When GOD decides it is over..

December 23rd will go down in history as one of the most significant days for Cricket. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar decided it is time to move on and give youngsters an opportunity to play ODI cricket. Having said that, it doesn't mean he is lesser than any of the youngsters who are currently playing Limited Over Cricket.

It is difficult to write about a living legend by anyone and the irony is one cannot write enough about Him. It is like an Ode to the Almighty, how much ever you sing your heart still wants to sing more.
Exit of Sachin from the ODI format marks an end of an Era it also makes one feel Old because we literally grew up with Him.
Right from his Debut under Kris Srikanth, from the days when He and Kapil were Brand Ambassadors of Boost (The Secret of Our Energy) to the Glory of 2011, every match in every series he played, not just marks a milestone in his career but also marks one in our lives.

For instance, the Sharjah matches of 143 and 134 were during my Board Examinations, I wonder how I cleared those, but I did :).
Then came World Cup in the Summer of 1999 and that marks my struggle to prepare for numerous Entrance and Qualifying Examinations, I still wonder how I cleared those, but again I did :).
Moving on the timeline came the Summer of 2003, a fantastic display of Aggression by the Little Master against the Arch-rivals Pakistan, it was also Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis's last world cup and they wouldn't go home with a great memory of it. That marked my preparation for the final exams during my under graduate years, funny that I cleared those exams too.
More than bothered about the exams, I remember we all were unhappy that Shoaib won the final battle by not letting little master score the Century we all yearned for, he was out 2 short of the landmark. Although we were happy he won the game for us, but as a youth of the 20th century with blood boiling to the core we wanted to see the end of Shoaib as much as the century of Sachin. Cannot ask for more though, Sachin has indeed given great memories of that World Cup.

And then there was the Shameful World Cup 2007, where we saw the Horror in the eyes of Sachin when Bangladesh Defeated India and India couldn't move ahead in the Tournament. Those were the times when I had got a career advancement.

Then there was Late Winter of 2010, Sachin made history becoming the first batsmen in history of ODI to score a double-hundred against the Mighty South Africans, I remember this day as it so happened like in the past, it was during the time when we were celebrating the completion of the rigorous first term of our Post-Graduation course.

World Cup 2011 and the match against England saw a classic Sachin batting with panache to help India move forward in the tournament. They did not start as favorites but this particular match made sure India is reckoned as favorites to Win the cup. This match and of course the Match Against South Africa which India lost to some poor bowling but the duel between Sachin and Steyn was Phenomenal. It also, as I remember, marked the days when I got an offer to move ahead in my career something I will never forget in my life.


I am sure everyone will have some or the other personal or career memories in-line with Sachin's matches.

These were my Personal Favorite moments of Sachin's career albeit there are numerous others.

The following are some of his match winning or series special knocks which go unnoticed or are not much talked about,

1. India v Australia - Singer World Series - Sachin scores his first Century after 5 years from Debut and won the Match for us. Believe it or not he tormented McGrath in that match who stopped bowling after 6 overs :). This is something you would cherish in hindsight :D

2. India v New Zealand - Wills Word Series - Sachin scores his Second Century for a winning cause.

3. India vs West Indies - Wills World Series Final - Sachin scores a fantastic Half-century again for a winning cause against a strong West Indies bowling attack.

4. India vs Sri Lanka - Sharjah - Probably Sachin's most favored ground, a target of 200 odd runs was reached with 16 overs to spare such was the massacre by young Tendulkar.

5. India vs Sri Lanka - World Cup 1996 - A fantastic century by Sachin went in vain against the miserable, probably fixed, bowling of Manoj Prabhakar. It marked the beginning of the Dark Age of Cricket.

6. India v New Zealand - in 1999 - Sachin played a Captains knock to score 186. Although he did not do well during his captaincy there were still great moments like this and the one against Pakistan in Toronto where he did show his excellence in captaincy followed by the Series Down-Under in Australia.

7. India vs Australia - in 2008 - 1st final of the last CB Series to be ever conducted in Australia Sachin scores a Fantastic Century giving India a lead in the 3-match finals.

8. Australia v India - 2008 - After Brisbane final Sachin follows it up with a even better half century at the Second Final at Sydney, a ground where Sachin holds his best records against Australia.

Every time You walked down towards the pitch our hearts were filled with Joy,
Every time you hit a Six it rushed blood through our veins,
Every time you hit a four, especially the straight drive, it resulted in goosebumps for us,
Every time you missed a ball it made our hearts skip a beat,
Every time you got out we switched off the TV.....

ODI matches will not be the same without you. I hope this retirement prolongs your Test Career but I am sure the days are near when you would quit International Cricket and that would also mark the end of a Epoch in Cricket.

Thank you Sachin for the great memories and for making every match of your's a moment in our lives.