Saturday, July 19, 2008
Sachin - The Living Legend
The Little Master or The Master Blaster, is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. In 2002, Wisden rated him as the second greatest Test batsman after Sir Donald Bradman, and the greatest One-day international batsman.
He holds several highly regarded batting records and is the leading scorer of centuries in both Test cricket and One-day internationals. He is one of the three batsmen to surpass 11,000 runs in Test cricket, and the first Indian to do so. He is the most prolific run scorer in ODIs by a margin of over 4000 runs and has scored the most runs in international cricket as a whole. He crossed 16,000 runs in ODIs on February 5, 2008 while playing against Sri Lanka in Brisbane, Australia.
At 13, Tendulkar was the best player in the Mumbai schools competition for Under 19s. At 14, Tendulkar made his first-class debut for the Mumbai cricket team and scored a century on debut. He made his international test debut in 1989 against Pakistan in Karachi at age 16. He scored his first international century at just 17.
He is the only cricketer to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour and the only cricketer and one of the first sportsmen (along with Vishwanathan Anand) to receive the Padma Vibhushan (2008), the second highest civilian honour of India. He is the most sponsored player in world cricket and has a huge fan following even amongst foreign audiences. Tendulkar has made numerous commercial ventures including opening a chain of restaurants in India.
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Early years and personal life
Tendulkar was born on April 24, 1973 in Mumbai, India. His father, Ramesh Tendulkar, a Marathi novelist, named Tendulkar after his favorite music director, Sachin Dev Burman. Tendulkar's elder brother, Ajit, encouraged him to play cricket. Tendulkar has two other siblings: brother, Nitin, and sister, Savitai.
Tendulkar attended Sharadashram Vidyamandir (High School), where he began his cricketing career under the guidance of his coach and mentor, Ramakant Achrekar. During his school days, he attended the MRF Pace Foundation to train as a fast bowler, but the fast bowling trainer there, Dennis Lillee, suggested to him to "just focus" on his batting.
When Tendulkar was young, he would practice for hours with his coach. He would often get bored of practicing. So his coach would put a one-Rupee-coin on the top of the stumps. The bowler who dismissed Sachin would get the coin. If Sachin passed the whole session without getting dismissed, the coach would give him the coin. Sachin now considers the 13 coins he won then as his most prized possessions.
While at school, he developed a reputation as a child prodigy. He had become a common conversation point in Mumbai circles, where there were suggestions already that he would become one of the greats. His season in 1988 was extraordinary, scoring a century in every innings he played. He was involved in an unbroken 664-run partnership in a Lord Harris Shield inter-school game in 1988 with friend and team mate Vinod Kambli, who also went on to represent India. The destructive pair reduced one bowler to tears and made the rest of the opposition unwilling to continue the game. Tendulkar scored 326* in this innings and scored over a thousand runs in the tournament. This was a record partnership in any form of cricket, until 2006 when it was broken by two under-13 batsmen in a match held at Hyderabad in India.
When he was 14, Indian batting maestro Sunil Gavaskar gave him a pair of his used ultra light pads. "It was the greatest source of encouragement for me," he said nearly 20 years later after surpassing Gavaskar's top world record of 34 Test centuries. This was in the same year as his first-class debut. Tendulkar never played for any Under-19 teams, crossing straight into the seniors.
In 1995, Sachin Tendulkar married Anjali (born 10 November 1967), the paediatrician daughter of Gujarati industrialist, Anand Mehta. They have two children, Sara (born 12 October 1997), and Arjun (born 24 September 1999).
Tendulkar sponsors 200 underprivileged children every year through Apnalaya, a Mumbai-based NGO associated with his mother-in-law, Annaben Mehta. He is reluctant to speak about his charitable activities[citation needed], choosing to preserve the sanctity of his personal life despite media interest in him.[citation needed]
Domestic career
In 1988/1989, aged just 15, he scored 100 not-out in his first first-class match for Bombay against Gujarat. At 15 years and 232 days he is the youngest cricketer to score a century on his first-class debut. His first double century was for Mumbai playing against the visiting Australian team at the Brabourne Stadium in 1998.
Tendulkar is the only player to score a century in all three of his Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy debuts.
In 1992, at the age of 19, Tendulkar became the first overseas born player to represent Yorkshire (Craig White, although born in Yorkshire was the first player to be signed as an overseas player by Yorkshire. He had to be listed as an overseas player as he had already played for Victoria in Australia). Tendulkar played 16 first-class matches for the county and scored 1070 runs at an average of 46.52.
Indian Premier League
Tendulkar was made the icon player and captain for his home side, the Mumbai Indians in the inaugural Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition in 2008. As an icon player, he was signed for a huge sum of US$1,121,250, 15% more than the second-highest paid player in the team, Sanath Jayasuriya.
International career
Early career
Tendulkar played his first Test match against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989 under the leadership of Kris Srikkanth. According to Cricinfo's Andrew Miller and Martin Williamson, India took an unconventional approach to combating the Pakistani pace attack by calling up a "baby-faced 16-year-old with one season of first-class cricket to his name". He made just 15 runs, being bowled by Waqar Younis, who also made his debut in that match, but was impressive in how he handled numerous blows to his body at the hands of the Pakistani pace attack. Tendulkar followed it up with his maiden Test fifty a few days later at Faisalabad. His One Day International (ODI) debut on December 18 was disappointing. He was dismissed without scoring a run, again by Waqar Younis. The series was followed by a tour of New Zealand in which he fell for 88 in the Second Test. His maiden Test century came in the next tour, to England in August 1990 at Old Trafford. Tendulkar further enhanced his development into a world-class batsman during the 1991–1992 tour of Australia that included an unbeaten 148 in Sydney (the first of many battles against Shane Warne who made his debut in the match) and a century on the fast and bouncy track at Perth. Merv Hughes famously commented to Allan Border at the time that "This little prick's going to get more runs than you, AB."
Rise through the ranks
Sachin Tendulkar waits at the bowler's end
Sachin Tendulkar waits at the bowler's end
Tendulkar's performance through the years 1994–1999 coincided with his physical peak, in his early twenties. On the day of the Hindu festival Holi, Tendulkar was told to open the batting at Auckland against New Zealand in 1994. He went on to make 82 runs off 49 balls. He scored his first ODI century on September 9, 1994 against Australia in Sri Lanka at Colombo. It had taken him 79 ODIs to score a century.
In 1996 against Pakistan in Sharjah, Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin was going through a lean patch. Tendulkar and Navjot Singh Sidhu both made centuries to set a record partnership for the second wicket. After getting out, Tendulkar found Azharuddin in two minds to bat out. Tendulkar boosted Azharuddin to bat and Azharuddin subsequently unleashed 29 runs in mere 10 balls. It enabled India post a score in excess of 300 runs for the first time. India went on to win that match.
Tendulkar's rise continued when he was the leading run scorer at the 1996 Cricket World Cup, topping the batting averages whilst scoring two centuries. He was the only Indian batsman to perform in the infamous semi-final of that World Cup. When Tendulkar's wicket fell, the Indian batting lineup collapsed and India conceded defeat after the crowd began angry demonstrations.
This was the beginning of a period at the top of the batting world, culminating in the Australian tour of India in early 1998, with Tendulkar scoring three consecutive centuries. These were characterised by a pre-meditated plan to target Australian spinners Shane Warne and Gavin Robertson, to whom he regularly charged down the pitch to drive over the infield. This technique worked as India beat Australia. Following the series Shane Warne ruefully joked that he was having nightmares about his Indian nemesis. He also had a role with the ball in that series, including a 5 wicket haul in an ODI. Set 310 runs to win, Australia were cruising comfortably at 203/3 in the 31st over. Sachin turned the match for India taking wickets of Michael Bevan, Steve Waugh, Darren Lehmann, Tom Moody and Damien Martyn for just 32 runs in 10 overs.
Tendulkar single-handedly won the ICC 1998 quarterfinal at Dhaka to pave way for India's entry into the semifinals, when he took 4 Australian wickets after scoring 141 runs in just 128 balls.
A chronic back problem flared up when Pakistan toured India in 1999, with India losing the historic Test at Chepauk despite a gritty century from Tendulkar himself. The worst was yet to come as Professor Ramesh Tendulkar, Tendulkar's father, died in the middle of the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Tendulkar flew back to India to attend the final rituals of his father, missing the match against Zimbabwe. However, he returned with a bang to the World cup scoring a century (unbeaten 140 off 101 balls) in his very next match against Kenya in Bristol. He dedicated this century to his father.
Captaincy
Tendulkar's two tenures as captain of the Indian cricket team were not very successful. When Tendulkar took over as Captain in 1996, it was with huge hopes and expectations. However, by 1997 the team was performing poorly. Azharuddin was credited with saying "Nahin jeetega! Chote ki naseeb main jeet nahin hai!", which translates into: "He won't win! It's not in the small one's destiny".
Tendulkar, succeeding Azharuddin as captain for his second term, then led India on a tour of Australia, where the visitors were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by the newly-crowned world champions. After another Test series defeat, this time by a 0-2 margin at home against South Africa, Tendulkar resigned, and Sourav Ganguly took over as captain in 2000.
Tendulkar remains an integral part of the Indian team's strategic processes. He is often seen in discussion with the captain, at times actively involved in building strategies. Former captain Rahul Dravid publicly acknowledged that Tendulkar had been suggesting moves such as the promotion of Irfan Pathan up the batting order which, although only temporary, had an immediate effect on the team's fortunes.
Injuries and decline
Tendulkar continued his good form in Test cricket in 2001 and 2002, with some pivotal performances with both bat and ball. Tendulkar took three wickets on the final day of the famous Kolkata Test against Australia in 2001. Tendulkar took the key wickets of Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, centurions in the previous test.
