its not a team effort....is it fair to behave like this?

    I agree that centuries and such statistical records dont make a player great...but if u bring out these thoughts after an innings which is supposed to be Tendulkars best, it hurts....

    The South African chase in Johannesburg where Gibbs scores 175, but did he take the team through? No he didnt....But his innings is a gem where he cud take his side within 100 runs of the target....

    And this indian chase where Tendulkar scores 175, and takes his side to a margin of 16 odd runs and u blame this guy....is this fair?

    Its sachin who's being noticed more than anyone else.....its the amount of expectations u n me have for him...tell me if this guy didnt score this..wud we have been even 100 runs closer to the target.....i guess no....

    He's the one who made us win a sharjah final, a final against sri lanka recently and a test match recently.....i know they are just a few instances but every other opening batsman in any side cant always guide u to the winning runs...and so is sachin.....

    He scores a lot of runs but every innings isnt great...his best of 186 runs against new zealand is not his best though the score is...

    If we talk today that "sachin match nahi jeeta sakta" to wat really is the criteria? "wo banda match jeetayega kaise?" just by staying on crease....if thats ur answer....i m sorry i disagree to u and ur thoughts...

    Just to end this comment i wud just say "No individual has to be critised for a loss, but an individual has to be praised for a win."

    HATS OFF to Sachin Tendulkar. After yesterdays knock, i consider him to be the best cricketer around. "


    --Abhishek Gupta

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  2. Hey Abhishek,

    Thanks for your generous reply. And i still disagree.

    Cricket certainly is a team sport. But you will also agree with me that someone out of the playing 11 leads the show. There has to be a lead singer in each and every band, the lead singer might change with every performance but he has to be there.

    So, on these particular days, when Sachin is leading the front, why he doesn't continue till the end? It is not about staying there for 50 overs. It is about taking up the responsibility, about sailing your boat through. I completely agree with Ponting, when he criticizes Sachin because Ponting is the guy who understands the importance of winning a match and not just glorifying your own stats.

    Ravi Shastri or Sanjay Manjrekar would never do that. They are equally preoccupied with the Godness of Sachin as you are or as many of my other friends are.

    One of my friends told me - India losing that day was not that much pain coz Sachin performed so well. BULLSHIT. Now, what more to say to this friend? No offences for this friend though, but come out of it dear. WHY DON'T YOU GUYS REALIZE THAT INDIA LOST THAT MATCH? WHY?

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  3. Sudharm,
    For the first time i should say what u wrote was rather naive.
    The first and formost thing u simply ignored is the fact that Sachin is a human made from the same bone and flesh which every one else is made up of.
    How the hell can u consider him responsible when he battled out the day from a horrendous position in which India was to a platform where u can think that India can win and he is out leaving just 19 runs for 3 players to make.
    And when they fail u blame Sachin that ooh he should have stayed there for 19 more runs as if he was happy to lay down his wicket.
    HE opens the inning and u want that he should finish the task as well.Great.....and when he is not able to do that he is bad.Yes u r right.
    And u want to see the commitment of that player just watch his rumming btwn the wicket and u can make out what commitment is.@ 36 he has the same vigour when he was 17...thats the greatness and that too without any air...
    Man i can simply go on writing for hours but u see theres no point in that....
    To acknowledge greatness u need just open eyes and when u have shut that down for a legend nothing lefts.
    Just one more thing there are 11 players in the team and the same marrow is in every bone then atleast if cant acknowledge the effort of the titan atleast dont spurn down the commitment.
    Gaurav.

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  4. Well m a fan of Sachin Tendulkar and his commitment to the game of Cricket.

    I have read wat u guys have written and m not goin into the history of any of the player. I will just stick to the match, innings of Sachin and the outcome.

    I was enthusiastically watching Sachin's innings when he was on 175 and India needed mere 19 of 18 balls.. and then Sachin threw it away.... first of all dont say that other 3 batsmen(Gaurav mentioned it..) could have completed the task... coz they are tailenders... u cant expect them to score.... Sachin should have understood this and instead of going over the top he could have gone for one's or two's.... The man has played 435 matches and with this mountaineous experience he has not learned this single thing in his career.... rite through his career this has happened that after taking his time and setting himself to the crease he gets out ....or throw his wicket away...this has happened on the numerous ocaasions and everybody knows this....

