The other side of being a Sachin Tendulkar fan!

Being a Tendulkar fan is not easy; if you thought it was, think twice. 90% of the cricket crazy population in India believe that there is no bigger God than Sachin, the rest 10% do not rate him very high. For them, Sachin Tendulkar is someone to whom things came rather easily, but very few know how much struggle and hard work went into it. And these are the same critics who will raise a finger at you every time Sachin fails to deliver, as if it was your own fault. All these years, I had never publicly announced my liking for him, in fact, my childhood hero had always been Rahul Dravid - from the day I understood what Cricket was. I watched him more than I watched anyone else. Tendulkar was an unknown phenomenon for me. But as I grew up, I could hear only one name. A name that stopped time in India, brought nations together, rejoiced and cried at the same time. To witness all this was strange enough, but it got stranger when I saw my dad taking leaves from his work just to watch India play some other team. I could hear him saying, "Today, Sachin will score a century." At first, I thought he was lying. But he wasn't. Sachin would perform almost all the time, and my dad would be the first one to light firecrackers outside our house whenever he reached a landmark. It was amazing to see the confidence my dad had in him. This was enough motivation for me to find out more about the man himself. I don't know whether it was my dad's influence or what, but I started following this God-like cricketer and very soon, transformed myself into a devotee who was mesmerized by the way he played his cricket. Little did I realize then, that the road ahead was filled with challenges.

Everybody rejoices when Sachin plays, but to accept defeat and face criticism is a tough task. Thanks to the social media, I was suddenly exposed to a whole new world, where I came across people who rubbished everything this man has achieved in his life. It was then that I knew such people existed. Today, every time he goes out to bat, every fan in this country also accompanies him. The day he missed his 100th ton at Wankhede, my heart stopped for a second and so did everyone else's. And it was no surprise that I saw my Facebook wall flooded with anti-Sachin posts. Everybody spoke about how he missed his century after reaching the 90's for the 17th time in his career, but did anyone notice where he would be standing today, had he got all of them? The fact that he has 99 international hundreds to his name does speak a lot about him. It makes me laugh when people argue with no basis, only because they want to prove their point. Okay, he wasn't a great captain as we all know but having said that, how can you dismiss the credentials of someone like him who has given the sport all that he could and continues to do so? Another argument that always frustrates me is that, people think just because he debuted at a tender age of 16, he has scored so many runs and tons. So? How many cricketers have actually converted every opportunity presented to them into something meaningful? Sachin did, but that was no cakewalk. The road to glory was long enough and filled with hardships. I think some people are just not aware of the reality, or maybe they believe in the saying, "Ignorance is bliss". They do not want to belong to the majority and want to differ in their opinions. Sure they can, but not at the cost of refuting others. It is completely alright if SRT is not your God, and Rahul Dravid is. After all, everyone has the right of making their own choice. But what irritates me the most is the comparison that is often made between Sachin and other cricketers. A classic example was when a friend of mine said to me, "Hey, you know what, "MY" Dhoni has won India the World Cup, what has "YOUR" Sachin done?" And this was via Facebook. Now no matter how much I argued, I knew this person was hell bent on making me realize that Dhoni is, indeed, a better captain. I did not deny it either. But just how fair is it to compare a stalwart of the game with someone who is only beginning to learn the tricks of the trade? Captaincy is an aspect that can definitely be compared, but the comparison becomes pointless when it is done on an overall basis. I had to finally block him, for I could no longer bear his nuisance and his stupid, illogical comments. Similarly, when Sehwag broke his record of a double century, was it appropriate to assume that he is the greatest cricketer today? Only because he holds a world record? I would say no. Sehwag is a class apart, he only knows to hit the cricket ball. It did hurt me when Sachin's valuable effort of a 200* was so easily ridiculed. To score a 200-something in any form of the game is challenging, and these two men have done it with great courage, in their own style. Why can't we give them the credit they deserve and stop comparing?

Sometimes, I wish I had remained a Dravid fan, at least I'd be quietly proud of him and his heroics on the back stage, overshadowed by the greatness of Tendulkar. Sometimes, I wish I had never watched Cricket and instead, chosen to follow Football or some other sport. At least, I wouldn't carry the burden of defending him despite his great achievements. But my love for Cricket and Tendulkar has brought me far, too far to think about stepping back. So what if people talk about Sachin? Just like he continues to make India proud, we, his devoted fans will always be by his side, still waiting patiently for his 100th hundred - because we know, it will come when GOD wishes!