Sachin Tendulkar: The Man in The Mirror // happy birthday



(As published in BVDUMC's annual student magazine, Elixir)


On the 24th of April, 2019, my mind goes back to the rare opportunity I had, this past year- an opportunity to sit down and have a conversation, a myriad of discussions on a variety of topics- with a legend. What unfolded was a conversation unlike any other- wherein I got to take a peek at the man beyond the façade of the World’s Greatest Cricketer. Presenting to you...

Sachin: The Man in The Mirror




There’s only so much that goes on inside a person’s head, as they wait with bated breath, for an opportunity not many could have claimed to have been blessed with. Indeed, I was one of the lucky ones, and while I sat, in Sachin Tendulkar’s living room, a million questions and thoughts paced back and forth my mind. “What question do I start with?”, “How do I greet him?”, “What should I-“, the door swung open and a twinkling-eyed, cheerful living legend rushed in, greeting and smiling as he made his way to the couch, as he apologized for keeping us (me, my father and sister) waiting (it had literally been ten minutes, and we were early). As we took our seats and I braced myself for the conversation to open at the pitch, he chimed in with a cheery “How are you? How are things at college going? Plans for the future?” A 2 minute discussion followed, about my hobbies, my love for writing and music, and in that one instance, all my fretfulness disappeared and one thing became certain; that this conversation was going to be unlike any other. That this conversation was with a name that we all grew up knowing, yet there was so much about Sachin…that we didn’t know at all.

The Other Side: An Off-side Six

An ideal man, a true legend-follows his excellence with equal parts humility. Sachin Tendulkar, Master Blaster, God of Cricket, whose excellence is beyond par, somehow manages to be more than just that. “I grew up in a flat in Bandra East, not too far from here, the way I was brought up, the values inculcated in me by my parents makes me who I am today.”, Sachin reminisced of his humble upbringing. As his words spun me a yarn to knit, his voice had a faint quiver that transported me to Bombay in the scorching May sun of the 1980s. “At the time, we lived in a flat that was on the fourth floor of a building with no elevators. And May-June- you know how Bombay summers can get? It was excruciating. And there was one instance that I observed every few days that has stayed with me throughout my life. As we lived on the fourth floor of our building, and this was a time before e-mails came to be, we used to receive letters. And to deliver these letters, the postman would have to climb 4 floors, in excruciating heat, and sometimes it was just one letter but he would still do his job. Every single time, my father would welcome them into our living room and offer them tea, coffee, lemonade, refreshments and I, all of 7 or 8 years old would always question him- What is the need for all this! And he would calmly answer, ‘because he is doing his job in spite of all the difficulties he is facing, the least we could show is some gratitude.’ That stayed with me and for the rest of my life, as I silently observed my father and the qualities he possessed, that was the person that I wanted to be in my lifetime as well.” He pauses, and almost immediately breaks into a smile, as an alarm goes off in his house. “Don’t be alarmed by that! We’re just running some tests on a new alarm.”




A Diamond Amongst the Graphite

It could suffice to say that this was a Sachin that I saw in a new light, and the intrigue only surmounted from hereon. “So, would you say that your upbringing conditioned how you handled pressure? You were such a young boy when you started out, and yet you were playing against the greats.” I asked. “Oh, definitely. With my father, well, it wasn’t words, it was just his actions and nature that I observed and tried to imbibe. But, a little known fact is that every single night, for 24 years of my career, I have called my brother up on the phone- from wherever I am in the world, and spoken to him about my day, my match, my performance- no one knows my days better than he does.” Sachin smiled, as he fondly recalls the bond he shares with his family, rare insight that I never imagined I would encounter- a living legend beyond just that- a loving, simple family man.

And yet, a billion dreams have rested on his shoulders for more than half his life.

“What helps Sachin cool down after a long stressful day?” I enquired. “Well, Music is a big part of my life. I was the kind of person who had a separate playlist to pump me up right before I went out to bat!” “I know just what that feels like,” I laughed, “Right before my most stressful exams, I always play a couple particular songs that help calm my nerves”. “See! You can relate! I’ve always relied on music- because if you think about it, music is that one constant through life’s highs and lows.” His ever-present smile reminiscent of his favorite Kishore Kumar and Dire Straits songs on replay.

