After India’s rare home series defeat, and previous thumpings by Australia and England, fingers are being pointed in all directions. One focus is captain MS Dhoni, although he is more apt to blame the weather or dastardly groundsmen preparing unsuitable pitches (oh, the irony!). The lack of top-class seamers, spinners, batsmen, selectors, coaches, … That just about covers every possible angle short of the extra-terrestrial! No doubt all, except perhaps the form-warping beams from Mars, have been factors in India’s fall from grace in Test matches in the past 18 months.
Inevitably, Sachin Tendulkar has also been criticised. Too old, too selfish, too quiet? It’s true that he can no longer be relied on to produce the big winning innings or the match-saver of yore. For all the stuff of legend that makes up SRT, he has never been a one-man team. His incredible career has spanned those of other Indian greats like Kapil Dev, Azharuddin, Kumble and of course Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman. Sehwag is still there, and is just as culpable as the Little Master, even if he did manage a century in the victory at Ahmedabad.
The statistics do not lie. Tendulkar’s last Test century came at Cape Town almost two years ago, since when he has played more than 30 innings. In 2012 he has passed 50 only twice in fifteen attempts and in the series against England was dismissed in single figures four times out of six. They are not the stats of a player on top of his game. However, even the greatest batsmen go through barren patches. Lesser mortals get dropped, but tried and trusted cricketers are allowed to continue in the knowledge that they will come good sooner rather than later. This has happened to Tendulkar before.
In 2002, he had three ducks in four innings in the West Indies. Two years later, he produced a sequence against Pakistan and the Aussies that read: 2-8-1-8-2-5. In 2008 he experienced another ten innings without even a fifty to his name. Each time he bounced back with a vengeance. While he played few Tests in 2009, the following year was his most prolific. Seven centuries and 1,562 runs at an average of 78 flowed from his bat as his country climbed to the top of the tree.
He has had worse years than 2012 but a Test average of barely 23 hardly engenders massive confidence, and those around him, Pujara and Kohli apart, don’t seem to be pulling their weight either. Despite bucketloads of money and a billion cricket-mad inhabitants, India are struggling as a force in international cricket right now. When that happens, many choose to scrap the system and put their faith in youth. I don’t think that is a very good strategy for any team, provided there are some wise heads around to guide the emerging talent.
The big question now is whether Tendulkar has the form and mentoring ability required. History shows that he has pulled it around before and shone like a beacon. Trouble is, that is history; the Little Master is 39 years old. Even the all-time great Sir Don Bradman retired just short of his 40th birthday, his last two innings being 173 not out and 0. Dravid and Ponting knew when to call it a day. Kallis goes on, playing superbly, so of course Sachin wants to continue, especially with an Aussie series beckoning.
I don’t think he should wait that long. I’m sure that selectors wouldn’t allow him that luxury, either. Nobody wants to exit on a low, but how long can you persevere in search of that perfect moment to leave with head held high? Given that SRT’s status as all-time cricketing legend is assured, nobody would complain if he chose to retire now. Better that than have the decision made for him.
