A Master, A Genius and much more

And the Master does it! “Who else but the little master”, I say. For people who have followed him, have seen him getting agonizingly close but not getting across. So this time again it was waiting with anticipation and anxiety but ending with cheers and jubilation. But then the uninformed will ask, “What’s the big deal with hitting 200 runs?” Well, we are specie which wants more: more mileage per liter of petrol, more channels per set top box, more bandwidth per connection, more free downloads per month, more paid leaves per year and more French fries per serving. And among this specie is a small section of people who wants more runs per game of cricket. And if that comes from the bat of a single batsman then we can adjust with a little less French fries. Every time we sit to watch a match we want someone to go beyond the usual and push it a little more. And every time the little master comes out to bat we want him to show what mere mortals can’t do. So this Wednesday when he did a lot more then we were expecting, we fell on our knees and gave thanks to the powers above but not taking anything away from the little genius too, who in the fall of his cricketing career showed that he was born to rule the world of cricket, now and forever. We love him, revere him and wish him to keep doing what he does best, with humility and passion. And mind you 100 runs of the 200 came from fours. That’s a mean achievement in itself when we see batsman panting for runs to reach fiftys. Left to me, I would write a eulogy which would not see the end of the day. So let’s see what others have to say about him.

"Nothing bad can happen to us if we're on a plane in India with Sachin Tendulkar on it." - Hashim Amla, the South African batsman, reassures himself as he boards a flight.

"To Sachin, the man we all want to be" - Andrew Symonds wrote on an aussie t-shirt he autographed specially for Sachin.

“Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don't know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their TV sets and switch off their lives."
- BBC on Sachin

"Tuzhe pata hai tune kiska catch chhoda hai?" - Wasim Akram to Abdul Razzaq when the latter dropped Sachin's catch in 2003 WC.

Sachin is a genius. I'm a mere mortal. - Brian Charles Lara

"We did not lose to a team called India...we lost to a man called Sachin." - Mark Taylor, during the test match in Chennai (1997)

"The more I see of him the more confused I'm getting to which is his best knock." - M. L. Jaisimha

"The joy he brings to the millions of his countrymen, the grace with which he handles all the adulation and the expectations and his innate humility - all make for a one-in-a-billion individual," - Glen McGrath

"I can be hundred per cent sure that Sachin will not play for a minute longer when he is not enjoying himself. He is still so eager to go out there and play. He will play as long as he feels he can play," - Anjali Tendulkar

"Even my father's name is Sachin Tendulkar." - Tendulkar's daughter, Sara, tells her class her father's name after the teacher informs them of a restaurant of the same name in Mumbai.

“There was a big party where stars from bollywood and cricket were invited. Suddenly, there was a big noise, all wanted to see approaching Amitabh Bachhan. Then Sachin entered the hall and Amitabh was leading the queue to get a grab of the GENIUS!!” - Shah Rukh Khan in an interview.

“India me aap PrimeMinister ko ek Baar Katghare me khada kar sakte hain..Par Sachin Tendulkar par Ungli nahi utha Sakte.. “ - Navjot Singh Sidhu on TV

“He can play that leg glance with a walking stick also.” - Waqar Younis

“I Will See God When I Die But Till Then I Will See Sachin” - A banner in Sharjah

"Sachin cannot cheat. He is to cricket what (Mahatma) Gandhiji was to politics. It's clear discrimination. " - NKP Salve, former Union Minister when Sachin was accused of ball tempering

“There are 2 kind of batsmen in the world. One Sachin Tendulkar. Two all the others.” - Andy Flower

"I have seen god, he bats at no.4 for India" - Mathew Hayden

The best one.

On a train from Shimla to Delhi, there was a halt in one of the stations. The train stopped by for few minutes as usual. Sachin was nearing century, batting on 98. The passengers, railway officials, everyone on the train waited for Sachin to complete the century. This Genius can stop time in India!! - Peter Rebouck - Aussie journalist