Tendulkar made 673 runs in 11 matches in the 2003 Cricket World Cup, helping India reach the final. While Australia retained the trophy that they had won in 1999, Tendulkar was given the Man of the Tournament award. The drawn series as India toured Australia in 2003/04 saw Tendulkar making his mark in the last Test of the series, with 241* in Sydney, putting India in a virtually unbeatable position. He followed up the innings with an unbeaten 50 in the second innings of the test and then an unbeaten 194 against Pakistan at Multan in the following series. The 194 was controversial in that he was stranded prior to reaching his double century as a result of a declaration by Rahul Dravid. In meeting with the press that evening, Tendulkar responded to a question on missing 200 against Pakistan by stating that he was disappointed and that the declaration had taken him by surprise. Many former cricketers commented that Dravid's declaration was in bad taste. The media noted at the time that the decision had apparently been made by Sourav Ganguly, and Ganguly himself later admitted that it had been a mistake. The controversy was put to rest when Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and coach John Wright spoke to the media after the team's victory and stated that the matter was spoken internally and put to rest.
Although he was in strong form, tennis elbow then took its toll on Tendulkar, leaving him out of the side for most of the year, coming back only for the last two tests when Australia toured India in 2004. He played a part in India's victory in Mumbai in that series, though Australia took the series 2-1.
On 10 December 2005, at Feroz Shah Kotla, he scored record-breaking 35th Test century, against the Sri Lankans. On 6 February 2006, Tendulkar scored his 39th ODI hundred, in a match against Pakistan. He followed with a run-a-ball 42 in the second ODI against Pakistan on February 11, 2006, and then a 95 in hostile, seaming conditions on 13 February 2006 in Lahore, which set up an Indian victory.
On 19 March 2006, after scoring an unconvincing 1 off 21 balls against England in the first innings of the third Test in his home ground, Wankhede, Tendulkar was booed off the ground by a section of the crowd, the first time that he had ever faced such flak. Tendulkar was to end the three-Test series without a single half-century to his credit, and news of a shoulder operation raised more questions about his longevity. Tendulkar was operated upon for his injured shoulder. In July 2006, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that Tendulkar had overcome his injury problem following a rehabilitation programme and was available for selection, and he was eventually selected for the next series.
Return to form
Tendulkar's comeback came in the DLF cup in Malaysia and he was the only Indian batsman to shine. In his comeback match, against West Indies on 14 September 2006, Tendulkar responded to his critics who believed that his career was inexorably sliding with his 40th ODI century. Though he scored 141*, West Indies won the rain-affected match by the D/L method.
In the preparation for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Tendulkar was criticized by Greg Chappell on his attitude.As per the report, Chappell felt that Tendulkar would be more useful down the order, while the latter felt that he would be better off opening the innings, the role he had played for most of his career. Chappell also believed that Tendulkar's repeated failures were hurting the team's chances. In a rare show of emotion, Tendulkar hit out at the comments attributed to Chappell by pointing out that no coach has ever suggested his attitude towards cricket is incorrect. On 7 April 2007, the Board of Control for Cricket in India issued a notice to Tendulkar asking for an explanation for his comments made to the media.
At the Cricket World Cup 2007 in the West Indies, Tendulkar and the Indian cricket team, led by Rahul Dravid had a dismal campaign. Tendulkar, who was pushed to bat lower down the order by the Greg Chappell had scores of 7 (Bangladesh), 57* (Bermuda) and 0 (Sri Lanka). As a result, former Australian captain Ian Chappell, brother of the then Indian coach Greg, called for Tendulkar to retire in his column for Mumbai's Mid Day newspaper.
In the subsequent series against Bangladesh, Tendulkar returned to his opening slot and was Man of the Series. He continued by scoring two consecutive scores of 90+ in the Future Cup against South Africa. He was the leading run scorer and was adjudged the Man of the Series.
Tendulkar upon reaching his 38th Test century against Australia in the 2nd Test at the SCG in 2008, where he finished not out on 154
Tendulkar upon reaching his 38th Test century against Australia in the 2nd Test at the SCG in 2008, where he finished not out on 154
On the second day of the Nottingham Test (28 July 2007) Tendulkar became the third cricketer to complete 11,000 Test runs In the subsequent One day series against England, Tendulkar was the leading run scorer from India with an average of 53.42. In the ODI Series against Australia in October 2007 Tendulkar was the leading Indian run scorer with 278 runs.
Tendulkar was dismissed seven times in 2007 between 90 and 100, including three times at 99, leading some to suggest that he struggles to cope with nerves in this phase of his career. Tendulkar has got out 23 times between 90 and 100 in his international career. On 8 November 2007 he got out on 99 against Pakistan in an ODI at Mohali to the bowling of Umar Gul caught by Kamran Akmal. In the fourth ODI, he got out on 97 (off 102 balls with 16 fours) after dragging a delivery from Umar Gul on to his stumps, falling short of another century in ODIs in 2007.
In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, 2007-08, Tendulkar showed exceptional form, becoming the leading run scorer with 493 runs in four Tests, despite consistently failing in the second innings. Sachin scored 62 runs in the first innings of the first Test at the MCG in Melbourne, but couldn't prevent a heavy 337-run win for Australia. In the controversial New Years Test at Sydney, Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 154 as India lost the Test. This was his third century at the SCG, earning him an average of 221.33 at the ground. In the third Test at the WACA in Perth, Sachin was instrumental in India's first innings score of 330, scoring a well compiled 71, only to be dismissed by what was later confirmed to be a questionable LBW decision. India went on to record a historic triumph at the WACA. In the fourth Test at Adelaide, which ended in a draw, he scored 153 in the first innings, involving in a crucial 126 run stand with V.V.S. Laxman for the fifth wicket to lead India to a score of 282 for 5 from 156 for 4. He secured the Player of the Match award.
In the One-Day International Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series involving Sri Lanka and Australia, Sachin became the first and only batsman to complete 16,000 runs in ODIs. He achieved this feat against Sri Lanka on 5 February 2008 at Brisbane. He started the CB series well notching up scores of 10, 35, 44 and 32, but could not convert the starts into bigger scores. His form dipped a bit in the middle of the tournament, but Sachin came back strongly in India's must-win game against Sri Lanka at Hobart, scoring 63 off 54 balls. He finished the series with a match winning 117 not out of 120 balls in the first final, and 91 runs in the second final.
Style of play
Tendulkar is ambidextrous: He bats, bowls, and throws with his right hand, but writes with his left hand. He also practices left-handed throws at the nets on a regular basis. Cricinfo columnist Sambit Bal has described him as the "most wholesome batsman of his time". His batting is based on complete balance and poise while limiting unnecessary movements and flourishes. He appears to show little preference for the slow and low wickets which are typical in India, and has scored many centuries on the hard, bouncy pitches in the Caribbean Islands and Australia. He is known for his unique punch style of hitting the ball over square. He is also renowned for his picture-perfect straight drive, often completed with no follow-through.
Sir Donald Bradman, the greatest batsman of all time, considered Tendulkar to have a batting style similar to his. In his biography, it is stated that "Bradman was most taken by Tendulkar's technique, compactness and shot production, and had asked his wife to have a look at Tendulkar, having felt that Tendulkar played like him. Bradman's wife, Jessie, agreed that they did appear similar."
Tendulkar at the crease.
Former Australian cricket team coach John Buchanan voiced his opinion that Tendulkar had become susceptible to the short ball early in his innings because of a lack of footwork. Buchanan also believes Tendulkar has a weakness while playing left-arm pace. He was affected by a series of injuries since 2004. Since then Tendulkar's batting has tended to be less attacking. Explaining this change in his batting style, he has acknowledged that he is batting differently due to that fact that (1) No batsman can bat the same way for the entire length of a long career and (2) He is a senior member of the team now and thus has more responsibility. However, it cannot be denied that his batting became less attractive since 2004 and while a string of his highest scores have come within this time period, the consistency has been lacking.[citation needed] During the early part of his career he was a more attacking batsman and frequently scored centuries at close to a run a ball. Ian Chappell, former Australian player, recently remarked that "Tendulkar now, is nothing like the player he was when he was a young bloke". However, during the latest tour of Australia in 2008, Tendulkar displayed glimpses of his attacking style with several masterful innings, dominating attacks in a manner reminiscent of his younger days.
While Tendulkar is not a regular bowler, he is adept at bowling medium pace, leg spin, and off spin with equal ease. He often bowls when two batsmen of the opposite team have been batting together for a long period, and he can often be a useful partnership breaker. With his bowling, he has helped secure an Indian victory on more than one occasion.
Career achievements
Main articles: Achievements of Sachin Tendulkar and List of ODI Awards for Sachin Tendulkar
An innings-by-innings breakdown of Tendulkar's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).
An innings-by-innings breakdown of Tendulkar's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).
Sachin Tendulkar is the most prolific run scorer in one-day internationals with 16,361 runs and the second highest run scorer in Test matches with 11,782 runs after Brian Lara. He also holds the record of highest number of centuries in both Test (39) and ODI cricket. Throughout his career, he has made a strong impact on Indian cricket and was, at one time, the foundation of most of the team's victories. In recognition with his impact on sport in a cricket-loving country like India, Tendulkar has been granted the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India. He was also elected Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1997 and is ranked by the objective scoring method of the Wisden 100 as the second best test batsman and best ODI batsman of all time.
Tendulkar has also consistently done well in Cricket World Cups (excluding the 2007 Cricket World Cup in which India were knocked out after only 3 matches). Tendulkar was the highest run scorer of the 2003 Cricket World Cup and 1996 Cricket World Cup. Tendulkar has scored over 1000 runs in a calendar year in ODIs 7 times, and in one of these years he scored 1894 runs, easily the record for the highest number of runs scored by any player in a single calendar year for one day internationals. Tendulkar is also one of the very few players who are still playing in international cricket from the 1980s.
He has been Man of the Match 11 times in Test matches and Man of the Series 4 times, out of them twice in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. The performances earned him respect from Australian cricket fans and players.
Individual Honours
* Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, 2008.
* ICC World ODI XI: 2004, 2007
* Player of the tournament in 2003 Cricket World Cup
* Wisden Cricketer of the Year: 1997
* Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, 1999.
* Arjuna Award, by the Government of India in recognition of his outstanding achievement in Cricket, 1994.
* Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports, 1997-98.
In September 2007, formet Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne published his list of 50 greatest cricketers ever, in which Sachin had secured the number 1 spot. In January 2008, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown suggested that Sachin should be conferred with an honorary knighthood for his contribution to international cricket.
