Sachin Page #3

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overseas proved that...

...lndia is as good

as anyone anywhere.

- Can you see any specific area...

- ...you might ever

go getting him out?

- I think our best chance

is when he's not looking!

128 years of cricket

tradition were broken today...

...when Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar

made his debut for Yorkshire.

- He's a fine young player,

he's going to get better.

In those days, Doordarshan,

the state broadcaster...

...would demand 5 lakh rupees from

the BCCI to telecast a cricket-match.

In 1993, for the first time...

...the Indian Cricket Board sold telecast

rights to ESPN for 650,000 dollars.

And so began a deluge of money.

The person at the centre

of this telecast revolution...

...and liberalization

story was Sachin.

He became the poster

boy of the country.

With the young Sachin,

there was a great desire to love him.

He represented the traditional

middle class virtues.

H um i I ity. Modesty.

You respect your elders.

You don't chase money.

Tendulkar chased runs...

...and let the money come to him.

- Like being famous?

Not very much, but...

like to be famous.

- Till now I've not become

a great batsman.

- But no one can tell his future.

Gavaskafls generation

invested in fixed-bank deposits.

Sachin's generation

plays the equity markets.

Sachin batted like

he was playing the equity markets.

- You've just got engaged

to be married haven't you?

- Yeah, I got engaged the other day...

...when we got back from Sharjah.

- Were you embarrassed

when you popped the question?

- No, no. Not really.

In 1990, Sachin was

returning after playing...

...his first tour to England.

In those days the airpon

had a viewing gallery.

So I had gone to the airpon with

my friend to pick up my Mum.

There were many people standing

downstairs wearing these blazers.

I thought one of them very cute.

And I was looking down.

Suddenly I saw

somebody look up at me.

And I thought he's like the cutest

person I'd ever seen in my life.

My friend Aparna said, "You don't know

who he is? He is Sachin Tendulkar...

...and he is the youngest Indian

to have scored a Test century."

I ran down from there, and...

...l was just screaming

his name as I ran after him.

I didn't have the guts

to wave at her and look back.

I was too embarrassed.

to wave back at her.

I just looked down,

and staned pushing my trolley.

The next day, every single

newspaper had a photo of him.

I got every single picture,

cut it out...

...and stuck them in all my textbooks.

So whichever textbook I opened...

...the first thing I would

see was this picture of Sachin.

My friend got me his number,

I called Sachin and I said...

"l saw you at the airpon yesterday."

He said, "Yah, I remember".

I said, "What rubbish!

I'm sure you don't remember.

Tell me what was I wearing?"

I said, "An orangish-red

T-shin and blue jeans."

So she said, "You did notice me."

I said, "You were the only girl...

...who was waving and

screaming out there."

"How could I not notice you?"

I had never ever done this in my life.

I was a very serious medical student.

But there was something about him.

Anjali was the first girl, whom I

had spoken to like that on the phone.

We met. We got to know each other...

...and then I staned dating her.

It had been about four years

that we had been seeing each other.

Sachin had recently returned

from his New Zealand tour...

...where he had opened the

innings for the first time.

And when he came back

he was on a super high.

So I asked,

"What are your plans about us novfl"

I said, "l think we should

get engaged."

"But I'm not going to speak

to my family I am too shy about it...

...you will have to talk to them."

I said, "Okay, fine."

So I went to his house.

I made his Mum and

Dad sit down, and...

...l told them that

Sachin wants to marry me.

And they said, "Okay."

Anjali was the one who decided

to step back from her career.

Because she knew that

I was playing for India...

...and every little thing that I did,

the whole nation was following me.

- Don't be conscious.

He sort of said one

person has to give up.

That's when I decided I was not going

to pursue my career in medicine...

...even though I was

an MD in Pediatrics.

- Stand straight.

For me it was extremely imponant...

...to have a life-partner who

understood the immense pressure on me...

...and understood my dreams.

The 1996 World Cup

is a foretaste of...

...what International Cricket

is going to look like...

mbecause the world comes to India...

...rather than India

having to go to the world.

It was huge...

...because everyone felt that maybe...

...lndia playing at home

could repeat the glory of 1983.

We will win...!

Pakistan's going to win!

India-Pakistan match

is always special.

Aamer Sohail hit Venkatesh

Prasad for a four...

...and said something to him.

And on the next ball...

And Venkatesh gave him

a rather special send-off.

You know that once you've

played a game against Pakistan...

...then the next day you're

going to wake-up with a sore throat.

India beats Pakistan to

get through to the Semi-Finals...

...it almost seems as though

this is bound to be their year...

...in front of their own fans.

Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

The crowds have been pouring in,

since very early this morning.

The atmosphere is

absolutely electrifying.

Those 252 runs required

aren't going to be easily got.

The whole nation is transfixed.

And everything rides

on Tendulkar's fortunes.

Can you imagine the

pressure on a 22-year-old?

That was the first World

Cup Semi-Final match of my life.

It was expected that I make

a big score, and do something special.

Every four that he hits, there's a

sense of enveloping national destiny.

Listen to the crowd.

Crowd says it all.

Really beautiful innings

and we love you, Tendulkar.

Ohh, he's got him!

Yes, he's got him!

I am sure he's out.

This could be a vital wicket.

He's asked for the replay.

Tendulkar knows he's

in big trouble here.

Wonderful, smart work

by the wicket keeper

I knew that I was out.

Before I could turn back

and get inside the crease...

...Kaluwitharana

had taken the bails off.

Oh, he's gone.

People not knowing quite what to do.

There was just this

incredible sense of disbelief.

India played themselves

into a situation...

...that was not

uncommon in those days.

If Tendulkar is out, India is out.

He's got that in the air.

The Indians are committing suicide.

And it pretty soon becomes clear that

this is not going to be India's night.

This is not going to

be India's tournament.

This is not going

to be India's destiny.

And the crowd takes matters

into their own hands.

All the hopes and dreams of the Indian

people have all gone up in smoke.

Well, it looks to me like

they are coming off the ground.

The game is gonna have

to be awarded to the Sri Lankans.

I had never seen such disappointment

in the dressing room.

It was too embarrassing.

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