Tendulkar's 100th hundred put on hold, if only temporarily

The paeans and tributes can remain in cold storage until he returns to action, possibly against England again at home, to renew his quest for the elusive mark.

Tendulkar’s fortunes on this cursed tour ran parallel to India’s abject surrender in the Tests. Stung by defeat after defeat and hurt by one injury after another, the Indians lost more than they gained from this high-stakes series. Coming on the back of some of the most consistent cricket they have ever displayed in the last two years or so, the number one-ranked Test team was dethroned in the most comprehensive manner possible by the hungry hosts. Their first whitewash in over a decade not only saw Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s unbeaten streak as captain in a Test series end, but also pushed his team to third spot in the rankings table.

In perhaps India’s worst collective batting show in recent memory, Tendulkar’s form was a reflection of India’s unending woes with the bat. Having skipped the West Indies tour to rest his tired limbs, the 38-year-old spent the later part of his break training in London. To begin with, there was as much hype about the four-Test series as about his much-awaited 100th century. Already the owner of many batting records, this was going to be the most significant of all his feats, the crowning glory so to say.

With each passing day and innings, however, the milestone remained as distant as an Indian win. Scores of 34, 12, 16, 56, 1, 40, 27 and a scratchy 91 in the final innings at The Oval rounded off one of his most wretched trips. In the past too, the right-hander has endured personal failures and was even booed at his beloved Mumbai, but his poor run this time was exacerbated by the team’s humiliation. Mostly, there was genuine affection and love when the audience gave Tendulkar a standing ovation each time he came in to bat and returned to the pavilion, but there was also an inevitable smirk at some corner or the other every time he returned without fulfilling what he set out to do.

Just as how India were denied a potential first win in the Chester-le-Street one-dayer, maybe it was destiny’s way of telling the little master that his 100th ton wasn’t meant to be on this tour.

There is no doubt that sooner rather than later, Tendulkar will get there and may rediscover himself in a new avatar, like he has done previously in his career whenever he has been written off. Anil Kumble, in his retirement speech, famously said: “Throughout his career, Tendulkar had to prove people right, and I had prove people wrong.”

Since his debut as a chubby 16-year-old in 1989, Tendulkar has more often than not lived up to the expectations of millions of his supporters. Irrespective of a snide remark here and a cynical view there, he will continue to remain the most loved cricketer.

A young British-Indian who had come to watch the second one-dayer best illustrated what Tendulkar means to cricket. After news filtered through that Tendulkar was out of the series, the disappointed kid told his parents, “... But what’s the point (of going to the match) if Sachin is not playing?!”