Growing up with them: A fan's saga

(Note: This article got Editor's pick in Sportskeeda, here)

It was just another day. All seemed normal and clockwork. I was coming back from my coaching class when I checked my phone. A message flashed  " The greatest ODI batsman has retired". Words were pointing to the end. I took time believing that it was him. I read twice and many times over,  convincing my heart it can't be him. It had to be him. It was him. Sachin Tendulkar had retired from ODIs. Yes, he had just walked away partly.He decided to play only Tests. That too, as they think, for not too long.

I felt wronged that day. I felt like not watching cricket that day. It did't make sense to me. I watched cricket for a reason and the last piece of my reason was walking away into sunset. The legends had gone away into the sunset, one by one. I looked out of the bus window. The last call was near. End was near.

Times had changed.

Glimpses from the glorious past

My cricket watching had changed. Indian cricket has become stronger, we can beat anyone on our day. We aren't underdogs. We carry expectations to beat. World Cup has been conquered. Famous Test Series conquered. It was different then. It was a different experience watching a team do things for the first time. It was a good feeling to kill giants and be praised. It was an honour to watch classy Indian  batsmen being applauded by global cricket media.  It was a diffferent experience watching them grow into best batting line-up of world. I felt like being part of them. They represented growing India.

In 2000-01, when India played against Australia in Kolkata, nobody gave them a chance. We had a team written off before the match begun. It was a team of strugglers. Two quick  Australian wickets , then, was a miracle. A century against McGrath and Warne was a miracle. A win was a fable. Back then, centuries were rare and memorable. I remember watching Laxman and Dravid play out a day's play in Kolkata. It was sheer class. It was no less than art. Being treated with sublime shots against the best bowling attack. It was a revolution brewing up, of which I was a part. Every Indian fan was. It was like supporting a David who took on Goliath. Win wasn't expected. A litttle fight was cheered like a jab on the giant. It was fable, and I watched it being staged. A certain 11 year old fell in love with test cricket!

India didn't become invincibles but . Australia was too good a side to beat. it could humiliate a WorldXI. It could bowl out opposition in double digits. It used to defeat oppositions mentally and on the field. It was a champion team in those days. It was a colossal of legends who worked as a team. India was different. It was struggling slow-moving group that had its problems. It was hungry. I watched them struggle. I watched them get out on ducks and make centuries then. They were hungry to succeed. Ganguly took India to World Cup final in 2003, a miracle. Sachin looked destructive. India looked young. The test team was rebuilding. The Indian batsman were in 30s, an age of peaking. In 2003 fall, India went down under. A team that was tagged a bad visitor. It took on to the Australian attack. Sehwag, Sachin, Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman. All got runs. I used to wake up at 4 am to watch the lion-hearted India inch closer to miracle. The miracle of beating Australia in Australia. I watched a miracle being staged again. I fell deeper into love with test cricket.

It separated , as they say, boys from men. Our men were tough. Our spirit tougher. World stood up and admired. I did too. With pride writ all over my face, I felt Indian.

 The perfection of Tendulkar, the fight of Ganguly, the resistance of Dravid, the class of Laxman. Indian batting turned into world class. It scared bowlers. It tired them and outclassed them. It was an experience watching them post mammoth totals. It was worth bunking schools. It was worth feeling passionate and proud. It felt like a throb of pride, when some English commentator appreciated Indian batting. It seemed a wonderful feeling. Our India was rising and catching eyes. It felt poetic justification that our economy too was developing. We wanted to conquer the world.

Times of transition arrived. We rose in ODI cricket. The younger and talented lads with nimble fielding skills started to get attention. The Fabulous four were getting on wrong side of 30s, Ganguly was not performing. In 2007-08, Kumble led a resurgence again. It felt like a reassurance. He retired soon. It felt weird. It seemed apprehensive. Everybody talked retirement. It just didn't feel timely. It felt wrong. Saurav Ganguly hanged his boots soon. It was one down, the other big three had come into discussion, " Who will retire when"  was a hot topic. I hated the discussion. I hated the smell of the end. I pushed the thought away.

 Our ODI team won world cup in 2011. The test team slumped to worst form. In 2012, it seemed clsoer. They were not scoring runs. Fingers were being pointed at them. People became logical in an emotional cricketing nation. Why all of a sudden? They were heroes not long before. They were not now. Were all suddenly indifferent? Why can't we let emotions override.

 Dravid couldn't take it. He went off. It took time sinking in. That famous  Adelaide square-cut seemed like yesterday. Was he going? Did I grow old? My cricket idol has decided to walk away without a farewell test. It didn't look apt. As an old cricket fan, I deserved to watch the doffing of hat and the standing ovation. He didn't want the glare. He broke hearts that day. I felt wronged as a fan. It looked treacherous. It wasn't apt.

Two months had passed, Laxman decided to walk away too on an afternoon after being picked in test team .He was hurt. So was I. No farewell test. No emotional departure. No farewell knock. Just few Eden memories and a sad media presentation. Did he too go like that? Didn't we deserve that wristy flick past mid off. It was just not apt. It wasn't.

Laxman and now Dravid. Two setbacks and that too silent. Away from the attention. Like a news report.

Just when 2012 was walking away from that dream of yesteryear. On that day in bus, I got this news of Sachin. An enthusiastic part of my cricket fan died a little. It won't be same. The time is near. On another dull day, he'll quit tests too. It will make headlines, tributes will pour and cricket world will move on. Indian team would change then. These names would be part of records and some lunch time talks. New young stars would take the centrestage. India will win more series. Be world-beaters. But that feeling of growing up with a team won't come. Like any other fan sitting in oblivion to the legends in my home, I have accepted the passing of an era. It isn't easy to see them go though. It isn't.

Sigh!