Controversies
Mike Denness incident
Main article: Mike Denness and Indian cricket team incident
In the second test of India's 2001 tour of South Africa, match referee Mike Denness fined 4 Indian players for excessive appealing as well as the Indian captain Sourav Ganguly for not controlling his team. Tendulkar was given a suspended ban of one game in light of alleged ball tampering. Television cameras picked up images that suggested Tendulkar may have been involved in cleaning the seam of the cricket ball in the second test match between India and South Africa at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth. This can, under some conditions, amount to altering the condition of the ball. The match referee Mike Denness found Sachin Tendulkar guilty of ball tampering charges and handed him a one Test match ban. The incident escalated to include allegations of racism, and led to Mike Denness being barred from entering the venue of the third test match. After a thorough investigation, the International Cricket Council revoked the official status of the match and the ban on Tendulkar was lifted. Tendulkar's ball tampering charges and Sehwag's ban for excessive appealing triggered a massive backlash from the Indian public and even the Indian parliament.
Controversy over Ferrari customs waiver
In commemorating Sachin Tendulkar's feat of equalling Don Bradman's 29 centuries in Test Cricket, automotive giant Ferrari invited Sachin Tendulkar to its paddock in Silverstone on the eve of the British Grand Prix (23 July 2002) to receive a Ferrari 360 Modena from the legendary F1 racer Michael Schumacher. On September 4, 2002 India's then finance minister Jaswant Singh wrote to Sachin telling him that the government will waive custom's duty imposed on the car as a measure to applaud his feat. However the rules at the time stated that the customs duty can be waived only when receiving an automobile as a prize and not as a gift. It is claimed that the proposals to change the law (Customs Act) was put forth in Financial Bill in February 2003 and amended was passed as a law in May 2003. Subsequently the Ferrari was allowed to be brought to India without payment of the customs duty (Rs 1.13 Crores or 120% on the car value of Rs 75 Lakhs). When the move to waive customs duty became public in July 2003, political and social activists protested the waiver and filed PIL in the Delhi High Court. With the controversy snowballing, Sachin offered to pay the customs duty and the tab was finally picked up by Ferrari. Tendulkar has been seen taking his Ferrari 360 Modena for late-night drives in Mumbai.
Fan following
Sachin Tendulkar's entry into world cricket was very much hyped up by former Indian stars and those who had seen him play. By scoring his first half-century in his second match and his first century aged 17, Tendulkar's consistent performances earned him a fan following across the globe, including amongst Australian crowds, where Tendulkar has consistently scored centuries. One of the most popular sayings by Sachin's fans is "Cricket is my religion and Tendulkar is my God".
At home in Mumbai, Tendulkar's fan following is so great that he is unable to lead a normal life. Ian Chappell has said that he would be unable to cope with the lifestyle Tendulkar was forced to lead, having to "wear a wig and go out and watch a movie only at night". In an interview with Tim Sheridan, Tendulkar admitted that he sometimes went for quiet drives in the streets of Mumbai late at night when he would be able to enjoy some peace and silence.
Business Interests
Tendulkar's immense popularity has led him to numerous profitable business dealings in the past. He currently has the most sponsorships out of all players in world cricket. Sachin Tendulkar was an early pioneer in India on cricket business dealings when he signed a then record sports management deal with Worldtel in 1995, the value of the deal being 30 crore rupees over 5 years. His next contract with WorldTel in 2001 was valued at 80 crores over 5 years. In 2006, he signed a contract with Saatchi and Saatchi's ICONIX values at 180 crores over 3 years. He is the highest earning cricketer in the world.
Making use of his popularity, Tendulkar has opened two restaurants: 'Tendulkar's' (Colaba, Mumbai) & 'Sachin's' (Mulund, Mumbai). Sachin owns these restaurants in partnership with Sanjay Narang of Mars Restaurants. He has also got a new restaurant in Bangalore called Sachin's.
In 2007, Tendulkar also announced a JV with the Fortune Group and Manipal Group to launch healthcare and sports fitness products under the brand name 'S Drive and Sach'. A series of comic books by Virgin Comics is also due to be published featuring him as a superhero.
Product and Brand Endorsments
He holds several highly regarded batting records and is the leading scorer of centuries in both Test cricket and One-day internationals. He is one of the three batsmen to surpass 11,000 runs in Test cricket, and the first Indian to do so. He is the most prolific run scorer in ODIs by a margin of over 4000 runs and has scored the most runs in international cricket as a whole. He crossed 16,000 runs in ODIs on February 5, 2008 while playing against Sri Lanka in Brisbane, Australia.
At 13, Tendulkar was the best player in the Mumbai schools competition for Under 19s. At 14, Tendulkar made his first-class debut for the Mumbai cricket team and scored a century on debut. He made his international test debut in 1989 against Pakistan in Karachi at age 16. He scored his first international century at just 17.
He is the only cricketer to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour and the only cricketer and one of the first sportsmen (along with Vishwanathan Anand) to receive the Padma Vibhushan (2008), the second highest civilian honour of India. He is the most sponsored player in world cricket and has a huge fan following even amongst foreign audiences. Tendulkar has made numerous commercial ventures including opening a chain of restaurants in India.
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Early years and personal life
Tendulkar was born on April 24, 1973 in Mumbai, India. His father, Ramesh Tendulkar, a Marathi novelist, named Tendulkar after his favorite music director, Sachin Dev Burman. Tendulkar's elder brother, Ajit, encouraged him to play cricket. Tendulkar has two other siblings: brother, Nitin, and sister, Savitai.
Tendulkar attended Sharadashram Vidyamandir (High School), where he began his cricketing career under the guidance of his coach and mentor, Ramakant Achrekar. During his school days, he attended the MRF Pace Foundation to train as a fast bowler, but the fast bowling trainer there, Dennis Lillee, suggested to him to "just focus" on his batting.
When Tendulkar was young, he would practice for hours with his coach. He would often get bored of practicing. So his coach would put a one-Rupee-coin on the top of the stumps. The bowler who dismissed Sachin would get the coin. If Sachin passed the whole session without getting dismissed, the coach would give him the coin. Sachin now considers the 13 coins he won then as his most prized possessions.
While at school, he developed a reputation as a child prodigy. He had become a common conversation point in Mumbai circles, where there were suggestions already that he would become one of the greats. His season in 1988 was extraordinary, scoring a century in every innings he played. He was involved in an unbroken 664-run partnership in a Lord Harris Shield inter-school game in 1988 with friend and team mate Vinod Kambli, who also went on to represent India. The destructive pair reduced one bowler to tears and made the rest of the opposition unwilling to continue the game. Tendulkar scored 326* in this innings and scored over a thousand runs in the tournament. This was a record partnership in any form of cricket, until 2006 when it was broken by two under-13 batsmen in a match held at Hyderabad in India.
When he was 14, Indian batting maestro Sunil Gavaskar gave him a pair of his used ultra light pads. "It was the greatest source of encouragement for me," he said nearly 20 years later after surpassing Gavaskar's top world record of 34 Test centuries. This was in the same year as his first-class debut. Tendulkar never played for any Under-19 teams, crossing straight into the seniors.
In 1995, Sachin Tendulkar married Anjali (born 10 November 1967), the paediatrician daughter of Gujarati industrialist, Anand Mehta. They have two children, Sara (born 12 October 1997), and Arjun (born 24 September 1999).
Tendulkar sponsors 200 underprivileged children every year through Apnalaya, a Mumbai-based NGO associated with his mother-in-law, Annaben Mehta. He is reluctant to speak about his charitable activities[citation needed], choosing to preserve the sanctity of his personal life despite media interest in him.[citation needed]
Domestic career
In 1988/1989, aged just 15, he scored 100 not-out in his first first-class match for Bombay against Gujarat. At 15 years and 232 days he is the youngest cricketer to score a century on his first-class debut. His first double century was for Mumbai playing against the visiting Australian team at the Brabourne Stadium in 1998.
Tendulkar is the only player to score a century in all three of his Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy debuts.
In 1992, at the age of 19, Tendulkar became the first overseas born player to represent Yorkshire (Craig White, although born in Yorkshire was the first player to be signed as an overseas player by Yorkshire. He had to be listed as an overseas player as he had already played for Victoria in Australia). Tendulkar played 16 first-class matches for the county and scored 1070 runs at an average of 46.52.
Indian Premier League
Tendulkar was made the icon player and captain for his home side, the Mumbai Indians in the inaugural Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition in 2008. As an icon player, he was signed for a huge sum of US$1,121,250, 15% more than the second-highest paid player in the team, Sanath Jayasuriya.
International career
Early career
Tendulkar played his first Test match against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989 under the leadership of Kris Srikkanth. According to Cricinfo's Andrew Miller and Martin Williamson, India took an unconventional approach to combating the Pakistani pace attack by calling up a "baby-faced 16-year-old with one season of first-class cricket to his name". He made just 15 runs, being bowled by Waqar Younis, who also made his debut in that match, but was impressive in how he handled numerous blows to his body at the hands of the Pakistani pace attack. Tendulkar followed it up with his maiden Test fifty a few days later at Faisalabad. His One Day International (ODI) debut on December 18 was disappointing. He was dismissed without scoring a run, again by Waqar Younis. The series was followed by a tour of New Zealand in which he fell for 88 in the Second Test. His maiden Test century came in the next tour, to England in August 1990 at Old Trafford. Tendulkar further enhanced his development into a world-class batsman during the 1991–1992 tour of Australia that included an unbeaten 148 in Sydney (the first of many battles against Shane Warne who made his debut in the match) and a century on the fast and bouncy track at Perth. Merv Hughes famously commented to Allan Border at the time that "This little prick's going to get more runs than you, AB."
Rise through the ranks
Sachin Tendulkar waits at the bowler's end
Sachin Tendulkar waits at the bowler's end
Tendulkar's performance through the years 1994–1999 coincided with his physical peak, in his early twenties. On the day of the Hindu festival Holi, Tendulkar was told to open the batting at Auckland against New Zealand in 1994. He went on to make 82 runs off 49 balls. He scored his first ODI century on September 9, 1994 against Australia in Sri Lanka at Colombo. It had taken him 79 ODIs to score a century.
In 1996 against Pakistan in Sharjah, Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin was going through a lean patch. Tendulkar and Navjot Singh Sidhu both made centuries to set a record partnership for the second wicket. After getting out, Tendulkar found Azharuddin in two minds to bat out. Tendulkar boosted Azharuddin to bat and Azharuddin subsequently unleashed 29 runs in mere 10 balls. It enabled India post a score in excess of 300 runs for the first time. India went on to win that match.
