To the very end, Tendulkar should remain himself

He has not left us yet – still two Tests to go… I watched every ball of his second innings against Haryana – what brought the greatest joy was so many people at a Ranji match – and what a match. Haryana has talent and grit and with a little luck could have taken the match… Sachin was not at his best, but he fought and won and that is the magic of cricket, be it Sachin’s or anyone else’s – and to think that this was only his 38th Ranji match in a career of 25 years. Much less than two a year – this is no time to blame Sachin, but if stars made Ranji a much more important part of their cricketing calendars, the results would be there for all to see. Was Sachin out, down the legside off the bowling of the off-spinner? What an appeal – and what lovely bowling – loop, and flight, and turn – and a clean, clean action – let us keep an eye on this bowler (Jayant Yadav) – and Mohit Sharma – a workhorse from the old school. Why was Joginder Sharma not used so much in the second innings? Questions, questions, questions – this is cricket. [caption id=“attachment_1207973” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Two Tests to go for Tendulkar. Getty Images[/caption] And no two, Tests coming up – yes, Sachin’s final two, but two Test matches – there should have been at least three. As I keep saying, but the situation won out, and now only two follow in South Africa, where five was there for the asking – if not the taking… Two tests – a possible four innings for Sachin. If ever there was a test, this is it. He must play not from memory but as if he was playing for his place in the side and, much more than, for India – we must win the Tests, and Sachin must be in good form. But winning is the key – if we win, Sachin goes out on a high – and he knows it. Two Tests – taking him to two hundred – that will be one thousand days of Test cricket, almost, allowing for defeats and early victories and rain. That is almost three years on the field – three years out of 24 years of international cricket – a wondrous thought… And to have a Test be his final international match… this is justice; this has the right feel to it – if it had been in South Africa against much stronger competition, the feel would have been even more right – but, this is now not a time to complain. This is a time to be with Sachin… to feel for the last times the so special excitement of when he comes out to bat, no one else matches that excitement. That is a fact – whether it is his charm, or his stature, or his quicksilver being – who knows – but, from the very beginning, Sachin coming out to bat has been what cricket is all about. May Gayle get a century and Kolhi two and may India win in exciting fashion – and may Sachin just be Sachin- to the very end…