It has been twenty two years and a week since the deification process commenced for the most discussed cricketer in the history of the game. 636 international matches – 183 tests and 453 one day internationals – later, Sachin Tendulkar’s career befits a “Brown Man’s Burden” version of the classic Rudyard Kipling poem from 1899.
Yet when he walks out on to the Wankhede Stadium, his home ground, to play his 184th test, the buzz around the ground will be about the century of centuries. The commentators on national television will not be able to analyze the game and the series without lamenting on how long and excruciating the wait has been. Twitter will be full of recycled but still nervous jokes about the petrol prices in India hitting INR 100 before Sachin getting to his unique milestone. Facebook pages will be paying tributes, linking to countless YouTube videos of how he hammered the Aussies and the South Africans, no doubt garnished with triple digit “Likes”.
India will start watching the Mumbai test match today in a state of confusion. The decision will be between toning down individual expectations for they may create undue pressure for Tendulkar and secretly promising the myriad Gods, a generous offering of juicy coconuts when he gets there. Here is one way to amplify the panic and edginess - look back at the moments when Tendulkar got to the 90s, but could not get past the three digit mark.
Lest the tension is not gripping, a reminder of the number of times Tendulkar has been stuck in the 90s in his career should come handy as an excuse for grabbing that anxiolytic chemical like Alprazolam. 27 times in his illustrious career – 9 in tests and 18 in one day internationals – he has managed to leave a billion people ecstatic yet unsatisfied.
I look back at five of these moments, in the ascending order of the severity of the heartbreak I suffered on account of Sachin’s dismissal in the 90s.
India vs. Pakistan, 2nd ODI, November 2007, Mohali (Relive it here)
Sachin scored 99 in India’s total of 321, which Pakistan eventually conquered through a Younis Khan century, with one ball to be bowled. This was the third time Sachin had got out on 99 just in the year 2007, and his sixth score in the 90s that year. It was a soft dismissal – edging an Umar Gul delivery to Kamran Akmal, playing that quintessential high risk – low return ODI shot – a dab down to the third man for a single. He had played a loose shot outside off and had almost perished on the previous delivery.
India vs. England, 2nd Test, August 2002, Nottingham (Relive it here)
You walk in at 11/2 while the team trails the opposition by 249 runs with more than 4 sessions to go. A century would have been ideal. In the event, a 113 ball 92 was not a bad effort towards saving the match for India. But getting out to the part timer Michael Vaughan, who only ever took 6 wickets in his test career, was the low point of an otherwise lovely innings. This will be a good place to mention that The Wall did stand tall with a century and in partnership with Tendulkar first, and Saurav Ganguly later (who also got out on 99), took India to the safety of a draw.
India vs. South Africa, 2nd ODI, June 2007, Belfast (Relive it here)
So you have managed to get out for 99 on June 26th while being involved in a horrendous run out. How do you get over the nightmare? By getting out on 93 on June 29th. Before Sachin got an inside edge trying to dab a Thandi Tshbalala delivery on the off side, he had scored at a fair clip – strike rate of 88 or so on a slow Belfast outfield. His 93 had included 13 boundaries and 2 gorgeous hits over the rope – one off Andre Nel, where Tendulkar pulled a ball from outside off over backward square leg, and one straight hit off Tshabalala. Before he got out, he was restricted by Tshabalala, bowling 4 dot balls in a row. This downfall in the 90s was more frustrating than the one three days back, because this innings was a typical fluent effort, until he played that one false shot. Typical of all rookies who have managed to dismiss Sachin, Thandi Tshabalala has been out of South Africa reckoning since 2007. In his otherwise non-descript ODI career, he managed to grab just two other wickets.
India vs. Australia, 1st Test, October 2010, Mohali
Without any doubt, this will remain one of the best test matches involving India. India managed to steal a thrilling one wicket win, thanks to heroic leadership by Laxman and dogged defense by Ishant and Ojha. Usually a Tendulkar knock or a media statement or a public appearance is decried for overshadowing the achievements of the other stalwarts of the team. This will probably remain a unique match, where the memory of end result was enough to forget a horrendous Tendulkar dismissal on 98 to Marcus North: a rookie bowler. A well paced innings in pursuit of a large opposition total. Some brilliant drives and glides off Hilfenhaus, Bollinger and Haurtiz to get to that stage. All that was followed by one fleeting incongruous moment – it was like an average Bollywood song interrupting the divinity of Mozart’s music. Marcus North bowled an innocuous delivery on the off stump, Tendulkar attempted a push through the mid wicket region for a single, and missed the ball completely. He was trapped in front, with the ball hitting the leg, as evident even by the rather low standards of the ball tracking technology. It was a terrible moment, which hastened the Indian first inning collapse, and eventually contributed to making the match a humdinger.
India vs. Pakistan, ICC World Cup 36th match, March 2003, Centurion (Relive it here )
To say that this was the best Tendulkar ODI innings ever, will not be an exaggeration, despite 400+ options to choose from. The 4 he hit off Wasim Akram on the third ball and the 6 that he hit off Shoaib Akhtar on the tenth ball of the innings set the tone for India’s chase of a daunting 273. He was to hit 11 more boundaries in a dazzling display of brilliant shot making, testing every bowler and making every corner of the SuperSport Park lose its virginity. The calm assurance with which he negotiated one of the best bowling attacks ever to play together in an ODI – Akram, Waqar, Akhtar, Razzaq and Afridi – remains a memory to cherish. It all came to a pre-mature end though, as he was caught by Younis Khan fending a Shoaib Akhtar ripper. The 75 ball essay will remain etched in many minds for the fierce competitiveness, self belief and the will to progress in the World Cup. The fans enjoyed the cake no doubt; the cherry would have made the dessert picture-perfect. Even Shoaib Akhtar will concede that Sachin’s legs did not shake that day.
Will it be Mumbai this week? Will we wait till the Boxing Day test match? Should we be debating? Is it important? To me, the 27 near misses remain as pleasant to recall and to watch as the 99 hits.