Tendulkar - Excellence Redefined!!

12th September, Bengaluru - They say that jealousy and anger are the purest forms of emotion. Well they both took a back seat, here at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Sachin Tendulkar had scored his 6th Double Century.

If there is one person who can manage to unite India, even at the time of it's worse crisis (read : President's rule in Karnataka, CWG - Joke, terrorism threats along with your morning cuppa etc.), then it has to be the Little Master. I was there in the stands shouting and howling everytime Sachin took guard.

I went there to see 4 things. A Sachin Double Century, A Trademark Sachin Cover-drive, A Sachin Straight Drive and a Ponting Pull. Within half an hour of the first session, the first 3 were granted almost magically. That is 250 bucks well spent!

We as Indians are probably used to Sachin scoring centuries, but the happiness felt when he gets to each and everyone of them is probably much more genuine and greater than the happiness he himself derives out of it. Indians, surely, are not happy when someone else achieves something in life. Sachin makes sure they make an exception in his case.

There are a couple of Sachin moments which are etched in my memory.

1) Challenger Series for the NKP Salve Trophy.India Blues bat first against India Reds . Sachin is just making his return to cricket after his tennis elbow injury. Takes Guard. A young seamer, brimming with exuberance and aggression gets his big chance to bowl to the great one. He runs in hard, digs the ball in short and it whizzes past Sachin with lightning fast speed. The seamer impressed with his own delivery decides to act a bit cheeky and continues with his follow through till about an arm's distance from Tendulkar and gives him a stare-down. Sachin stays silent. The next delivery, again dug in short, but Sachin has made amends. He rushes down the track, makes room and clobbers the rising delivery straight down the ground, almost like a Tennis Forehand shot. He stays silent, but the bat says, Never ever come THAT close to my master again. The young Seamer in question over here is Shantakumaran Sreesanth.

2) Couple of years back at the Wankhede Stadium. India playing England. Sachin going through his worst patch as far as batting is concerned. He is booed off the field by his own people after being given out. Probably the begining of another era of pure greatness.

3)Dont quite remember which match this was, neither the team or date. Sachin playing his first test after Mr. Ramesh Tendulkar expired. Scores a century, looks to the heavens and says. "This is for you Baba". That is where the sobre "raising up the hands" celebration originated.

There are very few people on earth who dont respect Sachin Tendulkar. They are the ones who have never heard of him. For, even the ones who loathe him have utmost respect for him as a human being. He is by far the most thorough gentleman Cricket as seen.

I had the honor of witnessing him, weave his magic yet again from fairly close quarters. The enigma around him is pure magic. India began defending its slender lead after lunch. It was almost poetic cruelty, since sachin had to come out to field almost 15 minutes after he was castled off a bottom edge by yet another debutant by the name Peter George. When he took the field, it was madness. Vuvuzelas, trumpets and other wind instruments went off wild!!
Our man positioned himself near the Fine Leg boundry when Katich was on strike and would move on to the Sweeper positioned whenever Watson came on strike. People in the respective stands would rush down their seats just to bow down to him.

Sachin would just give a sheepish smile and acknowledge the love with a wave of his right hand.

To...Change....

September 19th, 2009. That was my last post on Credo. Thats a hell lot of time.
A year has passed and i consider myself lucky to still remember the password and login id!!

So howz everyone? Doin' good?

Really wanted to get back to some writing! Good news for Baroda Gang!! Woohooo!!

Was in TCS a year back. Things have changed since then. Major Goof-ups. Minor Goof-ups. Big Letdowns. Bigger Letdowns. Unemployment. Joblessness. Fear of being a nobody. Joining a Call Center out of sheer desperation.Then that Sickening feeling. Working with some of the wierdest people of this face of the Earth. Family issues. Frustration. Venting it out on near and dear ones. Dad askin me to take a break. Goa with friends. Tattoos. New Religion, New Gods. Along with the existing ones. Finding myself again. Becoming human again. Self Confidence. Quitting the Call Center out of sheer disgust. Know what i want from life. Pursuit. Clutching it in my hands and not letting it slip like before. Bangalore. Manipal University : MBA - M&E Division BABY!!!

Hell YEAH!!!

Never....and i say NEVER....have i felt so light and good!! I can FLY for the love of god!!

To early to say if i have met good people. But i sure have met people i want to be with. People i want to work with. People who share my wave-length. There are crazy ones....there are the nosie ones...there are the sweet and cuddly ones....there are the flirts....there are the people whom you just wanna squish!

Iv got a class full of humans and not extra-terrestrials!! And i like this Change.
Freedom is something i have craved for. And i promise to my parents, that i will not let you down.
All i wanted was a chance to live my life my way. Just wanted to try and know how it feels. So far so good maa.

The day still haunts me. My dreams crashing down on me. "Nasrun Minal Lahi..Wah Fatahun Kareeb" is what I kept murmuring time and again like a retard. "God Give me the strength to Endure" is what it means. And By GOD it worked wonders!!

What I learned over the past one year is something that has burried itself in my spine. Other people had problems too. Bigger ones. I learned to look at them with respect and sympathy. Life gives me a reality check every time i scoff at someone's misery.

I got the change i so badly needed in my life. A detour was on the cards. Bangalore happened. Iv got 2 years to undo all those goof-ups. Aint so hard either. I know i will. And yeah.....im human too! Im allowed to make mistakes!! God told me so!!


To...Change.....


- Raaghav Ramachandran