Tendulkar's rise continued when he was the leading run scorer at the 1996 Cricket World Cup, topping the batting averages whilst scoring two centuries. He was the only Indian batsman to perform in the infamous semi-final of that World Cup. When Tendulkar's wicket fell, the Indian batting lineup collapsed and India conceded defeat after the crowd began angry demonstrations.
This was the beginning of a period at the top of the batting world, culminating in the Australian tour of India in early 1998, with Tendulkar scoring three consecutive centuries. These were characterised by a pre-meditated plan to target Australian spinners Shane Warne and Gavin Robertson, to whom he regularly charged down the pitch to drive over the infield. This technique worked as India beat Australia. Following the series Shane Warne ruefully joked that he was having nightmares about his Indian nemesis. He also had a role with the ball in that series, including a 5 wicket haul in an ODI. Set 310 runs to win, Australia were cruising comfortably at 203/3 in the 31st over. Sachin turned the match for India taking wickets of Michael Bevan, Steve Waugh, Darren Lehmann, Tom Moody and Damien Martyn for just 32 runs in 10 overs.
Tendulkar single-handedly won the ICC 1998 quarterfinal at Dhaka to pave way for India's entry into the semifinals, when he took 4 Australian wickets after scoring 141 runs in just 128 balls.
A chronic back problem flared up when Pakistan toured India in 1999, with India losing the historic Test at Chepauk despite a gritty century from Tendulkar himself. The worst was yet to come as Professor Ramesh Tendulkar, Tendulkar's father, died in the middle of the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Tendulkar flew back to India to attend the final rituals of his father, missing the match against Zimbabwe. However, he returned with a bang to the World cup scoring a century (unbeaten 140 off 101 balls) in his very next match against Kenya in Bristol. He dedicated this century to his father.
Captaincy
Tendulkar's two tenures as captain of the Indian cricket team were not very successful. When Tendulkar took over as Captain in 1996, it was with huge hopes and expectations. However, by 1997 the team was performing poorly. Azharuddin was credited with saying "Nahin jeetega! Chote ki naseeb main jeet nahin hai!", which translates into: "He won't win! It's not in the small one's destiny".
Tendulkar, succeeding Azharuddin as captain for his second term, then led India on a tour of Australia, where the visitors were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by the newly-crowned world champions. After another Test series defeat, this time by a 0-2 margin at home against South Africa, Tendulkar resigned, and Sourav Ganguly took over as captain in 2000.
Tendulkar remains an integral part of the Indian team's strategic processes. He is often seen in discussion with the captain, at times actively involved in building strategies. Former captain Rahul Dravid publicly acknowledged that Tendulkar had been suggesting moves such as the promotion of Irfan Pathan up the batting order which, although only temporary, had an immediate effect on the team's fortunes.
Injuries and decline
Tendulkar continued his good form in Test cricket in 2001 and 2002, with some pivotal performances with both bat and ball. Tendulkar took three wickets on the final day of the famous Kolkata Test against Australia in 2001. Tendulkar took the key wickets of Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, centurions in the previous test.
Tendulkar made 673 runs in 11 matches in the 2003 Cricket World Cup, helping India reach the final. While Australia retained the trophy that they had won in 1999, Tendulkar was given the Man of the Tournament award. The drawn series as India toured Australia in 2003/04 saw Tendulkar making his mark in the last Test of the series, with 241* in Sydney, putting India in a virtually unbeatable position. He followed up the innings with an unbeaten 50 in the second innings of the test and then an unbeaten 194 against Pakistan at Multan in the following series. The 194 was controversial in that he was stranded prior to reaching his double century as a result of a declaration by Rahul Dravid. In meeting with the press that evening, Tendulkar responded to a question on missing 200 against Pakistan by stating that he was disappointed and that the declaration had taken him by surprise. Many former cricketers commented that Dravid's declaration was in bad taste. The media noted at the time that the decision had apparently been made by Sourav Ganguly, and Ganguly himself later admitted that it had been a mistake. The controversy was put to rest when Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and coach John Wright spoke to the media after the team's victory and stated that the matter was spoken internally and put to rest.
Although he was in strong form, tennis elbow then took its toll on Tendulkar, leaving him out of the side for most of the year, coming back only for the last two tests when Australia toured India in 2004. He played a part in India's victory in Mumbai in that series, though Australia took the series 2-1.
On 10 December 2005, at Feroz Shah Kotla, he scored record-breaking 35th Test century, against the Sri Lankans. On 6 February 2006, Tendulkar scored his 39th ODI hundred, in a match against Pakistan. He followed with a run-a-ball 42 in the second ODI against Pakistan on February 11, 2006, and then a 95 in hostile, seaming conditions on 13 February 2006 in Lahore, which set up an Indian victory.
On 19 March 2006, after scoring an unconvincing 1 off 21 balls against England in the first innings of the third Test in his home ground, Wankhede, Tendulkar was booed off the ground by a section of the crowd, the first time that he had ever faced such flak. Tendulkar was to end the three-Test series without a single half-century to his credit, and news of a shoulder operation raised more questions about his longevity. Tendulkar was operated upon for his injured shoulder. In July 2006, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that Tendulkar had overcome his injury problem following a rehabilitation programme and was available for selection, and he was eventually selected for the next series.
Return to form
Tendulkar's comeback came in the DLF cup in Malaysia and he was the only Indian batsman to shine. In his comeback match, against West Indies on 14 September 2006, Tendulkar responded to his critics who believed that his career was inexorably sliding with his 40th ODI century. Though he scored 141*, West Indies won the rain-affected match by the D/L method.
In the preparation for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Tendulkar was criticized by Greg Chappell on his attitude.As per the report, Chappell felt that Tendulkar would be more useful down the order, while the latter felt that he would be better off opening the innings, the role he had played for most of his career. Chappell also believed that Tendulkar's repeated failures were hurting the team's chances. In a rare show of emotion, Tendulkar hit out at the comments attributed to Chappell by pointing out that no coach has ever suggested his attitude towards cricket is incorrect. On 7 April 2007, the Board of Control for Cricket in India issued a notice to Tendulkar asking for an explanation for his comments made to the media.
At the Cricket World Cup 2007 in the West Indies, Tendulkar and the Indian cricket team, led by Rahul Dravid had a dismal campaign. Tendulkar, who was pushed to bat lower down the order by the Greg Chappell had scores of 7 (Bangladesh), 57* (Bermuda) and 0 (Sri Lanka). As a result, former Australian captain Ian Chappell, brother of the then Indian coach Greg, called for Tendulkar to retire in his column for Mumbai's Mid Day newspaper.
In the subsequent series against Bangladesh, Tendulkar returned to his opening slot and was Man of the Series. He continued by scoring two consecutive scores of 90+ in the Future Cup against South Africa. He was the leading run scorer and was adjudged the Man of the Series.
Tendulkar upon reaching his 38th Test century against Australia in the 2nd Test at the SCG in 2008, where he finished not out on 154
Tendulkar upon reaching his 38th Test century against Australia in the 2nd Test at the SCG in 2008, where he finished not out on 154
On the second day of the Nottingham Test (28 July 2007) Tendulkar became the third cricketer to complete 11,000 Test runs In the subsequent One day series against England, Tendulkar was the leading run scorer from India with an average of 53.42. In the ODI Series against Australia in October 2007 Tendulkar was the leading Indian run scorer with 278 runs.
Tendulkar was dismissed seven times in 2007 between 90 and 100, including three times at 99, leading some to suggest that he struggles to cope with nerves in this phase of his career. Tendulkar has got out 23 times between 90 and 100 in his international career. On 8 November 2007 he got out on 99 against Pakistan in an ODI at Mohali to the bowling of Umar Gul caught by Kamran Akmal. In the fourth ODI, he got out on 97 (off 102 balls with 16 fours) after dragging a delivery from Umar Gul on to his stumps, falling short of another century in ODIs in 2007.
In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, 2007-08, Tendulkar showed exceptional form, becoming the leading run scorer with 493 runs in four Tests, despite consistently failing in the second innings. Sachin scored 62 runs in the first innings of the first Test at the MCG in Melbourne, but couldn't prevent a heavy 337-run win for Australia. In the controversial New Years Test at Sydney, Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 154 as India lost the Test. This was his third century at the SCG, earning him an average of 221.33 at the ground. In the third Test at the WACA in Perth, Sachin was instrumental in India's first innings score of 330, scoring a well compiled 71, only to be dismissed by what was later confirmed to be a questionable LBW decision. India went on to record a historic triumph at the WACA. In the fourth Test at Adelaide, which ended in a draw, he scored 153 in the first innings, involving in a crucial 126 run stand with V.V.S. Laxman for the fifth wicket to lead India to a score of 282 for 5 from 156 for 4. He secured the Player of the Match award.
In the One-Day International Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series involving Sri Lanka and Australia, Sachin became the first and only batsman to complete 16,000 runs in ODIs. He achieved this feat against Sri Lanka on 5 February 2008 at Brisbane. He started the CB series well notching up scores of 10, 35, 44 and 32, but could not convert the starts into bigger scores. His form dipped a bit in the middle of the tournament, but Sachin came back strongly in India's must-win game against Sri Lanka at Hobart, scoring 63 off 54 balls. He finished the series with a match winning 117 not out of 120 balls in the first final, and 91 runs in the second final.
Style of play
Tendulkar is ambidextrous: He bats, bowls, and throws with his right hand, but writes with his left hand. He also practices left-handed throws at the nets on a regular basis. Cricinfo columnist Sambit Bal has described him as the "most wholesome batsman of his time". His batting is based on complete balance and poise while limiting unnecessary movements and flourishes. He appears to show little preference for the slow and low wickets which are typical in India, and has scored many centuries on the hard, bouncy pitches in the Caribbean Islands and Australia. He is known for his unique punch style of hitting the ball over square. He is also renowned for his picture-perfect straight drive, often completed with no follow-through.
