A true sportsman

This day 20 years back a small kid drove his first ball, a ball from waqar younis(a terrific bowler) on the front foot. Little did the pakistani cricketers know that they have just seen a person whose wicket will be the most prized wicket in the decades to come. Yes it was Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar who went on to rule the world of cricket for 20 long years and continues to do so. Nick named 'The Little Master' and populary known as the 'God of Cricket' this man is a true sportsman. Be it the elegance if the drives he plays or the humbleness with which he carrieshimself off the field he is perfect in it.

There can be no words to describe my love for this man with almost all batting records to him. I wish to him only in one place where he hasnt been yet - Lifting the World Cup. Some knocks of his can never be forgotten and also some shots stay etched in memory.

- The back to back centuries in Sharjah against the australians - considered to be his best.

- It was a disappointment for me when he got out for 4 in his second ball in the chennai test against the Australasians But he was a treat in his second innings. Wat else can i ask for sittin in a stadium watching him

-241 n.o. against australia down under without a single cover drive.... tat was wat u can dedication.

- His first century at manchester saving india from defeat. arrival of a legend.

- 82 in 49 balls.. a win in the 24th over. sachin opens for the first time and tat has been his place for 15 years till date.

- the 1996 world cup was tendulkar's very own. his brutality was clearly evident.

- 1999 world cup. a century against kenya.. made my eyes moist after he dedicated it to his father who died just days before.

- The match against pakistan in the world cup. 3 sixes of akthar and history had repeated itself. sachin was back.

- A unbeaten 100 on the final day, thus winning the match chasing a total of 387. A knock dedicated to the heroes of mumbai (26/11/2008). yet another touching knock.

- The latest onslaught. 175 in a losing cause. reminded me of the sachin of the old. the sachin of sharjah.

There are many more knocks. but only these come to my mind. Some shots of his i love..

- The late cut against warne.

- The perfect straight drive

- the hook against short balls

- The Six above mid-off after coming down on the leg side. (the ultimate one)

There is no more records that this man can have. A small note of his statistics today.

159 Tests - 12773 runs - 42 centuries - 53 half centuries.

436 ODI's - 17178 runs - 45 centuries - 91 half centuries.

I bow to you for ur dedication and love to the sport, to the county and to ur genius.

Three cheers Sachin Tendulkar.

JAI HIND

I only want to enjoy my childhood...

An amazing piece of poem from Inumella Sesikala. Appeared in the Hindu Newspaper. (I put it here unedited)

Amma, I don’t want to go to school.

I am just a child, Ma. I want someone to tell me stories and teach me.

I want to watch tadpoles and butterflies and know what they eat, where they sleep.

I want to climb a hill and catch a cloud to see what it is made of.

I want to wait with my hands in the stream and feel the fish swimming.

I want to run with the puppies, sing with the birds, and play with paper-boats in the rain.

I want to lie down on the soft green grass and hear the wind whisper.

Only then I want to learn more about them from the printed word.

Only after my imagination is fired, my thirst to know more has begun, a seed of ‘Why?’ is planted in my brain.

Amma, I feel trapped in the prison-like classroom.

I feel my spirit slowly weakening with the monotonous teaching.

Often, when I ask a basic question our teachers say,

“No time for all that. Let us finish the syllabus.”

I get tired of studying just for marks without pausing to truly understand.

I want to go to the museum with my classmates and hear my teacher explain the stories of the artefacts.

I want plenty of nature trips where real Biology classes would be held.

I want to see colourful videos of volcanic eruptions and deep-sea dwellings.

I want our whole school to visit together the historic and cultural places in my city.

I want to learn astronomy after looking through a telescope once.

I don’t want to just read them in my textbooks;

I want to see, hear, touch, smell and taste whatever I can.

I want to experience.

Why can’t the school make at least one such trip every year?

And, I cannot stoop down anymore to carry my school sack.

My back is ready to break.

Why should I carry all the books everyday?

Why can’t we have only two subjects per day?

Or, why don’t we have lockers like in the Western schools?

And, why should I squeeze in that over-crowded auto?

But, Amma, growing up no longer seems to be fun.

I see only more of homework, winter projects, summer classes, weekly tests, monthly tests, quarterly, half-yearly and annual exams, external competitive exams, more tests, more competitions, more pressure, more stress…

When can I sing, paint, dance, swim, or cycle?

When I can just play cricket or even hide-and-seek?

What happened to that minimum sleep that you always say a child needs?

Why should I always study, study?

Amma, I am scared of increasing atrocities by untrustworthy teachers, ragging-raving seniors, acid-loving nuts, perverted adults…

Ma, right now, I don’t want to be a doctor, engineer or anything else.

I just want to feel safe and secure, play and learn without any stress before I become an adult like you.

I only want to enjoy my childhood, Ma.