Though that was the case, schooling was something that somehow needed you to have some avocation so that you keep with discussions happening around you. Then came the cricketing bug, that started biting me a bit. I was a guy who was totally into fantasy, cartoons, comics, novels and all other mystery land books. Every day at school when I would hear India would be playing a match, I would sneak into the living room and try to catch a glimpse of what's happening in the game.
Then something eyecatching would happen onscreen. Silken cuts placing the ball into spots that fielders couldn't spot or those mastery strokes that would fly the ball out of the stands would happen. Those were things that would catch me awestruck for brief spasms of time. Learning that those strokes were off the bat of a little master called Sachin, the game would keep me glued for sometime. Once the master was off the field, my cartoon cravings would start kicking in! So, in those days cricket for me meant only the times when Sachin would bat or bowl. It was very heartening enough for a guy who wasn't into sport watching. I even had a theory those days that whenever Sachin would bowl his spinner spell, a wicket was destined to fall!
Later as years progressed, my fascination for cricket was very limited, but confined to Sachin and a few Indian matches! As I grew I didn't feel the 'need' to watch the game as a compulsion, but when people at school would be discussing about any match, I would quip in between 'Sachin ne kitna maara?'. Sometimes, it would be embarassing and awkward for me when I ask the same question even when Sachin was not part of a match. Then I would be caught unawares by my friends, that I was really poor at following cricket! Even very recently when the T20 world cup was on, I would very confidently ask the question 'Sachin ne kitna banaya, India jeeti?'! So ignorant I was that I did not know Sachin doesn't play international T20!
Speaking of all these, Sachin's farewell to the cricket playing and cricket watching fraternity is truly sad. For a person like me, watching cricket was mostly defined by Sachin's play. When you have a whole country of circket worshippers with Sachin as their god, the feeling is truly inexplicable. Maybe it was never about the game or the runs made, it was only about his presence that brought a sense of aura to the game happening! For the cricketing world, Sachin was the superstar who brought glamour to the stage he stands on. Such honour I believe can be earned only when you are truly grounded. There are very few countable number of people who bring such active difference across multiple living generations. If you take the analogy of Bollywood with Sachin, the greats like Bachchan sir or any other were active when we were probably kids, and we did not directly get to watch their greatness on the silver screen.
But with Sachin, we've had the privilege of watching him play when you have you mom,dad or even granddad rooting for the same person! How many people can you mention with the same kind of fame across generations? Not many that I know of!
So, that sums up the Sachin effect for me. Many people now feel cricket watching shall not be the same without him. But for me, I can probably say cricket watching would not even exist for me! On that note, #ThankYouSachin for that very little and fond memories I have of you. Thank you!
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