Making history: Sachin Tendulkar and Donald Bradman

It’s time. We’ve waited and it’s time. Much as comparisons are hateful, there is one we have to make now. It’s amazing how often these days Sachin Tendulkar and Donald Bradman’s names crop up in the same line. It’s amazing and at the same time, it’s a little odd too – because we realise that we are living through a piece of history, one that will be recalled over and over again in the years to come. Perhaps when people watched Donald Bradman from the stands, that very same thought would have been going through their heads too. The old black and white videos are testimony to the kind of mass hysteria that the Don inspired. Standing ovations were the norm in his later years. Sometimes even the opponents would join in. The autograph hunters would wait hours for the coveted signature. And the press would hang on to his every word. Life for the Don wasn’t easy – he was the biggest star the sport had ever had and everyone watching him knew it long before his career had ended. Most of us never had the opportunity to watch the Don in live action but we do have the chance to watch Sachin and suddenly all the stories that one can associate with Bradman have a distinctly ‘I’ve seen that happen’ feel to them. [caption id=“attachment_247288” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Getty Images”]  [/caption] Déjà vu? Really? Think about it. Sachin was booed by the Wankhede crowd in 2006 – he was in the middle of a rough patch – but that was an aberration. But since then all we’ve seen is standing ovations. No matter where he plays – or doesn’t – the crowds cheers him on. The stand and they clap, over and over again. It happened in England even when he was failing. It happened in South Africa. It happened in Australia too. And it happened in Bangladesh too. This, one has a feeling, is the kind of mass hysteria, the awe that the Don inspired as well. The early part of his career was all grudging respect. Then, as his statistics filled out – 52 matches, 29 centuries, 6996 runs, average of 99.94, a high score of 334 – that respect turned to awe. It’s been a similar journey for Sachin as well. His performances in domestic cricket marked him out as a special talent but he took a short while to find his feet in international. Once he did, you rarely ever heard anyone say anything bad about him – not McGrath, not Warne, not anyone. His numbers will stand the test of time too but not in the same way as the Don. It’s almost inconceivable to see someone play international cricket for 22 years again. And it’s also inconceivable to see someone put up the numbers that Sachin has – 188 matches, 15470 runs, average of 55.55, 51 centuries. And we haven’t even started harping on his ODI stats. They often talk about numbers being landmarks but in Sachin’s case – his entire career has been a landmark for the sport. Much like Bradman’s was. One thing is certain, through cricket Sachin has managed to transcend time. Years from now, when we talk about cricket in the 90s… in the 21st century, with great pride, we’ll say we lived in the era of Sachin. And really, that’s the true measure of the man.