Sachin Tendulkar’s party at his signature restaurant the other night to celebrate his 35th hundred was an affair that, to me, highlighted his sensibilities.
A world record offered ample scope to turn this into a gaudy extravaganza, with all the trappings of glamour and glitz. But Tendulkar chose to spend the evening with friends drawn from various sectors of the cricket world, many of whom have been with him from the grassroots.
His school chum Vinod Kambli came with 35 vada pavs (which he claimed was his buddy’s staple diet still), and that just about summed up the earthy tenor of the evening. Among sundry others, there were more school friends, some mates long retired even from domestic cricket, and some captains he has played under for Mumbai.
Perhaps Tendulkar will have other, more lavish parties, but when a cricketer celebrates an achievement with people whom he may have left behind in status, but has never forgotten, it shows his mettle. It is this humility, many reckon, which contributes as much to his greatness as a cricketer as does his skills.
In many ways, this was the gist of Greg Chappell’s tribute when master of ceremonies Ravi Shastri raised a toast to Tendulkar. But along with the plaudits, the India coach could not resist analyzing why Anjali Tendulkar could be a lonely wife. “I have never seen any cricketer sleep with so many bats,’’ said Chappell to suggest behind the very serious exterior lurked a sense of humour.
Just why Tendulkar may actually be sleeping with bats came out when the mike came
his way.
“When I started out, Sunil Gavaskar, who was my hero, had the most runs and most hundreds in the Test cricket. When I told people that I wanted to be like him, many said that no antar bantar could do that.’’ Sixteen years later, some of those doubting thomases will undoubtedly have revised their opinion.
The maverick Kambli had his own take on the Tendulkar phenomenon. “He also had the dedication, I only had the discipline,’’ he said self deprecatingly, throwing many in the room back to 1988 when the two had joined in a world record 664-run partnership that had catapulted both to instant international fame.
In contrast to Tendulkar, Kambli’s career nose-dived after a brilliant start to his Test career (he had two double hundreds on the trot remember!), but his sense of humour has grown into a Manhattan-style skyscraper. After the round of tributes was over, he walked up to Greg Chappell and said, “If you are looking for left-handers to make a comeback, I am still available, even as an all-rounder.’’
Chappell’s response is still awaited.
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