Impossible is Nothing – A superhuman living his dream.

1) 46th ODI hundred

2) Highest ODI score

3) First double century in the 40 year history of one day internationals

4) Maximum number of boundaries in a single innings

5) Fastest double century in any international match

6) Maximum number of 150 plus scores

7) Maximum runs scored by a batsman against South Africa

8. Maximum number of centuries scored against South Africa

One can add a lot more new records, stats and numbers. Statisticians are quite busy today. Numbers are indeed important, because it is the number of runs that decide the winners and the losers, but sports are not just about winning and losing, they are things of beauty and enjoyment. This innings is truly special and he broke many records, but to me the most significant lesson which everyone should learn from this knock is something else.

“In Cricket there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of the effort (and not the numbers) is the measure of the result.” This century is truly special not just because of the records that he has broken during the course of this knock, but because of the kind of effort. People see the things happening on the field, but rarely do they think about the amount of efforts that go behind. Just before the last test match, Sachin practiced the front foot defense alone for hours, just one shot over the full training session, and we saw a near perfect century. He is someone who played for 52 days of non-stop cricket during his school days, and it is that effort and desire that has made what Sachin is today. Every youngster today cramps up once they cross 70 or 80 runs, but to score 200 runs and to come back and field is something truly special and speaks volumes about the efforts that he is putting in with regards to his fitness. Even during the post-match presentation, one thing which Sachin was truly happy about was his ability to bat out the 50 overs and he also said that he is looking forward to do it again. At this point in his career, the only thing that can prevent his success is his body and not the opposition bowlers. He is completely aware of it and is much fitter than his team mates. With this kind of fitness there is no doubt that he can go on for another 4 years.

“Making all the opponents look like they belong to the same category”.  The best part about Sachin is this attribute, he has made Australians and South Africans look like amateurs. While Australians coined and practiced the term Sledging (in the name of mental disintegration of opponents), Sachin practiced the art in a different way. He made great bowlers look pedestrian and this match will be remembered for the way he treated Steyn and Parnell. A great batsman always sees the ball early and gets adapted to it quickly so he will have that extra second to play his shot, but Sachin is a genius, he goes beyond that, he anticipates where the bowler is going to bowl even while he is on the run up. We have seen this several time, especially when Naser Hussain employed the 8-1 off side field and asked his bowlers to bowl well outside off stump. He walked across and slammed the balls through the leg side. It happened several times today. Parnell was bowling beautifully in the block hole, not giving any width, Sachin went down the track and played the inside out shot and treated him like a spinner. The highlight though of the day was the way he dispatched the yorker length balls, bowled well outside off stump by Styen to the mid-wicket region. It is not just the runs that are being scored, on a particular day a good batsman can take apart a great bowler, but it is the way the bowler is outclassed. All Steyn could do is to keep his hands on his hips and stare at the master’s craft. There is nothing much he could have done.

My pick of his shots today was this one.

Normal people are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great men rise above them. If there is one perfect simile to this statement, then it is Sachin, how many times misfortune came to haunt him? In the way of poor team-mates’ support, a third rated team, wrong umpiring (Steve Bucknor’s and a hatrick of wrong decisions in Lanka), D/L method (His comeback match against DLF cup in Malaysia), his back pain and cramps at the wrong time, the weather (India would have won the first match in SA if not for rain under his captaincy). You name any kind of misfortune; it has haunted him throughout his career. Even greats give up when they go through such misfortune, but Sachin answered every misfortune with a masterpiece. He came close on two occasions last year, but failed to reach the magic mark of 200. Many said that Sachin has let go the best opportunity to get a double ton during the Australia match and it will be difficult for him to give it a shot again, and within a couple of months his next century came and it was a double ton.

“To achieve the impossible, it is precisely the unthinkable that must be thought.” This is the aspect which separates Sachin from the other normal cricketers. We all speak of Jayasurya as the architect of attacking batsmanship, but it was actually Sachin who started that trend. Against Kiwis while chasing 150 he scored 82 runs from 40 odd balls. This was scored during a period, when a strike rate of 80 is supposed to be extremely good. Nobody would have thought of playing such a knock while chasing 150 in a difficult pitch, it was literally unthinkable for any cricketer. It was that thought process which made him what he is today. If not for that innings, he would have always batted down the order and the world cricket would never have seen the best opener of all time. Here again, this attribute of his, to think beyond the mortals was exemplified in the way he approached his innings.

Many people consider this knock to be his answer to Lara’s 400, but the truth is Sachin’s answer to Lara’s 400 is his 47 centuries in test cricket and not this 200. If Lara is known for his peaks in his test career, Sachin is known for his consistency. It only takes two good days for a batsman of Sachin’s class to hit a triple ton, but to be on top for 21 years takes real skill, determination, desire and devotion. In that regard, he is unmatched.

It is not just the numbers that is being added up in the record books. Just assume that Sachin had quit cricket when he suffered the tennis elbow injury and Ponting was successful in overtaking the numbers. That will by no means make Ponting a better batsman. Ponting indeed has surpassed Lara, but Lara still remains by a distance a better batsman than Ponting. The class and value that Lara added to cricket is much more than Ponting.

When it comes to the sheer beauty, joy and value that Sachin adds to cricket makes him the best cricketer of all time. No country will ever pray for a batsman of Dravid’s calibre in their national team to get out, most Indians did that just to watch their master wield his bat. It happened today, when Dhoni was all guns blazing people cursed him and wanted him to give the strike back to Sachin. The whole nation stopped for one moment, when he crossed the magic mark of 200. Some might break his records in the future, but no one can displace him as the greatest player to play the game.

Ian Chappell once said that Sachin is just prolonging his career with a different motive and Lara is a much better player.  Couple of months back he went on to say that Ponting has surpassed both Sachin and Lara and is the number one batsman today and Duminy will become the next Numero Uno. I just wonder how he is feeling today. After three full years of Chappel  making that statement, Sachin still remains as the best batsman.

Records, numbers and stats are irrelevant when it comes to Sachin, he is the barometer of a nation’s (of a billion people’s) happiness. Period

Also please share your opinions here.. One reason why you consider sachin as the greatest batsman

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