Sachin Again.

I have been very vocal and critical, something particular, about Sachin Tendulkar. I challenged my friend and was proven right again. India in a Final, Day/Night match, India chasing under lights. A gettable total,classy opponents. Great players rise to the occasion. Play an innings out of their skins while chasing the total, innings which takes the team to victory. Take the onus onto oneself, lead the chase from the front, make an improbable chase to a succesful one, single handedly lead from front and secure a great win, which leads to winning the tournament.
Exactly the kind of innings the world's best batsman should be playing. Yet it did'nt happen. Sachin was the top scorer in the tournament. But when it mattered the most, he failed again.So is he really the World's Best Batsman.

Some journalist has written very well, what exactly I had in mind. ( Obvious that's why he is a Journalist and I am not.) I am re-producing that article below.

By Tapan Joshi
Sachin Tendulkar was outstanding once again, and India emerged second best yet again, as Australia clinched the tri-series at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on November 18. This is one scenario that is being repeated ever since Tendulkar became India’s number one batsman sometime in the mid-90s. He plays his guts out, shoulders the team to the brink of glory and then, everything falls apart.

Would it be fair to say Tendulkar fails to rise to the big occasion? It is indeed a highly debatable point. But would it be so wrong to say that Tendulkar hasn’t delivered the knock out punch? Isn’t Tendulkar like a heavy weight boxer who does everything right but fails to deliver that one punch and allows his opponent off the hook?

In a team game, there are a few who shine brighter than most to become individual champions in their own rights. Wasn’t it Tendulkar’s failure that India faltered by 37 runs against Australia at the Eden Gardens the other night? Shouldn’t he be anchoring the innings and holding fort at one end?

Tendulkar is the first to agree that he should have been there till the very end. “We should have played 50 overs,” he said. What he meant was HE should have been around to see India home. It is here that his critics point out to the likes of Steve Waugh and Brian Lara from among his contemporaries and Vivian Richards from an earlier generation. Even Sunil Gavaskar is regarded more valuable when it comes to saving the Test matches.

True, the Indian fielders were horrible and allowed the Aussies to get to almost 240 when they could have folded up for much less. Agreed, the other batters fell like nine pins around Tendulkar. But those who followed the final game will let you know that had Tendulkar remained at the crease a little longer than he did, he could have anchored the innings Dravid and even Badani were striking the ball well.

The psychological edge that opponents gain when they dismiss Tendulkar is best summed up by Ricky Ponting: “Once we get him, we know we can get the rest. He means so much to the Indian batting line-up. The moment he gets out, the other batsmen become more circumspect.”

There is no doubt Tendulkar is a magnificent batsman, without argument one of the best of all time. He, however, has a monkey on his back that he needs to get off!