Sachin Tendulkar

Calcutta: The other day, Sachin Tendulkar remarked that the current lot of younger players in the Team India dressing room were “chalu.”

International cricket’s senior-most pro wasn’t off the mark, but while the younger lot is “chalu,” most of them still tend to almost bow when they cross him off the field.

Such reverance was witnessed by The Telegraph quite a few times during the just-ended tour of Australia. And it’s not only Rohit Sharma, the latest headline-grabber from Mumbai, who’d act that way.

Sachin didn’t have to prove anything in Australia, except perhaps to himself, but he ended up making quite a statement: 493 runs in the four Tests at an average of 70.42 and 399 in the tri-series (average 44.33).

The world has come to expect that from Sachin, not so his (controlled) outburst after the marvellous unbeaten 117 in the first tri-series final, at the SCG.

“I don’t worry too much about criticism because people say a lot of things... Sometimes they talk because they’ve not been able to do certain things themselves. I look at the credibility of the person who is writing... Those who really matter to me always pick up the phone and tell me...”

That blast was almost wholly directed at one-time India and Mumbai teammate Sanjay Manjrekar. To a much lesser extent at the legendary Sunil Gavaskar.

A week before that SCG final, Manjrekar had (among other things) written: “After a brilliant Test series, it is not so much his form in this one-day series that is the concern, but his contribution... But with Tendulkar it’s like the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about...”

Gavaskar, in one of his columns, had suggested that the batting order be changed to “protect” Sachin.

Sachin didn’t wish to speak about his outburst, but a confidant (he doesn’t, by the way, have many) did talk the other evening.

“It had got to a point where people were taking Sachin for granted and his silence was being seen as a weakness... He’s human and it’s not possible for anybody to be pushed beyond a point... In any case, how impressive are Manjrekar’s credentials? Also, Gavaskar was a great Test batsman, but in ODIs? He doesn’t have much to show there...”

Sachin hadn’t been among the runs at the start of the tri-series, but it’s absurd to assess his contribution — just like, very unfairly, some only tend to focus on Sourav Ganguly’s fielding — strictly by the number of runs scored.

Be it Australia or South Africa, they’ll deem half the battle won if Sachin isn’t in the XI. So much for his impact and it doesn’t matter that he’ll soon be 35.

Actually, good friend Sourav is one of those who could (if he hasn’t already) draw much inspiration from Sachin’s tri-series performance. He hasn’t, after all, given up hope of making another one-day comeback.

While saluting the youngsters on returning from Australia, Sachin made it a point not to forget the seniors’ contributions in the past. Not entirely politically correct, given the mood among the powers-that-be, but then he can afford to take a different line.

Even if the others could, for one reason or another, they probably wouldn’t do so.