Champion

In my last posting, i had put up my list of real heroes who have made us proud. After all adulations over sachin's record over last weekend, i thought should he be in my list. Yes definitely, he has done his job with integrity, perseverance, honesty. Its not his fault that he is given super-super celebrity status. Its just indian pscyche...
But nothing will deny his status as true champion. Truly on cricketing terms there are comparisons with Sir Donald (i have not seen him play), Lara . Some very learned ex players admit that those two surpass sachin in sheer excellence. But for me i have a different point to make as i have seen cricket for almost 29 years now. i still remember kapil dev wrecking through pak batting at chennai in 79, sandeep patil scoring centuty at adelaide 81, boycotts and tavares batting in 81 in india, 83 worldcup, india's annihilation by WI in India, benson and hedges 85 australia, tie test, beating england in england in 86, missed reliance cup in mumbai (celebrating pak loss earlier day, and crying over mumbai defeat next day), gavaskar retiring, vengsarkars purple patch.... then comes a small kid
of my own age, plays for india. That was the same time i had found a knack to score at exams and started enjoying studies. earlier i used to go to school to play criket in recess, did some dramas and quizes though, played club level hockey, nothing great about anything, could manage only 60% with rank hovering about 30 in class of 60. There was immediate identification of resurgence and a wishful thinking that sachin should excel. Plus there were reviews from gavaskar, and few others that this kid will make big. I still remember in my school days we used to have a show called kheliyad, sports quiz hosted by sharad avashthi (police guy). He had invited sachin and vinod kambli after they had made that partnership. I still remember sachins face then when he was shy to tell about his feat when asked by quiz master.
anyways right from those there was expectancy about sachin. and he delivered most of the times. thats his greatness. He has given so many joys to cricket fans like me for last 19 years, its hard to recollect those moments. Match saving 50 in pak, 100 in england, great 100 at sydney and perth, that ODI opening innings in NZ seen at hostel in KGP on a holi (best holi in my life), his first century in lanka, hero cup semifinals last over to SF(thats most memorable for me be it for his bowling), World cup semis when after his wicket there was disaster at calcutta, sharjah 98, australia 98, pak innigs where he felt short by 3 runs, last 3 wickets at kolkata (VVS test), Consistent batting in 02, worldcup pakistan match, then the injuries , england 07, australia 08 series, .. so many...
He has thrilled us all by his strokeplay and aggression (though he had to mend that due to injuries in latter half). In my school days we used to fear Sir Vivian Richards, when he came out to bat. i think there must be butterflies in stomach for bowlers those days as they must have walked back to their runup. I think same is true for sachin, bowlers have different thought process as they bowl, spectators have different sense of expectancy. And to me that makes him much great cricketer as exhilirating as IVA Richards, (sehwag comes close in that sense but there is a chance for bowler everytime).
Sheer Dominance..
Thats why he is champion. He believes in excellence. he is level headed and believes in simple value which we share with him ... These are other issues.
For me its the impact...