I wrote yesterday about Sachin Tendulkar's last innings and his place in history but now the Little Master's illustrious career really has ended there is room for an extra blog from me. A million other writers will convey their love and admiration with greater skill or passion than I could muster, but I can't let the occasion pass without comment.
The boy from Bombay (as was) may not actually have been the most entertaining or exciting batsman ever, nor even the one with the highest average, but who can doubt his immense popularity. Bradman, Richards, Sobers, Compton and co may have edged Tendulkar in many ways but none of them could have bowed out in such a theatrical climax on home territory. Were there any Indians not watching on TV either as he left the pitch for the final time, either as batsman or victorious fielder?
People have performed objective and subjective statistical analyses of Tendulkar's contributions to India over the past 24 years, including the ICC rankings, and concluded that his stature owes more to longevity and consistency than world-leading brilliance at any single point. True, he was almost always part of an excellent batting line-up and so he didn't necessarily stand out in his team as much as, say, Peter May, Greg Chappell or, more recently, Brian Lara. Nevertheless, 24 years at the top, seeing off almost all modern competitors to the title of greatest ever, is an achievement in itself. His thanks to the doctors was probably truly heartfelt but of course his talent, temperament and humility have elevated him above even Ponting, Lara and his often under-rated partner Rahul Dravid in the eyes of many cricket supporters.
The 2nd Test slaughter of the woeful Windies included memorable centuries by Sharma and Pujara and a terrific ten-wicket haul for Pragyan Ojha. The two-match series also featured excellent all-round contributions by Ravi Ashwin. It also featured an embarrassing couple of performances by the Caribbean opposition. Yet such is the drama of a legend's farewell that the series and the day belonged to Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.
Good luck to his successors Kohli, Dhawan, Sharma et al. It's down to them, along with the new spin twins, to maintain India's place at or close to the top of world cricket. No pressure!
