just like that

19th March,2006 will be an important day for all of Sachin fans. That was the day he was booed off his homeground after his dismissal. Sachin, atlast, they said had become mortal. People begun to come up with statistics saying how he has underperformed in the last few years, how he no longer deserved a place in the team, how he has never won a match for India single-handedly - the no. of hows seemed endless. This post is not as much about a debate about all that but just an attempt to view his life from the side of a great fan of him.

Leave alone others, even Sachin couldn't have dreamt of the great heights he were to reach when he first took strike in pakistan in 1989. Over the next few years, he became the undisputed god of a cricket crazy nation. I grew up idolizing him as did million others. That WorldTel signed him shortly afterwards for an astronomical sum was a surprise only to those who didn't follow him. I think some of his best knocks were during the 1996 World cup. The way he would tear apart attacks was truly a sight to behold. He was easily the best batsman in the world right then. But his best was yet to come. We have seen batsman win matches for teams but Sachin in 1998 won an entire series for India. The knock he made under the lights after that desert storm to get us into the finals is easily one among the greatest innings ever.

For me, it is not as much about all those knocks as it is about Sachin, the human being. To remain as simple and unassuming as this man has been is a lesson to any youngster, whether he is into cricket or not. That his words could calm an entire nation, which was furious after India's miserable performance in the first two matches of the 2003 world cup, speaks volumes about the great force behind that child like, smiling face. Time and again, so called experts have criticised him and his response has always been only through the willow.

Although I continue to be a great fan of his, I have to admit the fact that the spark is missing nowadays. He is still undoubtedly one among the best around, but, even he would acknowledge the fact that he is nowhere near his best. For cricket own's sake we need the "little master" back. Now that he is off for a couple more months due to a surgery, it is a good time for him to sit down and find out where it is going wrong. As Kapil Dev rightly pointed out, only he can judge exactly where he is , both physically and psycholgically.

I have always dreamt of India winning the World cup. Next year would probably be the last time Sachin plays the World cup. Nothing can be a greater feather in his cap than winning the World cup itself. For the sake of millions of fans like me, Go Sachin, Go! Win us the World cup!