Middle-class people are always faced with hardships and
subsequent fight to stay in the race. Nothing is simple and straight for them.
They are bogged down by all sorts of atrocities, physically or mentally,
whichever path they follow to achieve success but, what to do, they have no
other option but to struggle and struggle hard to make their way out of these
difficulties. This is how their life goes on and with time, they get used to
it. There are very few, who make a hard fight back to come out of this stage
and enter next stage of life. Yes, obviously, through determined work, passion
and bit of luck.
Now, here’s one incident, I pen down, which in very small way but
effectively relate to this struggling but hardworking community.
In 1989, Sachin made his entry in the Indian team. India was not
an open economy back then and the economy was in awful condition. There were
very few real-life heroes to look up to. India was very low in the rankings in
all of the individual and team sports. People watched cricket (thanks to
geniuses of those times), but not with the same religious zeal that they watch
it with now. Sachin went on his first international tour to Pakistan to face
their dreaded pace attack; he was just 16 then. The 4-match
series was 0-0, and the last test was being played between India and Pakistan
at the Jinnah stadium in Sialkot.
India started off very well getting a lead of 74 runs by batting first and then
quickly getting the Pakistani batsman out on low score.
It
looked everything fine for India till that moment; with match heading probably
towards another draw, but suddenly in the afternoon of the fourth day, India in
their second innings began to collapse. The Pakistani biggies Imran Khan, Wasim
Akram, Waqar Younis and the wily leggy Abdul Quadir were just bowling to
perfection which reduced India
to 38/4, having a lead of just 112 runs. Suddenly, the series had come alive
with Pakistan
having the advantage.
After
the wicket of Ravi Shastri, i.e. 4th wicket, in walked a kiddo Sachin
to the crease, who had an average kind of series till now, but he looked
determined. The pacers were ready to attack him and they did the same. They
kept on bowling him bouncers and body-line deliveries but Sachin played them
with lot of courage, focus and, holding his nerves, ended that day for India on
102/4 in partnership with Navjot Singh Sidhu. Sachin made 33 at the end of that
day, but still one more day was to go. All hopes were on those young shoulders
to stay firm on crease till the end, giving a stand to Sidhu who was senior-most,
experienced player and more importantly, he was playing well at that point of
time.
On
the last day of the test series, India took off from where they had left i.e.
going cautiously facing the bouncers and aggression from Pakistani attack. At
one stage umpire Holder had to warn Akram for intimidatory bowling. But it was
not going to stop as they seem some hope of winning the game by wrapping up
Indians early. In one particular over, Waqar Younis, also a debutant in this
series, attempted a bouncer delivery to Sachin and this time around, it went on
to hit Sachin on his nose and it struck hard.
Sachin
was on ground, bleeding profusely.
Though,
Sachin was playing with his helmet on, had no grills to his helmet, which
normally protects the facial part. The physio ran towards the middle to see
him. Everyone had gathered around him. At that time his brother Ajit Tendulkar
was also in the stadium, came to watch brother play his first test series,
appeared very disturbed at the incident.
The
Pakistanis now looked happy and wanted to see back of Sachin, as they were sure
he would go off field for medical assistance. As the physio checked him, Sidhu
put an arm around the 16-year old boy to enquire if he would like to go off,
but immediately came the reply from the youngster, “Paaji main Khelunga!!!”
He
decided to continue with the game as he wanted to take India safely to a draw.
The Pakistani supporters went wild, started taunting Sachin and also came with teasing
posters citing, “Sachin go back and have milk.”
But
nobody could stop him, staying on crease for approx three and a quarter hours,
he made a handsome 57 runs (second fifty of the series) before he was caught by
Nadeem Abbasi on Imran Khan’s bowling. Finally, the match ended in draw. Thanks
to Sachin and Sidhu’s heroics. What a courageous and confident innings it was
from Sachin. And from there on, he never looked back.
He was there to fight. This was the Indian
middle class boy refusing to buckle down to external pressure, harsh comments
and ready to fight, fight for survival. Since that day, Sachin and cricket have
been an outlet for the middle class people. Although IT and other revolutions have
changed a lot of things in India for the better, that day on the cricket field
and Sachin’s subsequent exploits have always been associated with the
middle-class fight back. It reached a stage that when Sachin used to get out,
people would stop watching the match. Here was a man who could compete with the
best in the world and come out as a winner. Nothing much we middle-class people
expect from life, all that we need is little happiness from somewhere in some
form, be it in bits and pieces, once in a while, we are satisfied, and this man
gave it all to us. His game creates a soothing effect for many and makes forget
all our worries, doesn’t it? Definitely a man whom we see as a ray of hope is one amongst us
only, who made his way through all kinds of hurdles to become a star. Remember,
a Lotus blossoms in mud.
