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As ‘Little Master’ Sachin Tendulkar touched down at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport on Sunday, the ‘rice lights’ dotting the City of Joy’s landscape on a hazy Diwali evening seemed to glow brighter than the night sky lit up by fireworks amid the cacophony of bursting crackers.It was Kolkata’s way of welcoming a modern-day Rama, who is revered like the ‘Lord of Ayodhya’ in a nation where cricket bridges all divides. It’s just a coincidence that Sachin is in town on Diwali, the day on which the natives also worship Goddess Kali, for the welcome has never been any different each time the Little Master has set foot in the land of Tagore and Vivekananda.
In an international career spanning 24 years, the cricket world has embraced Sachin as its own for his craftsmanship with a piece of willow that lesser mortals use as a bat. As he has traversed the globe --- from Mumbai to Melbourne, Jamaica to Johannesburg, Sialkot to Surrey, Colombo to Christchurch ---Sachin has developed a fan following that is unparalleled in the game’s long history. Even prudish Yorkshiremen were bowled over by Sachin, who became the first overseas-born player to represent the English county in 1992.
Kolkatans, who have this unique habit of ‘adopting’ sports icons, fell in love with the Mumbaikar much before the world woke up to his prodigious talent. Sachin was quick to requit the love and affection showered on him by the Eden crowd which still swears by his name.
It will be no different when he takes the field on Wednesday, for the first of his two farewell matches, at the Eden Gardens where he has not missed a Test match since making his debut in Karachi in 1989. Sachin’s 199th Test will be his 13th at Eden Gardens, which once used to pride itself in being the ‘Mecca’ of cricket.
Eden Gardens may no longer be the ‘paradise’ it used to be, nor Sachin the batsman of yore, but the two share a unique chemistry that continues to kindle world’s cricket’s longest ‘romance’.
No cricketer has played more international matches (25; 12 Tests, 13 ODIs) than Sachin on Eden’s hallowed turf. Thirteen is certainly not an unlucky number for Sachin or Eden as they get ready for a final fling later this week. There is no better sight in cricket than Sachin in full flow at an Eden Gardens in full bloom.
Just about everyone wants a ‘biggie’ from the master batsman in his last tango at Eden. He made the world wait for his hudredth hundred for one whole year before ‘bestowing’ that honour on Mirpur, Dhaka last year.
Eden Gardens is waiting in anticipation for Sachin’s 101st. The game’s most prolific century-maker has gone 26 months without making one in a white shirt since the Cape Town Test in January 2011, but expectations have always been high from Sachin, who had reminded the late Don Bradman of himself.
It is foolhardy to quantify Sachin in numbers, for they overwhelmingly stare down on us.
It is the memories and joy that he has bestowed on us that will linger long. Interestingly, Sachin, who has scored more international runs at Eden (1358; 862 in 12 Tests and 496 in 13 ODIs) than any other player, will also be remembered for two telling bowling spells at this venue.
Eden faithfuls still recall Sachin’s magical final over against South Africa in the Hero Cup semifinal in 1993. The Proteas’ last pair of Brian McMillan and Alan Donald needed just six runs off the last over to knock India out of the competition.
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