'Aapla' Sachin Tendulkar, bigger than Mt Everest

India has been waiting for this moment for quite some time and it finally arrived on Sunday when the chips were down and a comeback was difficult. Sachin Tendulkar’s 50th hundred against South Africa in the first Test at Centurion has swelled every Mumbai cricketer’s chest with pride.

The batting maestro’s seniors, teammates and friends, all have expressed happiness and are proud of the fact that one amongst them has achieved the greatest feat which will be difficult for anyone to achieve.

Former India skipper and Tendulkar’s senior Dilip Vengsarkar was all praise of the feat. “One of its kind,” is how the 116-Test veteran described the Mumbai champ. “He has been consistent for the past 21 years and still keeps motivating himself to do more which is just amazing. His innings not only helped him reach the milestone but also saved India the blushes. What he has achieved is difficult for anyone to achieve because of the different forms of the game being played now,” he said.

The former Mumbai stalwart also said that Tendulkar is the best role model one can ever get. “He is disciplined and focused. The credit goes to his family. He has been humble and modest despite achieving so much. I always tell that he is the best role model to have for the youngsters. It is difficult to choose his best innings. In fact, it’s like asking Amitabh Bachchan which is his favourite film and Lata Mangeshkar, her song,” he said.

His first Mumbai captain at the first-class level, Lalchand Rajput, said his character has taken him to such great heights. “Even when he made his first-class debut, he was not nervous. You could see the confidence in his eyes and the way he scored his first 100. Normally, when you see a talented youngster you tell him that he has it in him, but for Tendulkar it was different,” the former Test cricketer said.

Former teammate Abey Kuruvilla just termed it as “unbelievable”. “The feat is completely unbelievable. He has played for more than 20 years and this kind of hunger only makes it exceptional. It couldn’t have happened to a better person.”

Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer said his feat can’t be compared to anyone. “If you leave Bradman, Sachin has been simply terrific. I think every Indian and Maharashtrian will be proud of the feat. He is a great inspiration for everyone.”

His schoolmate and Mumbai teammate Amol Muzumdar was not surprised. “We are so used to his record that it doesn’t leave me amused. I have been part of it since we were in school. When Gavaskar broke Bradman’s record it was a proud moment and now when Sachin has reached this milestone, it can’t get bigger than this,” said Muzumdar.

Mumbai coach Praveen Amre, who was a senior to Sachin, said he has become bigger than “Mt Everest”.