Sir Donald Bradman, the greatest batsman of all time, considered Tendulkar to have a batting style similar to his. In his biography, it is stated that "Bradman was most taken by Tendulkar's technique, compactness and shot production, and had asked his wife to have a look at Tendulkar, having felt that Tendulkar played like him. Bradman's wife, Jessie, agreed that they did appear similar."
Tendulkar at the crease.
Former Australian cricket team coach John Buchanan voiced his opinion that Tendulkar had become susceptible to the short ball early in his innings because of a lack of footwork. Buchanan also believes Tendulkar has a weakness while playing left-arm pace. He was affected by a series of injuries since 2004. Since then Tendulkar's batting has tended to be less attacking. Explaining this change in his batting style, he has acknowledged that he is batting differently due to that fact that (1) No batsman can bat the same way for the entire length of a long career and (2) He is a senior member of the team now and thus has more responsibility. However, it cannot be denied that his batting became less attractive since 2004 and while a string of his highest scores have come within this time period, the consistency has been lacking.[citation needed] During the early part of his career he was a more attacking batsman and frequently scored centuries at close to a run a ball. Ian Chappell, former Australian player, recently remarked that "Tendulkar now, is nothing like the player he was when he was a young bloke". However, during the latest tour of Australia in 2008, Tendulkar displayed glimpses of his attacking style with several masterful innings, dominating attacks in a manner reminiscent of his younger days.
While Tendulkar is not a regular bowler, he is adept at bowling medium pace, leg spin, and off spin with equal ease. He often bowls when two batsmen of the opposite team have been batting together for a long period, and he can often be a useful partnership breaker. With his bowling, he has helped secure an Indian victory on more than one occasion.
Career achievements
Main articles: Achievements of Sachin Tendulkar and List of ODI Awards for Sachin Tendulkar
An innings-by-innings breakdown of Tendulkar's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).
An innings-by-innings breakdown of Tendulkar's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).
Sachin Tendulkar is the most prolific run scorer in one-day internationals with 16,361 runs and the second highest run scorer in Test matches with 11,782 runs after Brian Lara. He also holds the record of highest number of centuries in both Test (39) and ODI cricket. Throughout his career, he has made a strong impact on Indian cricket and was, at one time, the foundation of most of the team's victories. In recognition with his impact on sport in a cricket-loving country like India, Tendulkar has been granted the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India. He was also elected Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1997 and is ranked by the objective scoring method of the Wisden 100 as the second best test batsman and best ODI batsman of all time.
Tendulkar has also consistently done well in Cricket World Cups (excluding the 2007 Cricket World Cup in which India were knocked out after only 3 matches). Tendulkar was the highest run scorer of the 2003 Cricket World Cup and 1996 Cricket World Cup. Tendulkar has scored over 1000 runs in a calendar year in ODIs 7 times, and in one of these years he scored 1894 runs, easily the record for the highest number of runs scored by any player in a single calendar year for one day internationals. Tendulkar is also one of the very few players who are still playing in international cricket from the 1980s.
He has been Man of the Match 11 times in Test matches and Man of the Series 4 times, out of them twice in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. The performances earned him respect from Australian cricket fans and players.
Individual Honours
* Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, 2008.
* ICC World ODI XI: 2004, 2007
* Player of the tournament in 2003 Cricket World Cup
* Wisden Cricketer of the Year: 1997
* Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, 1999.
* Arjuna Award, by the Government of India in recognition of his outstanding achievement in Cricket, 1994.
* Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports, 1997-98.
In September 2007, formet Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne published his list of 50 greatest cricketers ever, in which Sachin had secured the number 1 spot. In January 2008, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown suggested that Sachin should be conferred with an honorary knighthood for his contribution to international cricket.
Controversies
Mike Denness incident
Main article: Mike Denness and Indian cricket team incident
In the second test of India's 2001 tour of South Africa, match referee Mike Denness fined 4 Indian players for excessive appealing as well as the Indian captain Sourav Ganguly for not controlling his team. Tendulkar was given a suspended ban of one game in light of alleged ball tampering. Television cameras picked up images that suggested Tendulkar may have been involved in cleaning the seam of the cricket ball in the second test match between India and South Africa at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth. This can, under some conditions, amount to altering the condition of the ball. The match referee Mike Denness found Sachin Tendulkar guilty of ball tampering charges and handed him a one Test match ban. The incident escalated to include allegations of racism, and led to Mike Denness being barred from entering the venue of the third test match. After a thorough investigation, the International Cricket Council revoked the official status of the match and the ban on Tendulkar was lifted. Tendulkar's ball tampering charges and Sehwag's ban for excessive appealing triggered a massive backlash from the Indian public and even the Indian parliament.
Controversy over Ferrari customs waiver
In commemorating Sachin Tendulkar's feat of equalling Don Bradman's 29 centuries in Test Cricket, automotive giant Ferrari invited Sachin Tendulkar to its paddock in Silverstone on the eve of the British Grand Prix (23 July 2002) to receive a Ferrari 360 Modena from the legendary F1 racer Michael Schumacher. On September 4, 2002 India's then finance minister Jaswant Singh wrote to Sachin telling him that the government will waive custom's duty imposed on the car as a measure to applaud his feat. However the rules at the time stated that the customs duty can be waived only when receiving an automobile as a prize and not as a gift. It is claimed that the proposals to change the law (Customs Act) was put forth in Financial Bill in February 2003 and amended was passed as a law in May 2003. Subsequently the Ferrari was allowed to be brought to India without payment of the customs duty (Rs 1.13 Crores or 120% on the car value of Rs 75 Lakhs). When the move to waive customs duty became public in July 2003, political and social activists protested the waiver and filed PIL in the Delhi High Court. With the controversy snowballing, Sachin offered to pay the customs duty and the tab was finally picked up by Ferrari. Tendulkar has been seen taking his Ferrari 360 Modena for late-night drives in Mumbai.
Fan following
Sachin Tendulkar's entry into world cricket was very much hyped up by former Indian stars and those who had seen him play. By scoring his first half-century in his second match and his first century aged 17, Tendulkar's consistent performances earned him a fan following across the globe, including amongst Australian crowds, where Tendulkar has consistently scored centuries. One of the most popular sayings by Sachin's fans is "Cricket is my religion and Tendulkar is my God".
At home in Mumbai, Tendulkar's fan following is so great that he is unable to lead a normal life. Ian Chappell has said that he would be unable to cope with the lifestyle Tendulkar was forced to lead, having to "wear a wig and go out and watch a movie only at night". In an interview with Tim Sheridan, Tendulkar admitted that he sometimes went for quiet drives in the streets of Mumbai late at night when he would be able to enjoy some peace and silence.
Business Interests
Tendulkar's immense popularity has led him to numerous profitable business dealings in the past. He currently has the most sponsorships out of all players in world cricket. Sachin Tendulkar was an early pioneer in India on cricket business dealings when he signed a then record sports management deal with Worldtel in 1995, the value of the deal being 30 crore rupees over 5 years. His next contract with WorldTel in 2001 was valued at 80 crores over 5 years. In 2006, he signed a contract with Saatchi and Saatchi's ICONIX values at 180 crores over 3 years. He is the highest earning cricketer in the world.
Making use of his popularity, Tendulkar has opened two restaurants: 'Tendulkar's' (Colaba, Mumbai) & 'Sachin's' (Mulund, Mumbai). Sachin owns these restaurants in partnership with Sanjay Narang of Mars Restaurants. He has also got a new restaurant in Bangalore called Sachin's.
In 2007, Tendulkar also announced a JV with the Fortune Group and Manipal Group to launch healthcare and sports fitness products under the brand name 'S Drive and Sach'. A series of comic books by Virgin Comics is also due to be published featuring him as a superhero.
Product and Brand Endorsments
THE INJUSTICE OF WORTH
THE INJUSTICE OF WORTH
In India, the individual's feats have always been hailed over the team's even in a team sport like cricket. So, the all-time great icons like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev were always given more space than the mere mortals who played around them. Gavaskar, to his great credit, never even gave a chance to anyone to question his presence (his last test innings was a classic 96 against Pakistan); Kapil Dev did, but since he was breaking the world record of highest test wickets, it was fair game for the Indian public. Apart from these two, it is only Sachin Tendulkar who has enjoyed that sacred space in Indian cricket. Bizarre, because the man most deserving of that privilege is actually someone else.
Rahul Dravid is the greatest cricketer India has ever produced. Greater than Tendulkar, Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, in practically every parameter you judge greatness in a sport by, especially a team sport. Unfortunately, his affable, gentlemanly demeanour has denied him that larger-than-life status that the star-struck Indian public responds to with blind devotion in large numbers. And that obscures the impact he has had on the Indian team and the game of cricket in general. Let's start with some facts and figures, which though revealing, will never do enough justice to the individual. But still.
Winning Averages
Logic suggests that in a team sport with an individual slant such as cricket, the average of a batsman in matches that his team has won is a good indicator of his value to the team, if the sample size is substantial. With these parameters, these are the facts. All averages are rounded-off for simplicity.
Rahul Dravid's batting average in matches that India has won is 77. Compared to his overall batting average of 56, it tells you the impact his performance has on the overall result. Tendulkar's winning average is 64, Ganguly's is 50 and Laxman's 51 – all higher than their overall average – and this tells you why they are the big 4 in Indian cricket. Vishwanath's winning average is 50 while Azharuddin's is 56 – both higher than their overall averages. Gavaskar's winning average, on the other hand, is 44, lower than his overall average of 51, which is very interesting, given the often defensive mindset of the team he played for, and the reputation he had for saving games, rather than winning them.
Does this idea get extended internationally? See for yourself. Lara's winning average is 61, Steve Waugh's 69, Ponting's 66, Hayden 57, Kallis 64, Stephen Fleming 51, Martin Crowe 55, Miandad 60, Gooch 57, Viv Richards 52, Clive Lloyd 59, Ken Barrington 64...all higher than their overall averages. The top numbers belong to Bradman 130 (whew), Inzamam-ul-Haq 78 (a very interesting revelation about his true worth - something Imran Khan has been saying for years), Sobers 77, Frank Worrell 74, Greg Chappell 70.
In this pantheon, with these figures, you can see where Dravid stands, and where he belongs. Incidentally, Dravid's batting average in test matches won by India abroad is 86.