“How do you condition yourself to handle the pressure?” I followed-up. “You see, what I have observed is that both in life and on the pitch, your subconscious mind needs to take over in a stressful situation, as your conscious always throws doubts and mistakes. You need to trust your instinct and let that take over. Music helps. Yes, it’s difficult to do, but it is something that has to be done.” He shrugs gently.

                         


Cricket and the Critique

“You are undeniably one of the greatest cricketers the world has ever seen,” I said, as he smiled and modestly shook his head. “And you have been on the receiving end of criticism at every level and quite a bit at that! How did you deal with it?” He laughed out loud and nonchalantly said “I didn’t have to! (deal with it)”. As I expectantly looked on, he added, “It depends on who is criticizing me! If it’s someone who has never held a bat in his hand or stood where I stood-in my shoes- his opinion does not matter. I have a very tight knit, select-few confidants, friends who I go to for advice.” “My brother, my father, as I mentioned”, he added as an afterthought. “They could rip me apart in a room with all the constructive criticism they had to offer, or one-on-one and they’d know better than to reach to me through the columns of a newspaper.” He paused.

“And jealousy? You started out as one of the youngest players ever- you must have had to deal with a fair share of jealous and envious people in your lifetime?” I asked. “With my teammates, never. I believe jealousy leads nowhere.” He smiled. 

“If you bring someone down, you won't become better. Instead, Lift yourself up. Rise. That’s what I’ve always focused on.”

The Principles of Getting-By

As we eased into the gup-shup that then ensued- from Tennis Courts to F1 racing tracks to funny IPL quips, at this point of the conversation, I could feel my heart open up. This, right here, was a man of integrity. A principled and spiritual man, who lives by a strict moral conscience imbibed from the life lessons he had growing up. And this conversation had been the journey that I had hoped that it would be, and more. Sachin- beyond the facade of Sachin Tendulkar- a kind, funny, humble and honorable man. Sunil Gavaskar was once asked to describe Sachin in one word, and he said “Balance”. And balance is what I witnessed first-hand.

“Is there any one philosophy that helps you achieve a balanced state of mind?” I wondered. “I practiced and worked really hard, the more I practiced the more I worked hard…But there come’s many a time when no matter how hard you try- you just cannot do it. Practice, practice is good but it’s a balanced state of mind that is more important.” He said, with a serious undertone. “It’s difficult to achieve because our past keeps coming up to the surface and riddling us with self doubt- it’s a very thin line between focusing on the positives and focusing on the negatives of life and when you overthink it, you crack.” “And how do you fight it?” I pondered.

“The mistakes we make in the past won’t repeat themselves unless we let then. We should not focus on just our difficulties- focus on your strengths and make them better. That’s what I do.” He smiled softly and shrugged. “Most of the principles I’ve lived by- I think it has a lot to do with interaction, be it actions or words. I’ve learned a lot from just watching my father- my role model, the biggest inspiration. He never told me what kind of person I had to be- I just watched him (being humble himself) and I knew that being a good person is what people appreciate about you even after you’ve stopped playing.”



What makes a legend a legend?

We all know Sachin Tendulkar, the legendary cricketer. But what else is Sachin? An icon for the people of India, in a way legacies aren’t accustomed to. A son, a brother, a husband and a father. A lover of movies, music, tennis, F1 racing and family holidays. An extraordinary gentleman in the (extra)ordinary pursuit of peace, happiness and simplicity in life. As our intense hour long conversation drew to a close, I had one final question. 
“One final question, if I may?” “Of course, ask away!” he replied, enthusiastically.

“What is one thing you would like everyone to remember you by?”

“Well…you see, cricket-cricket definitely, it got me recognition, but…” he trailed off.

“I would like to be remembered as a person.”

***

~Ankita 
Thank you for all the life lessons, Sachin. A very happy birthday from a very lucky fan :)

Comments

  1. What a beautiful interview dear Ankita! And you have penned your thoughts about it so well too! Kudos for a brilliant and interesting read!
    Chakori Aunty

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  2. Hey, you are turning out to be a Sachin yourself - as a young contributor to public discourse. Tend to your magazine, your studies and to the future you want to build. And as the master blaster did so brilliantly - maintain balance.

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  3. How cool Guddy ..What a great write up and interview with Sachin..you are an amazing writer .Wish you all the best in life ..

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  4. A fabulous interview...it's not easy to fathom mind of a legend , especially when u r overawed ...but hats off Ankita ...u kept balance as the Master and did a fantastic job

    One more career awaits u

    - SD uncle

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