    There is no doubt that Sachin is a great Batsman, great man, an ideal for millions... but still this thing which he has developed to throw away the wicket has ruined results of many matches which could have been victories for India.

    I vl just say that accept this that India Lost that match just because of tendency of Sachin to throw away the wicket.....


    Niket

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  5. Hey Gaurav,

    I feel hurted when you said-'To acknowledge greatness u need just open eyes and when u have shut that down for a legend nothing lefts.
    Just one more thing there are 11 players in the team and the same marrow is in every bone then atleast if cant acknowledge the effort of the titan atleast dont spurn down the commitment.'

    Do you really think i don't understand the hugeness of Sachin Tendulkar or for that matter anyone who has even an inkling of what cricket is can deny the greatness of the little master.

    My whole point still is - Your God could not get us a victory. In the record books at the same place where Sachin played one of his best innings, India faced a low-down. India lost a match despite the stupendous effort of 10dulkar.

    Niket has very well analyzed this particular match, but i would moreover like to stick to all those matches which India could have won if the God had been a little more responsible, if he had been more eager to serve the food and not just prepare it. But no.

    I have played my part, I don't care if India wins or loses. I shall be happy if India wins, but i don't give a damn if India loses, i have played well, i have my name in the record books that nobody can think of even coming any closer and that's all. That's Sachin for you :(

    Why is it that this thing happens particularly with Sachin so often? Is it his hugeness that is bringing in defeats for India, if yes, i would suggest Sachin please retire, let others play for winning, they are in no sense as good as you are BUT they at least have the zeal to WIN a match for INDIA and not just for THEMSELVES.

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  6. Sudharm,
    I am rather mystified by you and Niket.
    I seroiusly feel that if only Sachin had this hunger of geetin in the records book he would have shuned ODI long back.No one is near him nor will ever be.The zeal with which he plays shows his compliance with his statement that he wants India to win world cup for which he is still playing.
    Check the record books he has scored maximum runs ever in two consecutive world cup.He plays his part always.Always.
    There was a time when Sachin got out means end of the match for India,and u guys cant deny that the period was almost for 5 6 years where he solomonly used to perform without any backup.What on earth u want.U want an opener to finish the game for u.Thats what u want and again u forget u have 10 other players.Dont expect anything from any one Mr Sachin either hit the finishing shot or get the hell out of here.
    U say he is great but not good.What the hell does that mean?

    Being a Rand follower u say so Sudharm?????

    U have few matches like natwest final(Yuvi+Kaif) very few...not even handful when Sachin is out and India have pulled a miracle.Why???Just tell me.Is he only responsible person left.
    A ODI match had phases(earlier).15 overs to slog next 25 to play sincerly next 10 to win match.U want him to open inning make full use of 15 overs...stabalize innings when other idiots got out for next 25 overs and win the match in last 10 overs and when he cant do what a team job should be ...yarr sachin is no good he dont win matches for us....
    Guys this is utterly inhuman.
    Gaurav.

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  7. Inhuman, Ayn Rand..very well Gaurav

    i m glad that you have given this thing a whole new direction..

    Rand's principle-Sachin should play for himself and never for the nation. Sachin should play his part the best and that's it. Sachin should not give a damn if he has won the match for country or not. He is bigger than the game, he is bigger than the whole team, he is bigger than our aspirations, our will to see our team win and so on and on..

    Inhuman--My team lost in the match, i am terribly depressed, i feel it was because of a little irresponsibility from my Savior. Yeah..
    Sachin has always been a savior who pulls out a drowning fellow with so much enthusiasm but never thinks of giving him a little artificial respiration.

    What good he did by pulling him out, if the person DIED? Still i m inhuman because i don't feel the same way as you feel for one particular person who is just a little IRRESPONSIBLE. But that little thing is okay with you....India losing okay yaar..atleast Sachin played damn good. DAMN IT!! This is unacceptable to me at least...

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  8. Thanks guys who atleast didnt blame Sachin for the Guwahati loss...

    With the kind of thoughts you guys are carrying i was certain to read a post that wud talk about India's loss in 6th match because of Sachin Tendulkar....