Dravid is easily India's "winningest" batsman. Tendulkar may be the most talented, Gavaskar the most solid, Laxman the most incandescent, Vishwanath and Azharuddin the true artists, but it is Dravid who has had the biggest long-term effect on Indian cricket results.
Even a casual Indian cricket fan (who knows test cricket is the real test) can think back on all the great Indian wins in the last 7 years (post the match-fixing problem period) and see one name coming up again and again. Whether it is Kolkata 2001 vs Australia, Kandy 2001 vs Sri Lanka, Headingly 2002 vs England, Adelaide 2003 vs Australia, Rawalpindi 2004 vs Pakistan, Kolkata 2005 vs Pakistan, Kingston 2006 vs West Indies…and these are easily 7 of the top ten wins. Dravid was man-of-the match in 5 of these, and in 2 played key supporting roles. (His last two test cricket series failures, in South Africa and England, no doubt precipitated his resignation as Indian captain, but more about that later).
Pressure Points
The hallmark of the greatest players in any sport is the ability to deliver under pressure. One revealing stat about any batsman in test cricket is his fourth innings performance. The colossus for India here is Sunil Gavaskar, and this is where the case of his being a greater batsman than Tendulkar gets strengthened. Gavaskar averages 58 in the fourth innings, Tendulkar just 33. Dravid, on the other hand, averages 49.
When you also bear in mind also that Gavaskar faced some of the quickest bowlers of all time as an opener when they were fresh and raring to go, and that Tendulkar batted at no. 4 pretty much all his life, frequently getting in when the new ball had been blunted (often by Dravid, who has batted no 3 most of his career), it makes the picture even clearer. Gavaskar and Dravid have faced the greater challenges for the team in any case, and surprise, surprise, have delivered more as well.
Saving test matches is an art that has all but been rendered extinct in these fast-paced times. Gavaskar was one of the great exponents of that, primarily because he needed to be, given the team he played for. Tendulkar needed to be too, and he did it a couple of times in the early 1990s when he was an under-estimated young batsman, never after he became the colossus of Indian cricket (perhaps he was too pre-occupied to put his head down and play according to situation rather than his own hype). Dravid, on the other hand, has played innings like that off and on, and even now shows this intent of dropping anchor and blunting attacks. (His 87 vs South Africa at Port Elizabeth 2001, and 144 vs West Indies at Georgetown 2002 have been his best two innings in that mould). There is no reason yet to believe there cannot be a few more of those from him.
Flexibility
Gavaskar was a test opener all his life, and did not play enough ODI cricket to be judged on that (108 matches in these times is not much, and though he did average 35, it is really not an indication of anything). Tendulkar played at no. 4 most of his test career, and opened for India in ODIs with spectacular success, but never had the gumption to do the same in tests (only once in his 226-inning test career so far, has Tendulkar opened the Indian batting in tests; and all this in an era when the opening pair was India's biggest worry).
Dravid, on the other hand has opened the Indian batting in 13 innings at an average of 34; he has batted at no. 3 at an average of 59, and most spectacularly batted at no. 6 at an average of 69. He seemed his most positive and happiest when he was at no. 6 (he himself alluded to that in 2001), but unfortunately for him had to reclaim the no 3 position back as no Indian batsman had the wherewithal and sustained mental mindset to make a success of that position. After just 8 innings at no. 6, where he seemed to be flowering the most in an unexpected way.
Given the highly different skills required to bat at no. 3 and at no. 6, it does make one wonder how Gavaskar and Tendulkar would have taken to that level of enforced flexibility.
ODI cricket
In one-day cricket, the remarkably versatile qualities of Dravid's batsmanship are exemplified even more. But unfortunately, it is here where Dravid's contribution is obscured the most. He averages 39 with a winning average of 52. There have been so many sheet-anchor winning innings by him that is facile to list them here. Instead, it is worth looking at other facets.
Dravid played two of the finest ODI innings of the 1990s in losing efforts - 84 vs South Africa in 1997 (for which he got the man-of-the-match award) and 107 vs Pakistan also in 1997. Yet, just a year later, due to a lack of form, and for a suspected inability to pick singles with soft hands (which was a temporary problem he was going through then), he was dropped from the Indian team (despite his last innings being a 33 off 44 balls). He cemented his place back in the one-day side eventually as a wicket-keeper, broke the world record of the highest ODI score by a wicket-keeper against defending champions Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup, and amazed quite a few people by scoring the most runs in that tournament. He was the Indian ODI keeper for the most part of 5 years after that, playing 73 matches, and averaging 44.
For a man considered just as "The Wall", he is sadly not remembered for the his 22-ball fifty against New Zealand just 4 years ago, till date amongst the second-fastest fifties for India in ODI cricket (the fastest is 21 balls by the quintessential flat-track, no-pressure bully Ajit Agarkar vs Zimbabwe). There have been many such stunningly counter-attacking innings from him, the last of which was the match-winning undefeated 92 against England barely 2 months ago, and yet he has been dropped from the ODI side for the moment.
It is a stupid decision, because ostensibly, instead of giving the positive message of no-one taking their place for granted, it has made every player more insecure about his place, because if a selfless, proven master like Dravid can be dropped after just a few weeks of playing a classic, match-winning ODI innings, anyone can.
Captaincy
In the wake of Dravid's somewhat controversial resignation from the Indian captaincy, it is worth looking his captaincy performance vis-à-vis the other prominent Indian captains. Let's look at success percentage, as these figures interestingly do not lie. Ganguly is India's most successful captain with 43% success. He re-built the side from rock bottom in 2000, along with John Wright, and was greatly responsible with his spunk and attitude for India being unarguably the second-best test side in the world, and ODIs too, till at least 2003-04. Test wins in West Indies, Australia, England, Pakistan came under him but no notable overseas series wins.
Tendulkar was a poor captain, unimaginative, obstinate and inarticulate – his success percentage is 16. Gavaskar's and Kapil Dev's percentages are 19 and 12 respectively. Gavaskar was dogged by a defensive approach, and Kapil Dev had a big heart, with not much else going for him. Both had tremendous ODI tournament victories – the 1985 World Championship of Cricket and the 1983 Prudential World Cup – both were won with a mature side, playing at their optimum level. Kapil Dev does have an England series win in 1986 under him, despite his poor success percentage.
The other Indian captains have these figures to offer, as success percentages – Azharuddin 30, Bedi 27, Wadekar 25, MAK Pataudi 22, Vengsarkar 10.
Dravid's success percentage in test cricket incidentally is 32 – thus making him the second-most successful Indian captain on this evidence (in 25 tests, which is not that small a sample-size either). If you add to this the much-eluded series wins in West Indies and England, and test wins in South Africa and Pakistan, it is not easy to make a case against a head-to-head as India's finest captain with Sourav Ganguly.
And it is a bit of a copout to say that Dravid inherited a better team than Ganguly did. If anything, the opposite is actually true. From 2004-05, India's poor results took away a lot of the sheen of its earlier achievements. When Dravid took over, the team was in shambles, with not a little turmoil going on around him (Chappell vs Ganguly, for starters). In any case, the expectations from Dravid were far greater when he became captain than when Ganguly had.
In fact, interestingly, in ODI cricket, Dravid's captaincy record is superior to Ganguly's – with a 56 % success percentage over 54 (making Dravid India's most successful ODI skipper for anyone who has captained more than 20 ODIs). However, these figures do not provide the truest picture, because they do not account for World Cup performances and multi-nation tournaments like the Champions Trophy, where Ganguly's team (in which Dravid was the jewel in the crown) excelled. It is also true that during Dravid's captaincy, India slid badly in 2006-07 (after starting the year with a record-breaking spree of ODI wins chasing), and became one of the worst ODI sides in international cricket. Its first round exit in the 2007 World Cup completed this sorry spiral.
It is sad, because of all the players to captain India, Dravid had shown the most gumption and imagination in the early part of his captaincy career. His stunning declaration in the first test in 2004 against Pakistan, with Tendulkar unbeaten on 194 and playing a quintessentially selfish innings, showed a willingness to not pussyfoot around sacred cows more than any other player in the past. Later, during the record-breaking run chase sequence in 2006, his imaginative field placements and bowling changes had cricket pundits buzzing. But somewhere along the way, a familiar bogey overtook him. Something that has plagued him as a player in the past caught up with him as a captain – Fear of Failure. It bogged him down as a captain, and eventually as a player too. The weight of expectation took its toll with the whole Indian team as they were shockingly knocked-out of the 2007 World Cup, after a spectacular loss to Bangladesh had put them on notice.
Despite not being removed from the captaincy (though Greg Chappell was, as coach) Dravid and his team came back strongly in mid-2007, till his much-criticized (and to be honest, inexplicable) decision to not enforce the follow-on after having England down-and-out on the fourth morning of the final test. Dravid was merely playing safe, so as to not lose the 1-0 lead his team had in the series (which ultimately was India's margin of victory) but the historic series victory in England lost some of its sheen because of this pusillanimity. His own bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan contradicted him publicly (about the bowlers being too tired to carry on) and it must have stung. This lack of support that he may have sensed from his team, the strange balancing acts an Indian captain has to do with the BCCI, most importantly, back-to-back test series batting failures in South Africa and England – the strain was evident in Dravid's game.
Critics dubbed his resignation as "timid" and "selfish". Interestingly, it evokes Greg Chappell's recommendation to Ganguly when the latter has lost form, that he drop himself or relieve himself from the captaincy. Dravid actually did that without being asked, no doubt to get his mojo back as a batsman. Should he be criticised for that, really?
This unexpected resignation is sad if Dravid never becomes Indian captain again, because there is still so much promise left unfulfilled in that department. If he could have just held on till the end of this season, with a successful tour of Australia to top it off, perhaps he would have got out of the funk he found himself in. But to achieve that, he would need his best batsman, himself, in top gear. No doubt Dravid would be acutely aware of his place in history, even if the nation and its hype-generators in the media do not have this perspective.
Summation
But at the end of the day, coming back to our original point – how does Dravid compare in an overall analysis with the other 3 in contention for the "India's greatest cricketer" tag?
Gavaskar is the greatest opening batsman India has produced, and would definitely find a place in an all-time great multinational side. He saved India more often than he won India matches, but that was also a function of India's strength as an overall side, and the inferiority mindset Indian cricket suffered from in those pre-1983 times. His legendary overseas performances won him the respect of the international community and his list of great innings that impacted their matches are classics of Indian cricket.
