*Soon after retirement, Sachin awarded Bharat Ratna
MUMBAI, Nov 16: At exactly 11.47 am on a balmy Saturday morning, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar bid a tearful adieu to international cricket after an illustrious career lasting exactly 24 years and a day in which he played 200 Test matches, 463 ODIs and a lone T20 scoring 34,357 international runs.
It was not a jam-packed Wankhede Stadium like yesterday but at least 25,000 were still in attendance to witness one of the most poignant moments in the history of Indian cricket as the last West Indian wicket fell.
The 40-year-old maestro, who had rarely let emotions show on his cherubic face, began to break down after being presented a souvenir stump by his teammates. Wiping tears, he trudged back to the dressing room but not before acknowledging the fans and shaking hands with the West Indian cricketers at the boundary line.
The West Indies players personally congratulated Tendulkar as he accepted each and every emerging hand with the same grace and humility that has been his hallmark for almost two and half decades.
The crowd was on its feet, so were each and everyone in the press-box. He was back on the ground for the presentation accompanied by his wife Anjali and children, Arjun and Sara.
After being presented a couple of mementos, Tendulkar gave a speech to thank every contributor to his 24-year-career before taking a lap of honour.
The TV crew tried to catch each and every contour of Tendulkar’s facial expression before the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli hoisted him on their shoulders.
The master was seen waving the tri-colour as he acknowledged his emotionally-overwhelmed fans.
He came back to the ground one last time and touched the 22-yard strip with his hands as a mark of respect.
His family was with him throughout and they were also vociferously cheered by the crowd. It was one moment where emotions were difficult to control.
Some had moist eyes, those who know how to conceal their emotions probably hid it under their shades.
Everyone knew that the moment would arrive today but will vouch for their lives that they didn’t want it ever to arrive.
For once, fans wanted Marlon Samuels not to hit that ugly stroke, they wanted Chris Gayle not to edge that cut shot so that Tendulkar could stay on there for a little bit longer.
For a generation that grew up during 80’s and 90’s, it was difficult to live a life and not love Sachin Tendulkar. For those of the earlier generation, it was difficult not to compare with him their hero Sunil Gavaskar.
There were some great players like VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble but they were all supporting actors in the great saga called Indian cricket as there was only one hero — that 5’5” man from Bandra.
He touched hearts when he dedicated his century against England in the Chennai Test in 2008 to the victims of the Mumbai terror attack.
Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar retired from international cricket quietly, so did Dravid and Laxman holding their customary press conferences.
Ganguly and Kumble got a farewell but it was much muted by those standards. But when it came to Tendulkar, who has truly transcended all boundaries, it was only fitting that a billion people would be swayed by emotions.
The adjectives will get exhausted but the legend of Tendulkar will continue to stay on with us.
Simply put, there won’t be another Sachin Tendulkar. They don’t make cricketers like him anymore.
A teary-eyed Sachin Tendulkar brought the curtains down on his phenomenal career by giving a heart-warming speech to thank his family, coaches, teammates, friends and fans, saying it was hard to believe that his life between “22 yards in the last 24 years” has come to end.
Trying hard to control his emotions, Tendulkar had the Wankhede crowd spell-bound with a thanks-giving speech every word of which drew applause.
“Friends please settle down, I’ll get more emotional! It’s hard to believe my wonderful journey is coming to an end,” Tendulkar said immediately after his 200th and final Test which India won by an innings and 126 runs.
Handed the microphone at the end of the presentation ceremony, the 40-year-old struggled to keep his composure as he took out a list of people to thank at the end of a remarkable journey.
“I have got a list of people to thank because sometimes I forget,” he joked.
“The first is my father (Ramesh Tendulkar), who passed away in 1999. Without his guidance I wouldn’t be standing in front of you. He said ‘chase your dreams, don’t give up, the path will be difficult.’ I miss him today,” said Tendulkar, who always looked heavenwards after every big knock in memory of his father.
Next in the list was his mother Rajni, who came to watch him for the first time in his farewell match and the other immediate family members.
“I don’t know how she managed a naughty child like me. She just prayed and prayed from the day I started playing the game. For four years I stayed with my uncle and aunt when in school, they treated me like their own son,” he said.
