For all my friends who argue without logics about Sachin Tendulkar, this gentleman gesture drives their arguments over the fence. Also to those who feel IPL is just about money, spot fixing, drunken brawls etc, this little master once again proves that `Cricket is the game of Gentlemen’.
The tagline might be in vogue because the game was introduced by the British. But out Master Blaster had been a Good Samaritan always, to prove the tagline right. The last match for the Mumbai Indians at the Bengaluru, Chinnaswamy stadium against the Chennai Super Kings, warned all wagging tongues to be in check.
Might be Mumbai Indians lost the match and eventually Dhoni’s innings overshadowed the whole day. But a true noble gesture should not be left untouched, without giving due credit to the involved. As Mumbai came into bat on Wednesday night in the ongoing IPL Play off no:2, they had a mammoth task ahead of them set by Chennai. They had to make 188 runs to cruise past the Chennai team.
At 47 without loss in the fifth over Dwayne Smith and Sachin were going great guns while slowly keeping up with the pace of maintaining an average of 9 runs per over. On the penultimate ball of the over Sachin struck the ball to the off side. And as usual Smith at the other end ran towards Sachin. Not noticing Smith, Sachin stuck to his crease as he knew that the ball had no scope for a run.
Eventually the fielder threw the ball at the non-striker’s end. Sachin immediately noticed the consequence and judicially assessed the situation. Instantly he sacrificed his wicket for Smith who was in tremendous form, by moving forward before the ball could be dislodged. That was a great decision of the Little Master, unanimously felt his critics. The incident shattered Smith, who realized his mistake.
And if that was not enough the Master Blaster walked up to Smith and consoled him and encouraged him to get the going, on. However, the smash hitter returned to the pavilion in just an over later. Such is the high spirit of sportsmanship of the legend that on any given day the `Hero’ of the nation played for his team. And in his journey did create numerous milestones. Probably `Wisden Book of Cricket Records’ would have repeated SACHIN TENDULKAR in its edition more than any other word for that matter…. A real honor to the Master Blaster!!
(With Inputs from Internet- Aarkay)
