Mixing literature with Sachin memoir

By Akshay Sawai
Sachin Tendulkar's autobiography will be released in November, one year after he departed the game amidst fanfare, tears and fairness cream billboards at the Wankhede Stadium. What if Sachin's book contained famous lines from the literary hall of fame? What events from the cricketer's career would those lines relate to? Let's see.

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so — The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams

Sachin played many matches in many countries. He went through a lot of lunch breaks. But there must have been places where the lunch was not so great, or where Yuvraj Singh ate all the parathas. The line above would be apt for a chapter on such experiences.

The world is what it is; men who are nothing, who allow themselves to become nothing, have no place in it —A Bend in the River, VS Naipaul

This line can be used for a chapter on Vinod Kambli. Kambli and Sachin were buddies. They were almost equals as cricketers. But Kambli got distracted by the things that distract all men but only famous men have access to. So while Sachin concentrated on becoming the best, Kambli became George Best.

All children, except one, grow up — Peter and Wendy, JM Barrie

Towards the later part of his career, Sachin had a teammate called S Sreesanth. He took some wickets. He took one very important catch — Misbah ul-Haq's in the 2007 World T20 final. He danced well. But he wore blue lenses that made him look like a mallu Sinatra and got on everyone's nerves. In other words, he never grew up.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife — Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a man in possession of great cricketing talent had the great fortune of having a stable, sensible family, including his better half. This line would be pertinent for a chapter by Mr Tendulkar on Mrs Tendulkar.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times – A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

What a way it would be to begin a chapter on the 1990s. Sachin's batting was at its swaggering best in this decade. But it was also a time when match-fixing was rife. India suspiciously lost many matches they should have won, with Sachin's efforts often going in vain.

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way — Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy

One of Sachin's lowpoints as a cricketer was the year 2007. In the World Cup in the Caribbean, India's scores were as skimpy as the attire of the local bombshells. A well-meaning but blunt man called Greg Chappell was in charge of the Indian team. And the dressing room was an unhappy family.

I am an invisible man — Invisible man, Ralph Ellison

With this line Sachin could narrate his attempts at attaining temporary anonymity, like when he ventured into a theatre in the '90s to watch Roja, disguised as an old man.

(Observations on sport, culture or anything from the assorted platter of life.)