Why India worships Sachin Tendulkar
There can be a variety of reasons why Sachin Tendulkar holds a unique place in the hearts of billion and counting, but his public persona is complimented by a dignified silence that comes as natural as his batting
21-Oct-2013
There can be a variety of reasons why Sachin Tendulkar holds a unique place in the hearts of billion and counting, but his public persona is complimented by a dignified silence that comes as natural as his batting, writes Nishant Joshi in Star Sports.
No drugs, no sex, no alcohol: remarkably, Tendulkar's 24-year international career has been relatively scandal-free, and so people overreach for marginal criticisms at the expense of a broader context. We are all perhaps attuned to expecting the most aesthetic splendour from those with glorious weakness - the Cantonas, Maradonas and, as tennis fanatic Tendulkar would cite, the McEnroes - but conveniently forget that the most peerless, the most special, are those who have combined both art and success without recourse to scandal such as Federer, Schumacher and Sachin himself. Even if Sachin headbutts a West Indian in his final game á la Zidane, he can be assured exiting the sport with a squeaky clean reputation.