Kapil Dev was a superb all-rounder, no doubt, capable of changing games with both bat and ball. But fact of the matter is – he did not really do that as often he seems to be given credit for. Sure, his breathtaking 175 not out against Zimbabwe kept India in the hunt in the 1983 World Cup, but he did not do anything particularly spectacular in any of the other key matches as a batsman or a bowler. Sure, he hit Hemmings for 4 consecutive sixes to save a follow on in 1990, but India still lost that match. He was a "great moments" cricketer rather than a consistently reliable winning cricketer, someone whose compilation album is likely to be a classic, but not any of his individual albums. At the end of the day, he wasn't even the best all-rounder in the world in his time. Botham was a better batsman, Hadlee the better bowler and Imran the better captain, and all three have better figures than him as an all-rounder combination. As a captain, though he has some notable triumphs (like the 1983 World Cup and the 1986 England tour), his overall record is not inspiring at all.
In many ways, Tendulkar is the conundrum in Indian cricket. Easily the most naturally gifted player India has produced, and among the top 4 or 5 the world has ever seen, his overall figures flatter to deceive. He has not consistently delivered under pressure (in fact, since 2000 he has fairly consistently failed under pressure, like 10 consecutive failures in ODI finals, for example) and owes a lot of his inflated figures to the Bangladeshs and the Zimbabwes and innings that do not have an overall bearing on the test match. As a captain, he was one of the worst India has produced. He has been inspirational as an individual achiever, not as a team player, and that takes away a great deal of sheen from his profile amongst cricket students who value team outcomes over individual results.
Rahul Dravid, like Gavaskar, and unlike Kapil Dev and Tendulkar, is a classic albums person, rather than a great compilations album individual. As mentioned above, his innings have won more matches for India than any cricketer in history (we are basically talking test cricket, but there have been plenty of one-day wins too), many of which were played under intense pressure. As a captain, he has the best figures, and almost certainly has been a better captain than the other three under discussion here. With luck, perhaps one day he will become Indian captain again, without the negativity that occasionally and tragically plagues him. On the flexibility scale too, he scores the highest, in both test and one-day cricket, as explained above. It would make for an interesting debate whether he makes an all-time-great multi-nation side or not, but with Viv Richards available at no. 3, he may well be expendable here.(Then again, with Bradman available at no. 4, would Tendulkar or Lara make that side?)
One debate that is always stirred up about cricketers from different times is how incomparable their eras and their performances in it are. This is actually not true. If you look at the last 130 years of Test Cricket, by and large, the great players almost invariably have averaged between 50 and 60 (this gets much more solidified in the last 70 years or so). And the only superhuman in all this time is Donald Bradman, with his near-100 average (and Sobers as the all-rounder) – there should be little doubt that Bradman would have averaged something like this regardless of which era he played in. In this piece's context, if you argue that Gavaskar played the faster bowlers without a helmet, you can also argue that the parameters of fast bowlers have changed in the last 30 years as well. Thanks to fitness levels, an averagely-paced quick bowler of today was amongst the fastest bowlers in the world in those times. Far better fielding standards and more sporting wickets (read bowler-friendly) in Tests have also made it tougher to score runs than say in the early-1980s; meanwhile, the quality of equipment (especially cricket bats) has improved enormously. All in all, it all evens out with every passing generation, so comparisons are actually very valid.
So, this is the case then – Rahul Dravid - India's best no. 3 batsman, India's "winningest" player, among India's top 2 or 3 captains, India's most flexible and selfless cricketer, a true gentleman who has had the respect of opponents and colleagues, seniors, peers and juniors, a man of dignity who does not use the media to unload angst, an inspiration to every kind of individual. And yet, his true worth and proper place in history continues to be unrecognized.
Here's hoping the next few months change that.
In India, the individual's feats have always been hailed over the team's even in a team sport like cricket. So, the all-time great icons like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev were always given more space than the mere mortals who played around them. Gavaskar, to his great credit, never even gave a chance to anyone to question his presence (his last test innings was a classic 96 against Pakistan); Kapil Dev did, but since he was breaking the world record of highest test wickets, it was fair game for the Indian public. Apart from these two, it is only Sachin Tendulkar who has enjoyed that sacred space in Indian cricket. Bizarre, because the man most deserving of that privilege is actually someone else.
Rahul Dravid is the greatest cricketer India has ever produced. Greater than Tendulkar, Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, in practically every parameter you judge greatness in a sport by, especially a team sport. Unfortunately, his affable, gentlemanly demeanour has denied him that larger-than-life status that the star-struck Indian public responds to with blind devotion in large numbers. And that obscures the impact he has had on the Indian team and the game of cricket in general. Let's start with some facts and figures, which though revealing, will never do enough justice to the individual. But still.
Winning Averages
Logic suggests that in a team sport with an individual slant such as cricket, the average of a batsman in matches that his team has won is a good indicator of his value to the team, if the sample size is substantial. With these parameters, these are the facts. All averages are rounded-off for simplicity.
Rahul Dravid's batting average in matches that India has won is 77. Compared to his overall batting average of 56, it tells you the impact his performance has on the overall result. Tendulkar's winning average is 64, Ganguly's is 50 and Laxman's 51 – all higher than their overall average – and this tells you why they are the big 4 in Indian cricket. Vishwanath's winning average is 50 while Azharuddin's is 56 – both higher than their overall averages. Gavaskar's winning average, on the other hand, is 44, lower than his overall average of 51, which is very interesting, given the often defensive mindset of the team he played for, and the reputation he had for saving games, rather than winning them.
Does this idea get extended internationally? See for yourself. Lara's winning average is 61, Steve Waugh's 69, Ponting's 66, Hayden 57, Kallis 64, Stephen Fleming 51, Martin Crowe 55, Miandad 60, Gooch 57, Viv Richards 52, Clive Lloyd 59, Ken Barrington 64...all higher than their overall averages. The top numbers belong to Bradman 130 (whew), Inzamam-ul-Haq 78 (a very interesting revelation about his true worth - something Imran Khan has been saying for years), Sobers 77, Frank Worrell 74, Greg Chappell 70.
In this pantheon, with these figures, you can see where Dravid stands, and where he belongs. Incidentally, Dravid's batting average in test matches won by India abroad is 86.
Dravid is easily India's "winningest" batsman. Tendulkar may be the most talented, Gavaskar the most solid, Laxman the most incandescent, Vishwanath and Azharuddin the true artists, but it is Dravid who has had the biggest long-term effect on Indian cricket results.
Even a casual Indian cricket fan (who knows test cricket is the real test) can think back on all the great Indian wins in the last 7 years (post the match-fixing problem period) and see one name coming up again and again. Whether it is Kolkata 2001 vs Australia, Kandy 2001 vs Sri Lanka, Headingly 2002 vs England, Adelaide 2003 vs Australia, Rawalpindi 2004 vs Pakistan, Kolkata 2005 vs Pakistan, Kingston 2006 vs West Indies…and these are easily 7 of the top ten wins. Dravid was man-of-the match in 5 of these, and in 2 played key supporting roles. (His last two test cricket series failures, in South Africa and England, no doubt precipitated his resignation as Indian captain, but more about that later).
Pressure Points
The hallmark of the greatest players in any sport is the ability to deliver under pressure. One revealing stat about any batsman in test cricket is his fourth innings performance. The colossus for India here is Sunil Gavaskar, and this is where the case of his being a greater batsman than Tendulkar gets strengthened. Gavaskar averages 58 in the fourth innings, Tendulkar just 33. Dravid, on the other hand, averages 49.
When you also bear in mind also that Gavaskar faced some of the quickest bowlers of all time as an opener when they were fresh and raring to go, and that Tendulkar batted at no. 4 pretty much all his life, frequently getting in when the new ball had been blunted (often by Dravid, who has batted no 3 most of his career), it makes the picture even clearer. Gavaskar and Dravid have faced the greater challenges for the team in any case, and surprise, surprise, have delivered more as well.
Saving test matches is an art that has all but been rendered extinct in these fast-paced times. Gavaskar was one of the great exponents of that, primarily because he needed to be, given the team he played for. Tendulkar needed to be too, and he did it a couple of times in the early 1990s when he was an under-estimated young batsman, never after he became the colossus of Indian cricket (perhaps he was too pre-occupied to put his head down and play according to situation rather than his own hype). Dravid, on the other hand, has played innings like that off and on, and even now shows this intent of dropping anchor and blunting attacks. (His 87 vs South Africa at Port Elizabeth 2001, and 144 vs West Indies at Georgetown 2002 have been his best two innings in that mould). There is no reason yet to believe there cannot be a few more of those from him.
Flexibility
Gavaskar was a test opener all his life, and did not play enough ODI cricket to be judged on that (108 matches in these times is not much, and though he did average 35, it is really not an indication of anything). Tendulkar played at no. 4 most of his test career, and opened for India in ODIs with spectacular success, but never had the gumption to do the same in tests (only once in his 226-inning test career so far, has Tendulkar opened the Indian batting in tests; and all this in an era when the opening pair was India's biggest worry).
Dravid, on the other hand has opened the Indian batting in 13 innings at an average of 34; he has batted at no. 3 at an average of 59, and most spectacularly batted at no. 6 at an average of 69. He seemed his most positive and happiest when he was at no. 6 (he himself alluded to that in 2001), but unfortunately for him had to reclaim the no 3 position back as no Indian batsman had the wherewithal and sustained mental mindset to make a success of that position. After just 8 innings at no. 6, where he seemed to be flowering the most in an unexpected way.
Given the highly different skills required to bat at no. 3 and at no. 6, it does make one wonder how Gavaskar and Tendulkar would have taken to that level of enforced flexibility.
ODI cricket
In one-day cricket, the remarkably versatile qualities of Dravid's batsmanship are exemplified even more. But unfortunately, it is here where Dravid's contribution is obscured the most. He averages 39 with a winning average of 52. There have been so many sheet-anchor winning innings by him that is facile to list them here. Instead, it is worth looking at other facets.
