"It is clear now that after 50 runs, Tendulkar battles the demons in his head more than the bowlers on the field," former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar said on Twitter after Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed on 80 at the SCG on the fourth day of the second Test.
With all due respect, Mr Manjrekar, please enlighten us with how many tons have you scored in your career? And the criticism did not end there.
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"What India would have liked was that Sachin get the century out of the way even if the match was lost," former Australian captain Ian Chappell said. "But that did not happen. I think that hundred is weighing on Sachin's mind. If the 100 had come in Sydney, he and India would have gone to the next Test with a lot of relief.”
Who the hell is Ian Chappell and who has given him the right to blame Sachin's ton for India's pathetic performance? Oh I forgot, he is the same man who once said that "if Sachin Tendulkar is playing to eke out a career, he is wasting his time and should retire immediately ... A good long look into the mirror and decide what he's trying to achieve in the game."
Sachin has time and time again answered him with his bat. He is after all human and not a robot. Let's all leave him alone. Let him enjoy his game. Sachin's career is not over yet and it's just a matter of time when he reaches that milestone figure of a hundred international tons. Why does everyone have to talk about his century? Why the hell do our so called pundits have to blame the genius batsman for India's poor run in Test matches abroad? Do they have any idea that he is miles better than any other batsmen in the Indian team at the moment and is in superb form? Why does the whole world have to remind him that they are waiting for his ton? If the ton has to come it will come, if not he will be quite happy with his 99 hundreds and I can bet my life on it that no one from the current crop of the cricketers can break that milestone.
Tendulkar is in fine form, without a shadow of a doubt. He has mixed power with panache, and looked at ease — cutting, defending and caressing the ball to all parts of the ground in this series. He has been just unfortunate to lose his wicket because he is not getting enough support from the other.
We as humans really do not know how to respect or take care of our heroes, whoever it is; whether he is a freedom fighter or a cricketer. We seem to have a problem with successful people. We are always trying to bring down our current stars — either it's suspicion or jealousy, or whatever other reason, after putting them on a pedestal ourselves. It's a naked truth.
Since the day I started following cricket - some 20 years back - I have seen that Sachin has been forced to single-handedly take care of scoring runs for the past two decades. I don't think he asked for the responsibility. From a kid of five year to an old man of 80, the first thing they are really interested is in Sachin Tendulkar. Someone has to remind the pundits and Sachin’s critics that this a team game not an individual sport.
For people who think Sachin plays for records, my answer to them he is just a class above the rest and it's his dedication and temperament that has earned him so many accolades. The critics just can't stand that how come he can be so good and people think him as a God! We expect him to score a century each time he steps in to bat. He never claimed to be a God, as some of us referred to him.
For the statisticians, Sachin is still on 99 international hundreds, but for the common fan like me he still continues to entertain at the highest level. It need not always be a century; even a masterful innings is enough to keep the fan engaged.
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