All Stars Cricket Series: Taking Guard Again

When Sachin Tendulkar pads up, its like Watching A Happy Movie. Adrenaline, endorphins all prance within, writes Priyadarshini Paitandy, an ardent fan of the Little Master.

- Priyadarshini Paitandy

‘When Sachin Tendulkar plays all else is irrelevant.’ These are words from an ad that I much loved as a child. To me that one line beautifully summed up what it meant to watch him play. It took precedence over everything — maths tuition, practice for athletic meets, appointments with the dentist, sleepovers, even my birthday party (erm, guests were once kept waiting because I just had to wait until he finished). You see, I am superstitious like that — can’t budge when he is batting. ODIs, Test matches, T20s, even exhibition games — I sat still through them all. My neck felt stiff, feet turned tingly and protested, but there I was, unmoved with steely resolve, much like the man in the middle of the field. Sometimes when he did get out cheaply despite me being statue-like, I would blame my seating arrangement, or anybody around me who dared speak while the little man batted. That’s why, more often than not, I watched him play sitting alone in my room in my “lucky” spot. It’s saved me many arguments. I am largely of a cheerful demeanour but anybody who runs down Sachin Tendulkar sees me channelling my inner Cruella de Vil (thankfully, my fashion sense isn’t as atrocious).

And so, life was full of such altercations, drama and a sense of joy and victory (all the time he proved his critics wrong) as long as he played. Then came the inevitable retirement. Hello heartbreak, followed by dramatic Facebook and Twitter updates. I timed my knee surgery such that I could be in the recuperating room watching the Test match rather than sitting at work, typing mindlessly.