A cricket adda with Sachin Tendulkar is always special. And that’s because of two things. One, his understanding of the game is simply extraordinary. Every now and then, he will come up with something that will leave you awe-struck and force you to think.
For Sachin, such things are routine. For everyone else, they will make you sit up. Little pearls of wisdom from the very best. The other thing is that Sachin is a great listener. Even when it comes to cricket, and if you are just a fan, he will give you the opportunity to voice your opinion and never interrupt in between. That’s how the man is. He will forever respect the dignity of the person sitting opposite him. That was clear to us both, Arinjoy and I, when we met him at his house, in the ground floor drawing room over mishti, sandwiches and coffee for a mini-birthday celebration.
No, it wasn’t a formal interview. It was just an adda, and that’s what made it very special. There were no formal questions or rehearsed answers. Just spontaneous discussion. For example, Sachin helped us both understand the enormity of Rinku Singh’s five sixes. “To hit one or two sixes in the last over is in itself very difficult,” he said. “And when you know you have to hit every ball for six, just think what it can do to you mentally. To retain your focus and do so is incredible. On most occasions, you will just give up. Five sixes don’t happen, and the mindset can turn negative. Rinku Singh did not allow his mind to get clouded. It was a brilliant effort.”
As he was explaining the nuances of death bowling, I remembered a conversation we had while watching a cricket game together. We were watching it on television, and the bowler had just delivered the ball. In a flash, Sachin said it was the doosra. No commentator had yet said a word. No one had even spoken. He looked at me, and said they would have to explain that delivery. “It was the doosra.” And he was right. After about 15 seconds, the commentators tried to explain what the bowler had done and showed us a close-up of the bowler’s hand.
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That’s how Sachin is. Rather, that’s how his mind works when it comes to cricket.
Sample this from a year back. “You should keep an eye on Tilak Varma,” he had said. “In white-ball (cricket), he can be a very important player for any team that he plays for. He has all the shots, and plays the ball without being bothered about who is bowling”. In the ongoing season, Tilak has been one of the stars for the Mumbai Indians, and is already being looked at as a possible star for India in the future.
When the conversation turned to Suryakumar Yadav, whose form, or lack of runs, had generated multiple social-media debates, Sachin explained it clearly. “If someone is able to pull or hook the first ball to deep fine leg, he isn’t struggling for form,” he said. “Had the ball gone five meters either side, it could have been a six. If he just stays patient, the opponent will be under pressure. They know what he is capable of and his very presence out in the middle is enough for the opposition to feel the heat.”
While asking Arinjoy what the meaning of ‘Jatiswar’ was and appreciating the beautiful Sanatan Dinda painting used as the cover of Sachin@50, he was the perfect host. When we said we’d better leave because he had a long day ahead, he was insistent we should first have the coffee and the sandwiches. And, of course, the mishit, and it was absolutely fine to continue with the chat.
The best, however, was reserved for last. When I said that a certain cricketer isn’t the same anymore, Sachin’s retort was priceless. “For me, no cricketer is ever finished,” he said. “It is about the passion. Self-belief. If he or she is motivated and committed to the sport in the same way that he or she was in the past, the sport will always give it back to you. Don’t write anyone off. The sport finds strange ways to surprise you.”
Immediately, my mind went back to a conversation between Sachin and Ajit, his elder brother, after his final Test. Ajit, equally obsessed with the sport, was telling Sachin why he shouldn’t have played the shot that got him out in his last innings, and how he could have played something different. And when he said, “You can try it in the next innings”, Sachin reminded him that he had retired. “It’s done,” Sachin had said with a smile.
But for all his fans, it is never done. Sachin Tendulkar and the cricket he played are immortal. Timeless. One of the best things to have happened to us as fans. Memories, as they say, are forever.