    Chalo i'm atleast happy that u guys are not that Inhuman and mean...

    Sudharm there is one thing i m learning from u.....Thats analogy....

    Let me put it this way....

    In one of the posts u said that he should be sailing the boat thru...

    But tell me when u have a crew of sailors on the ship and the lead sailor dies, does it mean that the Ship has to sink....Not really though.....This is where the crew members fail and the glory goes to the dead sailor....

    Talking of independence....Bhagat Singh did a lot to gain independence but eventually was hung to death.....Did that mean India doesnt get freedom.... Give it a thougth dude....

    Bhagat Singh is called a "Shahid", he did it all he could but needed people around him....

    No man has individual brilliance but needs the support of people around him....

    I too was a believer that Sachin hasnt won matches for india, but just for statistics, of the 40+ tonnes he has scored india has been victorious on 33 occassions....

    Doesnt that speak of his match winning abilities.... What you guys ask from him is that he doesnt score that winning run or isnt there at the crease till the end...which is much more than what u ask for....

    Look at all the openers who have the distinction of being match winners, they have either surpassed a meagre total or have been a major contributor in the match but the team around them supported....That makes a performance great not a person...

    Atleast for the 350 score which we just missed by a whisker dont u guys ever felt that its the BOWLING and the FIELDING to be blamed for and not Sachin Tendulkar....

    Lets open up our minds and stop blaming Sachin always for the innings he plays....whether gud or bad....

    There are other reasons in the world to be blamed for....and for a guy like Ponting, he is just a demotivator for the cricketing world....

    I dunno how to end this post but just a wish of not having towering expectations from the little Champion.....He has proved to be the BEST.

    --Abhishek Gupta

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  9. First things first again..
    Ponting - a demotivator..okay..somebody please open the record books for me, please tell me who is the captain of the Australian cricket team that doesn't have a Sachin Tendulkar and still has won more matches than any other team. How this team bounces back every time it loses? How this team copes up with voids? How this team comes out of all the phases and generally finishes on the podium. Who is the DEMOTIVATOR behind all these efforts?

    Chalo leave that aside, what good a performance is if it can not give a result. It would have been perfectly okay if it had happened once, twice or thrice. But why the same thing happens so many times for our little master.

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  10. One thing i'd complain is that u dont really reply to everything...

    There are a lot of things in the posts that deserve a talk but maybe coz u dont have stuff to be against them u prefer not bringing them in the limelight....

    But thats purely ur choice.....

    U just took ponting for instance coz maybe u have a liking for him....Fair enough

    But if u once again go thru what u have written in that para

    "please tell me who is the captain of the Australian cricket team that doesn't have a Sachin Tendulkar and still has won more matches than any other team. How this team bounces back every time it loses? How this team copes up with voids? How this team comes out of all the phases and generally finishes on the podium."

    Dont u think there is a lot of "TEAM" involved in the lines u wrote and the wins the Australians have....Its not a single mans greatness that they win but a team effort....

    And when we lose we say its coz of sachin....Its like we win coz of someone and we lose coz of someone......But we hardly praise individual brialliance for other teams....For us any team other than India wins because of team effort....

    Again i wud say we need to change this thought process....

    And specifically for our team, people like u get the opportunity of blaming a guy called Sachin all because of the INDIAN TEAM.

    This is the only contribution our Team makes and holds someone else responsible for a loss....

    --Abhishek Gupta

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  11. "People like me" okay.

    That para you have mentioned certainly contained a lot of team but just to highlight the effort of the torch bearer.

    It is always an individual who adorns the shining garb and takes up the responsibility of winning a match for the nation. It is Sachin someday and someone else some other day. If Sachin has worn it, he carries it like anything..but when the time comes to take pictures, to rejoice; he strips down and stand naked and you people say..HE PLAYED HIS ROLE. Yeah he did man..and that too very well of a STRIPPER and not a PERFORMER ..