“My eldest brother Nitin doesn’t like to talk much but he said, ‘whatever you do, I know you will give 100 per cent’. My first cricket bat was presented to me by my sister Savita. It was a Kashmir willow. She still continues to fast while I bat,” he said.
“Ajit my brother, We have lived this dream together. He sacrificed his career for me, he took me to (Ramakant) Achrekar sir first. Even last night he called me to discuss my dismissal. Even when I’m not playing we will still be discussing technique. If that hadn’t happened, I would have been a lesser cricketer,” he added.
Tendulkar then thanked wife Anjali for being the best partner that life could have given him.
“The most beautiful thing happened to me when I met Anjali in 1990. I know that being a doctor there was a big career in front of her. When we had a family, she decided that I should continue playing and she took care of the children. Thanks for bearing with me for all the nonsense I’ve said. You are the best partnership that I had in my life,” Tendulkar said as an emotionally-overwhelmed Anjali cried in the presentation area.
Tendulkar’s two kids, son Arjun (14) and daughter Sara (16), were also present at the ceremony and Tendulkar promised them a lion’s share of his time now as reward for being patient when he missed their special days for cricket.
“The two precious diamonds of my life Sara and Arjun. I’ve missed out on several birthdays, holidays, annual days. I know for 14-16 years I’ve not spent enough time with you. But I promise you that the next 16 and the many more after that are yours,” he said.
Tendulkar also thanked his in-laws for, most importantly for letting him marry Anjali! He also did not forget to thank his friends but didn’t name anyone in particular.
“My in-laws – I’ve discussed several things with them. The most important thing they did was to allow me to marry Anjali.
So, thank you for that,” he said, lightening the heavy atmosphere surrounding his farewell.
“In the last 24 years my friends have made terrific contributions. They have been with me while I was stressed. They have been with me even at 3am when I was injured. Thanks for being there for me,” he said.
Not to forget his first coach Ramakant Achrekar, who came down to the stadium for the first time to watch him in action, and the BCCI for supporting him.
“My career started when I was 11. I was extremely delighted to see Achrekar sir in the stands. I used to ride on his scooter and play two matches a day. Sir took me along to make sure I played. On a lighter note, Sir never said ‘well played’ because he didn’t want me to be complacent. You can push your luck now, Sir, since I’m not playing cricket anymore,” he joked.
“The BCCI was fantastic from my debut. Thanks to the selectors. You were right with me making sure my treatment was taken care of,” Tendulkar said.
Tendulkar also thanked his fellow cricketers and the support staff, especially the doctors and trainers.
“Thanks to all the senior cricketers who have played with me. We see on the screen Rahul (Dravid), VVS (Laxman), Sourav (Ganguly), Anil (Kumble) who is not here. All the coaches,” he said.
“I know when MS (Dhoni) presented the 200th Test cap, I had a message to the team – I said ‘we are all so proud to be representing the nation. I hope to continue to serve the nation with dignity. I have full faith that you will serve the country in the right spirit’.
“I will be failing in my duty if I didn’t thank the doctors who have kept me fit. Given the injuries I have suffered. They have treated me in odd hours,” he said.
“My dear friend the late Mark Mascarenhas. I miss him. My current management team WSG, for continuing what Mark has done. Someone who has worked closely with me for 14 years is my friend Vinay Nayudu,” he added.
“The media has backed me a lot, since my school days. Even today. Thank you. Thanks to the photographers for capturing those moments.”
In the end, Tendulkar thanked the millions of adoring fans by saying that the chants of ‘Sachin, Sachin’ that resonated in the stadiums would remain with him till the last moment of his life.
“I know my speech has become long. I want to thank people who have flown in from different parts of the world here. I want to thank my fans from the bottom of my heart. ‘Sachin, Sachin’ will reverberate in my ears till I stop breathing,” he said, drawing a deafening applause from the crowd.
Keeping her emotions in check, Anjali Tendulkar said it would be difficult to imagine her husband Sachin without cricket and that not playing the game anymore would be emotional not just for him but the entire family.
