THANK YOU SACHIN

This time around, it's not a book review, but a tribute to a legend...

As we bid farewell to one of the greatest cricketers to have ever stepped upon the face of this earth, I, as a boy living in the US, think about how Sachin Tendulkar has influenced my life. 

One of my earliest memories of Sachin was during the 2006 India-Pakistan test series. We had many close friends come over to watch India play, and watch Sachin bat. At the time, I was only 4 years of age. I remember coming downstairs after waking up late, only to find that he was out. I remember being disappointed and then running back and forth across the hall, pretending I was Sachin running between the wickets, screaming things like, "Sachin scores 3 runs,  Next ball, Tendulkar hits a Six! (I hadn't exactly understood the fact that Sachin Tendulkar was one person; I thought that Sachin and Tendulkar were two completely different people)!!

When we went to India in 2006, my father bought me a toy cricket set. That year, at the age of 4, I learned how to play cricket. Since then, I've been playing with my father, (in our basement) for the past 8 years. Watching Sachin always kept me interested in learning how to play properly. I kept watching and following India(and Sachin) play. In 2008, I really started following cricket, checking Cricinfo's scorecards daily. This was mainly because of the IPL. Though my favorite team was, and always will be CSK, I always loved watching Sachin play for Mumbai. It was wonderful to see a great player like him adjust to the T20 format and still do very well. 

Around 2010, I began to go crazy about cricket; First thing in the morning, every morning, I would go and read previews, and many other articles. During the 2011 World Cup, I woke up before 4 in the morning, and on some days, stayed home from school to watch Sachin play. It was great to see Sachin play so well and end up as one of India's top scorers. I was very disappointed to see him get out in the final, but was overjoyed to see India win, and watch Sachin being carried on his teammates shoulders. 

One might find it hard to believe that I am so interested (correction: obsessed) with cricket even though I live in the US. I have never played gully cricket in India or lived there. However, even in the US, I feel the effect that Sachin has over people. In 2011, on our trip to Paris and London, The one thing I was most excited about was the practice match(ODI) that India played against Kent. Sachin was 12th man. When he came out of the pavilion to wave to the crowd, I couldn't believe it. I was overjoyed, finally, I had seen my greatest role model, Sachin Tendulkar.

Sachin has inspired me so much. Not only is he a great player, but is also a great man. I find that Sachin Tendulkar is a man who possesses almost all the good values that my parents have taught me. He has been a role model to me in the way he conducts himself, on and off the field. He is very humble, and also makes sure that even with his extremely tough schedule, and an 'almost-privacy-less' life, he still spends time with family. My knowledge of Sachin and his career, was greatly increased when I read books like Sach (by Gautam Bhattacharya), Sachin: The Story of the World's Greatest Batsman(by Gulu Ezekiel), and Sachin - Tribute to a Legend(by The Hindu). 

Last week, I stayed up till midnight, (I had school the next day) watching the beginning of Sachin's 200th and final test match. Before the match, my father and I watched some of Sachin's best knocks. When the game started, it felt as if I was there; The hot, humid air of Mumbai, Ravi Shastri's booming  voice, and the Wankhede crowd's deafening roar all seemed to drift off the iPad screen. The next morning, I awoke at 6 to see Sachin batting. Again, the next night, I watched as Sachin reached his 50. The next day, it was all over. Later, when I heard a replay of Sachin's speech, I was almost brought to tears, seeing the great man for the last time.

Thank You Sachin...

-Akash Jyothish