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  12. Sudharm
    First of all well said Abhishek....
    Ansd Sudharm again u chose to accept the Rand theory ur way again and yes deliberately closing ur eyes.
    Dont u think everyone is like James Taggard forcing an individual to succumb to every one's expectation and specially when that person has performed more then one is expected to do.
    U know what consistency is.Sachin is just another name of that.Earlier u called those shoulders tiny but they are far more massive than one can ask for.
    From an age of 17 to the age of 37 a man all alone has one so many battles for u and u deliberatley chose not to acknowlwdge them....
    Remember the test against pakistan where he with a sour back score 170 plus and got out with 19 runs to get and Mongia with other 3 were unable to make....and Sachin should have played a quarter more..such a loser Sachin is....
    No offense but u choose deliberately not to acknowledge the best be it Sachin or Feddrer...people love to see Australias loose as they like India to win...u know the reason yyyyy????
    Bcs people like to criticize the best always ...and Bingo they have point always as Sachin or Feddrer are also human...but they dont understand this very thing only that they are HUMAN..no diffrent from any one other then in commitment .....
    So no matter Sachin hits another half a dozen century if on a occassion something like 175 happens he is a culprit....

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  13. Stripper..yes he his.....
    Its 1 verses 11 if he saves the dignity its his job but if he fails and this is taken for granted that other 10 are lossers and not to be trusted,its he who has to get stripped bcs he fought....he came forward and accepted a challange...and when he is fool enough to take a challange he must bat from the ball 1 to the 300 ball otherwise he is an idiot...or rather a stripper who deliberatley stripped of the dignity .....
    Great...

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  14. From where does Federer come into picture?

    Now since he has, let me tell you- Sachin is at par with Federer. Feddy plays for himself and so does our master.
    Both of them are so very good in their respective games, but what skips me is their attitude. About Feddy, I won't detail here and about Sachin i have already detailed so much.

    You guys say - Why do you blame Sachin? You tell me in a war, if we lose who takes up the responsibilty? Of course, the chief. And he certianly is the grand old chief who is immensely talented, enthusiastic, modest, humble and the biggest thing - still a learner. A learner at an age where all his contemporaries are coaching his rival teams. He is standing tall, fighting; fighting like an old lion.

    But this lion is not devouring the taste of his meal in its entirety. In a way he is having the superficial fun of swimming in the ocean and is not thinking of putting up a little more effort to get into the depths and get afew pearls for the nation.

    Long live Sachin, but with that missing responsibilty ordained.

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  15. Hey all....

    Guys we were jus talking about Sachin and his inning in 5th game.... do not get off the track....

    For Abhishek's comments:

    "But tell me when u have a crew of sailors on the ship and the lead sailor dies, does it mean that the Ship has to sink....Not really though.....This is where the crew members fail and the glory goes to the dead sailor...."

    Boss in the match the sailors were already died... Jadeja was good for nothing... Sachin was the only sailor on the ship and as i said earlier u cant expect from tailenders.... in such condition he should have played a bit carefully.... instead of playing in the air...

    He really played well no doubt... but maano ya na maano... he played that irresponsible shot in the end... i have a book (coutesy Arjun) jiss jiss ko dikkat ho aakar padh lena... Sachin himself have given statements in that book.... ki after getting set on the ground he play one shot which gets him out... and he should come over this...

    but yaar 435 match khelne ke baad use ab tak nahi aaya khud ko control karna....
    Yes he is human.... with bone and that special marrow.... and human makes a mistake.... par kab tak..... he is indeed great but he could have been greater......

    One more:

    "Talking of independence....Bhagat Singh did a lot to gain independence but eventually was hung to death.....Did that mean India doesnt get freedom.... Give it a thougth dude...."

    Bhagat Singh is called a "Shahid", he did it all he could but needed people around him....

    Bhagat Sigh died coz after his death millions of Bhagat would born.... and it happened...

    Par yahan Sachin akela tha.... the damage was already been done... Sachin had to stand there.. uske baad koi kuch nahi karne waala tha...
    it was like last man standing.... aur wahi hua.... samjho iss baat ko...

    we do not have any dushmani with Sachin we surely admire him a lot..... but usme bhi kuch kami haiya hai maano use.....

    N Gaurav ur statement about the match .... ki India ke haarne ka gum nahi but Sachin ke khelne se jyada khushi hui tujhe....

    Dost.. cant even comment on it....

    Niket

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  16. http://sachinandcritics.com/sachin_is_a_match_winner.php

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