Sachin: A Billion Dreams Page #5

---

At a crunch moment in the Test series,

he came round the wicket to me.

I always felt that I should

have more than one method.

First, how to hit the pad

and make the ball dead.

And second, howl should

attack if I wish to.

He also put pressure on me then.

And all of the rest

of the bowlers to think...

...well, if he can do that,

what else has he got?

If someone's generally

getting on top of you...

...you seem to think, well

he can't just keep doing that.

He did do it.

After the game, he graciously

came up to congratulate me.

And from then on,

we became good friends.

Went over to his place a few times.

Dinner would stan about 12 o'clock.

And I'm sort of saying... I'm ready

for a kip, I got to bowl tomorrow

I don't know if it

was strategy or not...

...but it was fun.

He loved Dire Straits...

...and he had this

fantastic sound system.

Music has always been

my secret weapon...

...to control my emotions.

There were many times I would listen

to a single track over and over...

mthroughout a game.

In 1998, just...

kicked out the jams...

...and goes to a new level,

and he shows what he is capable of.

I never saw myself play...

...but I feel that

this fellow is playing...

...much the same as I used to play.

You can ask anyone

from that generation...

...about which was

Tendulkar's best innings.

And they will all say...

There's a desert storm brewing here.

He was hitting Kasprowicz

out of the park.

Shane Warne... coming in, going out.

The way he batted on

...l used to bat the

same way when I went outside.

The way he shook his

neck or standing like him, or...

...delivering a back-foot

punch like him.

Wonderful 100 from Sachin Tendulkar.

He's taken India

single-handedly into the finals.

I would tell people, you know when...

...Sachin comes into bat,

please let me know.

When he came into bat,

we would stop work.

"Wait... we'll do it later."

"We won't get to see this again."

I used to have a fixed position in

front of the TV, and I would not move.

Would not eat, would not drink...

...while he was batting.

- Sara, who's come?

"What's the score?"

Okay so many runs

for so many wickets"

"ls Sachin still batting or not?"

That used to be our question.

That would give us some reassurance.

I used to try and copy him.

Like hitting fast bowlers

for a six with a straight bat...

...without follow through.

Back then it was like... what is this?

We've never seen anything like this.

...Mark Mascarenhas has asked me...

"How good is that is that Tendulkar?"

"l'd like to represent him."

He was like one of

those American Agents.

But he always thought two-steps ahead.

He knew how to turn

Sachin Tendulkar into a brand.

Sachin represents what millions

of young Indian kids wanna be.

He was the one that

we were all looking up to,"

...and we were all chasing.

And it wasn't just me,

Lara, Kallis and those guys.

We all wanted to

be like Sachin Tendulkar.

Everybody wants to know what have

you've been having for breakfast?

- Let it be a secret.

We've no means of

entertainment in our village.

Not even a talkies (Cinema Hall).

For us, entertainment

means Sachin's batting.

And that innings against Pakistan.

It was one of his

best innings of all time.

During the last 30-40 runs,

he couldn't even bend.

Cricket was a platform

that every advertiser could come...

...to use a face

that was a known face.

75 percent of this

market went to Sachin.

There were a few articles criticizing

me, saying that I am chasing money.

Money is important for everyone.

You want your family to be secure...

...but not at the price of cricket.

- Sara, who's come?

- Father and daughter getting

ready in the morning.

He used to be away so much...

...that we would be

happy just to be together.

He didn't spend much time with Sara...

...but whatever time he spent,

he was amazing.

- Sara, go close and show your tongue.

He would have lots of energy... and

he would play with her the whole day.

- Now show four.

- Four

He said one thing I'll

never do is change diapers.

- Sara bowling.

- And bat.

- How does papa raises hi

hand after a century?

- Daddy when he scores a hundred.

Sara doing her first

'Rangoli'(design).

I always wanted to create the

same relationship with my children...

...as I had with my own parents.

I always found my father so calm.

In my younger days,

I would be watching him closely.

I was grasping so many things.

He treated each and every

person with equal respect.

If I could be 50

percent of my father...

...then I'd consider

myself a good human being.

As the Indian left for the World Cup...

...the hopes of a nation

went with them.

This was my third World Cup...

...and England has always been

a special place for Indian Cricket.

India had already won in 1983...

...and this team was sort

of similar to that team.

I was excited about our chances.

Our second game was

to be against Zimbabwe.

And at 2 o'clock in the morning,

I heard a knock on the door.

I was surprised when

I opened the door.

My wife Anjali was there.

She came inside the room and said...

"Sit down,

there's something I want to tell you."

She said your father has passed away.

He's had a massive hean

attack and passed away.

The whole journey is a blur for me.

I'd just gone numb.

I can never forget that sight of my

mother sitting in the corner of the room.

Alone.

For the last 20 hours,

she'd been sitting facing the wall.

She had not moved from that spot.

I was extremely close to him.

From now on...

...my father was not going to be a

part of what would happen in my life.

That one thought was hurting me.

It was difficult to come to

the reality that he's no more alive.

Everyone at home felt

that I should go back...

...l should go back and join the team.

So, I somehow managed

to catch a flight back.

I got back to England and

went straight to the ground.

Every little thing

that I thought of him...

...brought tears to my eyes.

Yeah, I am back because of

my family and all the countrymen.

Errr... It was my mother

who actually told me...

...that I should go back

and play the World Cup.

And try and get the cup back home.

My wife, my brothers and sister...

...and all the rest of the family members

also, they are totally behind me...

...and if my father was alive, he

would've wanted the same thing, so...

...l am back here to play.

Even while batting,

I was thinking of him.

I somehow controlled my tears.

When I scored 100 before that,

I would thank God...

...but from that day forward,

every time I looked up...

...l would thank my father too.

"L have not forgotten you, my dear.

I remember everything very clear.

Our bond today with the unknown...

...is beyond the boundary

of the horizon.

My eyes will hide

my silent tears alone...

...and leave behind

for you the rainbow to own."

- Aditi, Sachin speaking.

- It's a boy.

- Thank you very much.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes