Sachin Tendulkar ko gussa kyon aata hai?

India’s greatest batsman has of late shown signs, however slight, of possessing feet of clay. If the refusal of the boy in Sachin Tendulkar to go away for decades made his mastery of the art and science of batting refreshingly entertaining, his seeming petulance over demands for his retirement does serve to dull the sheen of his greatness somewhat. “My critics haven’t taught me my cricket,” he has been quoted as saying. “The day I feel a little less passion, when walking out to bat for India, I will give up the game. Critics didn’t need to tell me to do so." The timing of his exit from international cricket is something for the selectors to decide—unless of course they decide to continue to leave it to him—but critics will “tell him” to retire, and their right to do so cannot be questioned, even if they are wrong. I am sure there were many who believed that at 16 he was inducted into Test cricket too soon. They did not teach Tendulkar cricket, either. [caption id=“attachment_288006” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The Mumbaikar is quite simply the best Indian batsman of all time. Reuters”]  [/caption] Who are these critics? Aren’t they the same people who have sung his praises, and justly so, throughout his marvellous career? Have they not celebrated every achievement of his, using up all the superlatives in the dictionary in the process? Have they not compared him to the incomparable Donald Bradman, even found enough merit in his all round excellence in different formats against all comers under varying conditions to rate him equal to the Don if not greater overall?  Did they not happily join several Indian players in dedicating India’s recent World Cup triumph to him? “None of them has been in my predicament and it is impossible for them to understand what I have been thinking and feeling," Tendulkar also said, in a reference to his agonising wait for his hundredth international hundred. If that were the defining criterion for a critic’s credentials, it would render every commentator on the planet ineligible for the job. And speaking of the “predicament,” did not the same Little Master repeatedly pooh-pooh the idea that he was concerned with his personal records? Did not the more sensible of us, treating him with utmost respect as befitting his stature, assure ourselves that every time he went out to bat, he did so with thoughts, not of his hundredth century, but of the team’s best interests occupying his mind? Sachin Tendulkar is quite simply the best Indian batsman of all time. That much became obvious when he scaled the peak in every form of cricket, against all types of bowlers, in both home and away conditions, playing every stroke in the book, attacking as well as defending, his exploits leaving such greats as Gavaskar and Viswanath, Hazare and Mushtaq Ali behind. (If there is one aspect of batting he has not been tested in, it is perhaps his technique on uncovered wickets). A Laxman or Dravid or Sehwag may have each in his own way served India just as extraordinarily well, and may enjoy a fan-base comparable to his, but none of them can equal his sheer mastery of technique, his perfect reading of pitches, his complete absorption of the intricate geometry and varying pace of the game. Sachin Tendulkar has also been known throughout his career for his impeccable conduct on and off the field. Even when provoked by sledging opponents on the rare occasions indiscretion has got the better of commonsense on their parts, he has let the bat do all the talking. He may not be a walker but nor is he a known “dissenter” either. By all accounts, he has been an inspiring, encouraging senior to newcomers into the Indian dressing room. Never in the past did he react to criticism of his alleged pursuit of personal goals at the team’s expense. His recent responses to calls for his retirement from ODIs are THEREFORE all the more disappointing. Focusing on trying to restore India to the No. 1 position in Test cricket would be a far better answer. May the Tendulkar bat do the talking!