Sachin is the Key to India’s World Cup success

 

Sachin is the Key to India’s World Cup success

For the last two decades, Indian cricket has gained immeasurably from Sachin’s presence- on or off the field. Sachin Tendulkar, gifted with talent and temperament, has reached almost all heights that can be scaled in the record books of cricket. Even today in the last part of this golden hero’s career, there are many cricket fans in India who believe that once Sachin is out, India cannot win a match. Though many critics opine that Sachin is not a match winner as he has not won as much matches as many others in the team and many a times his innings go in vain, not bringing winning results for the team.

Everyone is entitled to their own view but one can never dispute the fact that Sachin has always remained the key to India’s successes in big tournaments; World Cup being one of them. And he will again be the ‘superman’ for the Team India when he plays his sixth World cup in a few days. The statistics are on Sachin’s side and point to an extremely crucial direction: Sachin has to fire if India needs to win the world cup.

Perhaps there are only two legendary cricketers of the modern era of cricket who have achieved everything except the world cup winning moment for their team: Sachin and Brian Lara. As the 2011 world cup will, most likely be, Sachin’s last world cup, he will surely like to win this prestigious title for the country. Indian team thinks (in the words of the captain MS Dhoni) to gift Sachin with the world cup but most importantly the India needs Sachin more to win the world cup than the other way around. Sachin’s performances in the past 5 world cups are given below. It is evident that whenever Sachin has performed well, India has done well in the tournament whereas his poor performances meant early departure of the team.

1992: Tendulkar was just 18 when he made his maiden World cup appearance yet true to his nature left a mark of his brilliance among fans. His performance was ‘average’(if compared to what he di in the next world cups) and India didn’t do well in the tournament either.

M: 8; Runs; 283; Hs: 84; Avg: 47.16; 50s: 3

1996: A mighty Tendulkar devastated most bowling attacks and led the team India to the semis. He finished as top-run-getter of the tournament.

M: 7; Runs: 523; Hs: 137; Avg: 87.16; 100s: 2; 50s: 3

1999: Came to the tournament after a lengthy injury lay-off and had to rush to India after the first match against India after his father died. He scored a hundred on return against Kenya, but wasn’t his fluent self.

M: 7; Runs: 253; Hs: 140*; Avg: 42.16; 100s: 1; 50s: 0

2003: The world saw Sachin at his peak. Top class performances once the team management (the best combo of Ganguly-Right) decided give Sachin his opening slot again. Ask Indian fans what comes to their mind while talking about the 2003 WC,most would certainly answer the moment Sachin hit that six off Shoaib Akhtar. Sachin became the top-run-getter and no doubt India was in the Finals.

M: 11; Runs: 673; Hs: 152; Avg: 61.18; 100s: 1; 50s: 6

2007: Sachin’s performance was as bad as all other batsmen (except Ganguly to some extent). He looked scratchy. Result: India’s worst WC performance, out in the first round itself

M: 3; Runs: 64; Hs: 57*; Avg: 32; 50s: 1

Total: M: 36; Runs: 1796; Hs: 152; Avg: 57.93; 100s: 4; 50s: 13.

Good or bad, it is a fact that India has still not got a replacement (at least partially) for Sachin. Sachin is still the pole of the Indian batting line up and the strategies are made around him. When the team plays without him, suddenly the batting line up becomes fragile. The series against New Zealand is a recent example. India with Sachin was at the top in the Test series but once he was out during the ODIs, the batting just didn’t clicked.

If this world cup is the last world cup for Sachin, it is also the last world cup for the Indian team with Sachin. Currently with the best team (talent wise) in the history, India is best placed to win the world cup. We only hope that the ‘Key to India’s World Cup successes’ finally manages to open the dead-lock with his performances. That is our, the Indian fans’, last demand for the God of cricket.