My Friend Sachin

Sitting in the 7.14 am local from Santacruz to Churchgate train is not really the ideal place to start typing on my mobile to wish Sachin on his 40th birthday. But it is most symbolic for this was the very journey he had set out for (he used to travel to stations as far as Kalyan and Ambernath) to play friendly games organised by our Achrekar Sir, for the world his coach and guru Ramakant Achrekar. 

From the age of 9 with that huge kit on his yet to be developed shoulders, Sachin would trudge along. And even after 24 long years this train of perfection hasn’t slowed down yet! His 81 versus Australia at Chennai in the first Test of the recently concluded series was a real master class.

A small insight into the Master's (that’s what I lovingly call him) family is in order here. Well, it is a warm feeling when I see Sara, his daughter, go into Kaku's (Sachin's mother's) room to touch her feet before setting out for her exams. I know for real that Sachin feels satisfied about the principles taught by 'Bhau' his father, which have been inculcated in his children too exactly as they had come to Sachin. Here a tot of the credit goes to Anjali who has all along stood by him. 

After 24 years of international cricket and despite sitting on that pedestal of greatness, I can still see the same passion on Master’s face every time he walks out to bat whether for Mumbai or for India. For him, the game of cricket is sacred and he is a devotee who has been offering his services to the game for the past two decades and more. He has gone through a lot as a result of it— suffered injuries and made sacrifices but never has his commitment wavered an inch. 

As far as friends are concerned, I know how much they matter to him. For a number of his friends he has gone and played charity games braving injury and fever as his absence would be disastrous to that friend's benefit kitty. And for us close buddies ek baar Master ne jo commitment kardi toh Boss kardi. He is also into events like the fund raising Talkathons, which he has recently taken up for the education of underprivileged kids all over the country. Interestingly, he wants to keep these commitments of his away from the media glare. 

I can just go on and on but now I wish him a very happy 40th Birthday and pray that may the almighty give him all the strength and fitness to keep playing the game he loves and respects so much.