Sachin 199*

Last week I finally watch Krish3, it was an eagerly awaited movie. Seeing the promos I had an idea of what I was expecting. But being an Hrithik fan, I watched the movie more for his sake than the special effect and super hero one. The promos looked good, he looked fit as before and the special effect weren’t cheap. And add to that Hrithik has that superhero persona in him, be it Dhoom 2 or Krish.

The radios had bombarded with the release date every single date and I literally was waiting for the movie to release. Nov 1 was the release date and I desperately waited for Oct to end. And it had reached to a point where I just wanted to watch it and get over it. The movie started off well, the last super hero movie I had watched was Ra1, so Krish3 was a please surprise, but soon I realized that that promos were better than movie itself; Cliché’s storyline cartoonish sidekicks and a laughable villain. 

I felt a similar thing when Sachin came into bat and then went away in 20 mins, I felt that the promos of The Legend, 199th test match, super God were actually better than the those 24 ball he had faced. The platform was set for him, 2 down India in a spot of bother and crowd expecting him to take India towards the coast. He took guard against the off-spinner who was getting some purchase from this pitch and some bounce along with it. Since I had watched the promo The Lahli, I was confident that the Adidas Master Blaster bat wouldn’t disappoint me.

My brain knew that he was out of form, and Shane ShillingFord was in a middle of good spell, but my heart said he would do it for the one last time. Out came the trademark flick of the wrist threw the midwicket, it followed with another one, sure this movie took off well. It was followed by couple of forward defense and he was looking as elegant as ever. And the thought began to linger in mind as so why he was retiring. And then out came the doosra that bounced a bit and the master was beaten and it struck on the back foot. Like his customary fall, he just went off balance and my heart was in my mouth.

At that moment it looked ugly and it looked adjacent, and given his height and coupled with lack of bounce in the wicket it looked a decent shout. It was that type of appeal, if the umpire hadn’t given it out the bowler wouldn’t have been too unhappy. But as the fate with Sachin goes, whenever there is an element of doubt in the decision, it invariably goes against him. And yet again Nigel Llong after a brief pause, raised his dreaded finger. Sachin wasn’t happy, and indicated that the ball would have missed the stumps when he waked to the dressing room, the side angle replays confirmed it.

Soon the BCCI.TV blazers jumped in the gun to defend the decision, even before the talk about non-existing DRS. Sachin probably would have reviews and probably would have survived. But that’s a different ball game, DRS is non-existent in India, so talking about is like asking Afridi to play sensible cricket. And its cricket and a player live and die by this, sometimes it heads, and some times it tails.

But from a spectator point of view I was exasperated, more than what I had felt after watching Krish3. Because it was Sachin! and that is what makes him special, master of the moments. He isn’t supposed to miss those; he is supposed to pick those doosras and dispatch. I still haven’t forgiven Sachin for getting out on Saqlain’s doosra in Chennai. The anger persists, not on Sachin the player, but Sachin the belief.

But in the end I did forgive Hrithik and so was Sachin pardoned today.