You Will Be Missed, Sachin.

Post November 18th, there will be never be the anticipation to see the straight drive that wooed millions. There will never be the masterful upper cut from that massively heavy bat. There won't be TV sets switching off after a top order batsman's dismissal. Yes indeed, cricket will never be the same again. With the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar, a whole era (spanning 24 years) will remain a memory. For many of us, most certainly me, passing of this era has been delayed by almost two years. But, a good time this is too. Indian cricket must move on. World of cricket must move on. Tendulkar must move on.

Tendulkar has been, is and will be one of the greatest players to have played cricket. What he has given the game and it's lovers is nothing short of lifetime of happiness, joy and entertainment. The love he has got from the legion of fans in India and abroad throughout his career starting off as a 16 year old, is incomparable. Never again will there be a cricketer who will dominate the imagination of so many millions of fans. He has been the source of India's hopes and aspirations for well over two decades. Up till very recently, he was the most marketable cricketer in the world and the most celebrated sportsman in India. His records, will remain a testament to his longevity, sheer passion for the game and the undying hunger for runs.

To me he will always be the player I have woken up at 5 am to watch him play in Australia and slept at devilish hours to watch him bat in the West Indies. Can't count the number of days I've opted out of school, college, office only to stay at home watch him bat. Countless unproductive days when I have glued on to Cricinfo & Twitter to follow and tweet his batting while at work. As a 7 year old I remember him scoring a half century and picking up Sohail's wicket and ensuring a big Indian victory against Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup. Remember seeing him field in the test match versus England at Madras in 1993. He had scored 163 the previous day. Remember being thrilled for his after he scored his first ODI century against Australia in the Singer World Series at Colombo in 1994. Vividly remember feeling cheated after his dismissal versus Australia in the 1996 World Cup. He was playing brilliantly at 90. He was stumped by Healy off a cleverly bowled wide by Mark Waugh. Was devastated by a similar dismissal against Sri Lanka in the infamous semi final at Calcutta. As a 12 year old, I remember buying a bat with MRF sticker on it and hoping Tendulkar inspired by batting. It never happened, I was always lousy as a batsman. My most memorable Tendulkar moment has got to be being at the stadium and watching him getting his 35th test hundred, going past Sunil Gavaskar. He had been in a lean patch for a year and number 34 to number 35 took almost 365 days.

Coming back to his retirement, I wish BCCI and he chose South Africa to be the venue for his last match. Imagine Tendulkar battling it out with Steyn, best contemporary bowler and scoring 50 odd. Wouldn't that have been more satisfying than this customized opportunity to play it at his home ground? What Tendulkar has epitomized in his 24 year career is fight to the end. Playing for a team that were a bunch of no-gooders, he stood out each time and performed like he belonged here. Nothing came easy for him. He inspired the likes of Jadeja, Dravid, Ganguly, Sehwag, Yuvraj, Dhoni and more recently Kohli, Dhawan & Rohit. For me, a fitting farewell for Tendulkar would have been a final test at Durban or Cape Town playing Steyn, Morkel & Philander. While, that's now just a dream, I'd have hoped for some class and subtlety in the celebrations. BCCI, as they are known for have been milking the cash cow that is Sachin Tendulkar to no end in this two test affair against the almost invisible West Indies. (no offence meant to them) Radio stations blaring Sachin Fever every 15 seconds, brands he endorses going OTT with contests, every minister running ahead of the other to gain mileage out of him, almost all senior cricketers; Indian and foreign singing ballads in his praise. I'd have hoped someone left some space for the slightly less important match being played and the fact that it is a big deal for Sachin Tendulkar. It won't be easy for him to leave the game he loves. It will be highly emotional for him too. He would like to go out scoring a possibly a hundred or at least a half century and leave on a high. He has had a tough two years running in test cricket. He'd want to correct that in his last outing.

With the match now having started, lets hope he gives himself and his fans another five days world of happiness. There will never be another Sachin Tendulkar. His legacy will live on. We will be proud to tell our future generations that we watched him play.