“I can’t imagine Sachin without cricket. I can imagine cricket without him but I can’t imagine Sachin without cricket,” said Anjali.
Anjali brought Tendulkar – the family man – to the fore and said the things at home are going to be a whole lot different.
“Once he is in things are going to be different. I think all of us will have to get used to him having around at home. But I would really be happy to hand him over some of the responsibilities,” she added.
Anjali informed that Sachin is not someone who shows his emotions. Sachin, however, did become emotional and teardrops rolled down on either side of his eyes when his teammates gave him a guard of honour after their victory.
Asked if she would put up the goggles to hide her emotions, Anjali said: “I am someone who doesn’t show emotions that much. But in the last month, just thinking about it, bring tears to my eyes. Today or tomorrow, when it happens, it is going to really really emotional.”
Anjali said Sachin handled the retirement “really well” and the decision was arrived at after he discussed his future with her.
“Can’t explain what it is like for all of us. It took quite a bit of thinking from him whether to retire and when to retire. But once the decision was taken I think he handled it really well. I said ‘it’s fine. You don’t have to feel bad about it. You don’t have to feel guilty about it’.
“He always said that the minute he feels he can’t give 100 per cent anymore that will be the time. One day, he just told me ‘I think the time is right. I feel I should retire’. I think everything fitted in so well because a tour was just announced in India. Everything fitted in perfectly.”
“He is obviously been overwhelmed by the response of everyone, not only in Mumbai but in the whole country and all over the world. The way people have reacted has overwhelmed us,” she said.
Anjali said Sachin can never switch himself off from the game.
“He is never completely switched off from cricket. All these years, if he has a one month break and we are in a holiday, he always says that I can’t eat too much because I have to get back to playing. He is always going to the gym or practising with Arjun.”
Anjali said their kids, Sara and Arjun, also don’t allow emotions to get the better of them.
“I think she (Sara) is ok. She is just like her father and doesn’t show her emotions. When they were born their father was already playing for India. With all these things going around, I think now they will realise exactly who their father was. It’s all sinking in.”
She also said Sachin was pleasantly surprised to see his son as a ball boy on the second day of the match.
“Arjun is in the Mumbai Under-14 probables. The first day when he came he saw his friends down in the field. He was feeling terrible that he wasn’t with his friends.”
Anjali said even before they got married, she knew Sachin belonged first to Mumbai and then the country.
“Even before we got married I knew that he is not only mine but he belongs to Mumbai, he belongs to the country and after only he belongs to me.”
Meanwhile, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and eminent scientist Prof C N R Rao were chosen for Bharat Ratna with the batting maestro, who retired from international cricket today, being the first sportsman to be bestowed with the country’s highest civilian honour.
Tendulkar(40) and Rao(89), both of whom are recipients of Padma Vibhushan–the country’s second highest civilian honour, join a list of 41 eminent personalities to get the award given in recognition of exceptional service of the highest order since it was instituted in 1954.
The announcement was made by Rashtrapati Bhavan within hours after Tendulkar played his 200th Test.
An official statement said Tendulkar has been a true Ambassador of India in the world of sports and his achievements in cricket are unparallelled, the records set by him unmatched, and the spirit of sportsmanship displayed by him exemplary.
“That he has been honoured with several awards is testimony to his extraordinary brilliance as a sportsman,” it said, noting that Tendulkar has played cricket across the world and won laurels for the country during the last 24 years since a young age of 16.
An outspoken scientist, Prof Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao is a well recognized international authority on solid state and materials chemistry who has published over 1,400 research papers and 45 books.
He is the third scientist after C V Raman and former President A P J Abdul Kalam to be given the Bharat Ratna.
Prof Rao’s contributions have been recognized by most major scientific academies around the world through conferment of memberships and fellowships and has been honoured with several national and international awards, the official announcement said.
He currently serves as the Head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India.
There have been continuous demands for a long time for Tendulkar to be conferred the top honour and the eligibility criteria for it was revised last year to accommodate sportspersons as well.
Tendulkar is also the first active sportsperson to become a Rajya Sabha member last year.
The Bharat Ratna was announced after a gap of four years with Hindustani music doyen Bhimsen Joshi being the last recipient in 2009. (Agencies).
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