Growing up with Sachin couldn’t be more apt for me. I was leaving my grandmum’s place for Lucknow when Sachin got into his own and told a certain Pakistani veteran where he can shove his experience. Of course the match didn’t count but the batting did and look what happened next?
Growing up with Sachin was easy. He was my clutch. He was trying to do things in a world dominated by old uncles. Nothing wrong with getting old, just that those old uncles had too many wisecracks about Sachin, just like uncles around us had a lot of things to say about us. The ‘shut your mouth and rock them with brilliant brutality’ part made a lot of us feel like we are Sachin. Of course no one can be Sachin. God’s wish they could he him.
Long winded way of telling you that my parents still tease me about the solemn silence that I would don the minute Sachin would get out. I would, allegedly, shed a tear, remember that I have homework to do and then retire to the room where my elder brother would tease me and we will end up fighting (read - i would get my ass whooped). That ass whooping numbed the pain.
The long follow up after a glorious cover drive
The definitive affirmative nod (that I allegedly still copy)
The AD adjust
The ‘fuck off’ to Saqlqin mustaq after getting Saqlain LBW (Saqlain fell) at Sharjah
The mouthing off to Glen Mcckie
The kiss of death to Henry Olanga
The ‘Sasheen TendulKaar’ call of Tony Greig
The ‘ooh ravi ooh ravi, ravi ravi, nearly nearly’ song of Geoff Boycott on a turned down appeal against Sachin (Eden gardens, against SL in world cup semis)
The contract with WorldTel Mark Mascarenas
These are all my bookmarks for life. Sachin is life. On the ground he is still God. There is noone like Sachin. There cannot be. Topic is wover.
Thank you for writing this. It felt boring because I was having a hard time recollecting when did I start writing on your substack? This is all personal. This is all our shared history. This is Sach. Sach is life.
Lovely piece, Sarthak. I'm of the same age and some of my strongest childhood memories are of Sachin doing well. Although i don't watch cricket much now, i still like reliving those memories by watching highlights of his innings on YouTube so this really resonated with me.
Growing up with Sachin couldn’t be more apt for me. I was leaving my grandmum’s place for Lucknow when Sachin got into his own and told a certain Pakistani veteran where he can shove his experience. Of course the match didn’t count but the batting did and look what happened next?
Growing up with Sachin was easy. He was my clutch. He was trying to do things in a world dominated by old uncles. Nothing wrong with getting old, just that those old uncles had too many wisecracks about Sachin, just like uncles around us had a lot of things to say about us. The ‘shut your mouth and rock them with brilliant brutality’ part made a lot of us feel like we are Sachin. Of course no one can be Sachin. God’s wish they could he him.
Long winded way of telling you that my parents still tease me about the solemn silence that I would don the minute Sachin would get out. I would, allegedly, shed a tear, remember that I have homework to do and then retire to the room where my elder brother would tease me and we will end up fighting (read - i would get my ass whooped). That ass whooping numbed the pain.
The long follow up after a glorious cover drive
The definitive affirmative nod (that I allegedly still copy)
The AD adjust
The ‘fuck off’ to Saqlqin mustaq after getting Saqlain LBW (Saqlain fell) at Sharjah
The mouthing off to Glen Mcckie
The kiss of death to Henry Olanga
The ‘Sasheen TendulKaar’ call of Tony Greig
The ‘ooh ravi ooh ravi, ravi ravi, nearly nearly’ song of Geoff Boycott on a turned down appeal against Sachin (Eden gardens, against SL in world cup semis)
The contract with WorldTel Mark Mascarenas
These are all my bookmarks for life. Sachin is life. On the ground he is still God. There is noone like Sachin. There cannot be. Topic is wover.
Thank you for writing this. It felt boring because I was having a hard time recollecting when did I start writing on your substack? This is all personal. This is all our shared history. This is Sach. Sach is life.
Lovely piece, Sarthak. I'm of the same age and some of my strongest childhood memories are of Sachin doing well. Although i don't watch cricket much now, i still like reliving those memories by watching highlights of his innings on YouTube so this really resonated with me.
Lovely piece! Love that you started it with a note about your grandmum's birthday :)
Beautiful tribute for a one of a kind!