Dravid played two of the finest ODI innings of the 1990s in losing efforts - 84 vs South Africa in 1997 (for which he got the man-of-the-match award) and 107 vs Pakistan also in 1997. Yet, just a year later, due to a lack of form, and for a suspected inability to pick singles with soft hands (which was a temporary problem he was going through then), he was dropped from the Indian team (despite his last innings being a 33 off 44 balls). He cemented his place back in the one-day side eventually as a wicket-keeper, broke the world record of the highest ODI score by a wicket-keeper against defending champions Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup, and amazed quite a few people by scoring the most runs in that tournament. He was the Indian ODI keeper for the most part of 5 years after that, playing 73 matches, and averaging 44.
For a man considered just as "The Wall", he is sadly not remembered for the his 22-ball fifty against New Zealand just 4 years ago, till date amongst the second-fastest fifties for India in ODI cricket (the fastest is 21 balls by the quintessential flat-track, no-pressure bully Ajit Agarkar vs Zimbabwe). There have been many such stunningly counter-attacking innings from him, the last of which was the match-winning undefeated 92 against England barely 2 months ago, and yet he has been dropped from the ODI side for the moment.
It is a stupid decision, because ostensibly, instead of giving the positive message of no-one taking their place for granted, it has made every player more insecure about his place, because if a selfless, proven master like Dravid can be dropped after just a few weeks of playing a classic, match-winning ODI innings, anyone can.
Captaincy
In the wake of Dravid's somewhat controversial resignation from the Indian captaincy, it is worth looking his captaincy performance vis-à-vis the other prominent Indian captains. Let's look at success percentage, as these figures interestingly do not lie. Ganguly is India's most successful captain with 43% success. He re-built the side from rock bottom in 2000, along with John Wright, and was greatly responsible with his spunk and attitude for India being unarguably the second-best test side in the world, and ODIs too, till at least 2003-04. Test wins in West Indies, Australia, England, Pakistan came under him but no notable overseas series wins.
Tendulkar was a poor captain, unimaginative, obstinate and inarticulate – his success percentage is 16. Gavaskar's and Kapil Dev's percentages are 19 and 12 respectively. Gavaskar was dogged by a defensive approach, and Kapil Dev had a big heart, with not much else going for him. Both had tremendous ODI tournament victories – the 1985 World Championship of Cricket and the 1983 Prudential World Cup – both were won with a mature side, playing at their optimum level. Kapil Dev does have an England series win in 1986 under him, despite his poor success percentage.
The other Indian captains have these figures to offer, as success percentages – Azharuddin 30, Bedi 27, Wadekar 25, MAK Pataudi 22, Vengsarkar 10.
Dravid's success percentage in test cricket incidentally is 32 – thus making him the second-most successful Indian captain on this evidence (in 25 tests, which is not that small a sample-size either). If you add to this the much-eluded series wins in West Indies and England, and test wins in South Africa and Pakistan, it is not easy to make a case against a head-to-head as India's finest captain with Sourav Ganguly.
And it is a bit of a copout to say that Dravid inherited a better team than Ganguly did. If anything, the opposite is actually true. From 2004-05, India's poor results took away a lot of the sheen of its earlier achievements. When Dravid took over, the team was in shambles, with not a little turmoil going on around him (Chappell vs Ganguly, for starters). In any case, the expectations from Dravid were far greater when he became captain than when Ganguly had.
In fact, interestingly, in ODI cricket, Dravid's captaincy record is superior to Ganguly's – with a 56 % success percentage over 54 (making Dravid India's most successful ODI skipper for anyone who has captained more than 20 ODIs). However, these figures do not provide the truest picture, because they do not account for World Cup performances and multi-nation tournaments like the Champions Trophy, where Ganguly's team (in which Dravid was the jewel in the crown) excelled. It is also true that during Dravid's captaincy, India slid badly in 2006-07 (after starting the year with a record-breaking spree of ODI wins chasing), and became one of the worst ODI sides in international cricket. Its first round exit in the 2007 World Cup completed this sorry spiral.
It is sad, because of all the players to captain India, Dravid had shown the most gumption and imagination in the early part of his captaincy career. His stunning declaration in the first test in 2004 against Pakistan, with Tendulkar unbeaten on 194 and playing a quintessentially selfish innings, showed a willingness to not pussyfoot around sacred cows more than any other player in the past. Later, during the record-breaking run chase sequence in 2006, his imaginative field placements and bowling changes had cricket pundits buzzing. But somewhere along the way, a familiar bogey overtook him. Something that has plagued him as a player in the past caught up with him as a captain – Fear of Failure. It bogged him down as a captain, and eventually as a player too. The weight of expectation took its toll with the whole Indian team as they were shockingly knocked-out of the 2007 World Cup, after a spectacular loss to Bangladesh had put them on notice.
Despite not being removed from the captaincy (though Greg Chappell was, as coach) Dravid and his team came back strongly in mid-2007, till his much-criticized (and to be honest, inexplicable) decision to not enforce the follow-on after having England down-and-out on the fourth morning of the final test. Dravid was merely playing safe, so as to not lose the 1-0 lead his team had in the series (which ultimately was India's margin of victory) but the historic series victory in England lost some of its sheen because of this pusillanimity. His own bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan contradicted him publicly (about the bowlers being too tired to carry on) and it must have stung. This lack of support that he may have sensed from his team, the strange balancing acts an Indian captain has to do with the BCCI, most importantly, back-to-back test series batting failures in South Africa and England – the strain was evident in Dravid's game.
Critics dubbed his resignation as "timid" and "selfish". Interestingly, it evokes Greg Chappell's recommendation to Ganguly when the latter has lost form, that he drop himself or relieve himself from the captaincy. Dravid actually did that without being asked, no doubt to get his mojo back as a batsman. Should he be criticised for that, really?
This unexpected resignation is sad if Dravid never becomes Indian captain again, because there is still so much promise left unfulfilled in that department. If he could have just held on till the end of this season, with a successful tour of Australia to top it off, perhaps he would have got out of the funk he found himself in. But to achieve that, he would need his best batsman, himself, in top gear. No doubt Dravid would be acutely aware of his place in history, even if the nation and its hype-generators in the media do not have this perspective.
Summation
But at the end of the day, coming back to our original point – how does Dravid compare in an overall analysis with the other 3 in contention for the "India's greatest cricketer" tag?
Gavaskar is the greatest opening batsman India has produced, and would definitely find a place in an all-time great multinational side. He saved India more often than he won India matches, but that was also a function of India's strength as an overall side, and the inferiority mindset Indian cricket suffered from in those pre-1983 times. His legendary overseas performances won him the respect of the international community and his list of great innings that impacted their matches are classics of Indian cricket.
Kapil Dev was a superb all-rounder, no doubt, capable of changing games with both bat and ball. But fact of the matter is – he did not really do that as often he seems to be given credit for. Sure, his breathtaking 175 not out against Zimbabwe kept India in the hunt in the 1983 World Cup, but he did not do anything particularly spectacular in any of the other key matches as a batsman or a bowler. Sure, he hit Hemmings for 4 consecutive sixes to save a follow on in 1990, but India still lost that match. He was a "great moments" cricketer rather than a consistently reliable winning cricketer, someone whose compilation album is likely to be a classic, but not any of his individual albums. At the end of the day, he wasn't even the best all-rounder in the world in his time. Botham was a better batsman, Hadlee the better bowler and Imran the better captain, and all three have better figures than him as an all-rounder combination. As a captain, though he has some notable triumphs (like the 1983 World Cup and the 1986 England tour), his overall record is not inspiring at all.
In many ways, Tendulkar is the conundrum in Indian cricket. Easily the most naturally gifted player India has produced, and among the top 4 or 5 the world has ever seen, his overall figures flatter to deceive. He has not consistently delivered under pressure (in fact, since 2000 he has fairly consistently failed under pressure, like 10 consecutive failures in ODI finals, for example) and owes a lot of his inflated figures to the Bangladeshs and the Zimbabwes and innings that do not have an overall bearing on the test match. As a captain, he was one of the worst India has produced. He has been inspirational as an individual achiever, not as a team player, and that takes away a great deal of sheen from his profile amongst cricket students who value team outcomes over individual results.
Rahul Dravid, like Gavaskar, and unlike Kapil Dev and Tendulkar, is a classic albums person, rather than a great compilations album individual. As mentioned above, his innings have won more matches for India than any cricketer in history (we are basically talking test cricket, but there have been plenty of one-day wins too), many of which were played under intense pressure. As a captain, he has the best figures, and almost certainly has been a better captain than the other three under discussion here. With luck, perhaps one day he will become Indian captain again, without the negativity that occasionally and tragically plagues him. On the flexibility scale too, he scores the highest, in both test and one-day cricket, as explained above. It would make for an interesting debate whether he makes an all-time-great multi-nation side or not, but with Viv Richards available at no. 3, he may well be expendable here.(Then again, with Bradman available at no. 4, would Tendulkar or Lara make that side?)
One debate that is always stirred up about cricketers from different times is how incomparable their eras and their performances in it are. This is actually not true. If you look at the last 130 years of Test Cricket, by and large, the great players almost invariably have averaged between 50 and 60 (this gets much more solidified in the last 70 years or so). And the only superhuman in all this time is Donald Bradman, with his near-100 average (and Sobers as the all-rounder) – there should be little doubt that Bradman would have averaged something like this regardless of which era he played in. In this piece's context, if you argue that Gavaskar played the faster bowlers without a helmet, you can also argue that the parameters of fast bowlers have changed in the last 30 years as well. Thanks to fitness levels, an averagely-paced quick bowler of today was amongst the fastest bowlers in the world in those times. Far better fielding standards and more sporting wickets (read bowler-friendly) in Tests have also made it tougher to score runs than say in the early-1980s; meanwhile, the quality of equipment (especially cricket bats) has improved enormously. All in all, it all evens out with every passing generation, so comparisons are actually very valid.
So, this is the case then – Rahul Dravid - India's best no. 3 batsman, India's "winningest" player, among India's top 2 or 3 captains, India's most flexible and selfless cricketer, a true gentleman who has had the respect of opponents and colleagues, seniors, peers and juniors, a man of dignity who does not use the media to unload angst, an inspiration to every kind of individual. And yet, his true worth and proper place in history continues to be unrecognized.
Here's hoping the next few months change that.
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