The consummate crowd magnet
© CricInfo Crowd-pullers are not new in Indian cricket
Partab Ramchand
14-Feb-2002
© CricInfo |
Mistry was followed by DB Deodhar, CK Nayudu and Lala Amarnath in
the 20s and 30s, and during the 40s, spectators filled the
grounds to play witness to the rivalry between Vijay Merchant and
Vijay Hazare in notching up tall scores. Polly Umrigar and Subash
Gupte also had faithful fan followings in the 50s, and the Nawab
of Pataudi was the supreme crowd-puller in the 60s. Sunil
Gavaskar and Gundappa Viswanath continued the tradition in the
70s, and Kapil Dev became the darling of the crowd in the 80s. In
addition, unorthodox stroke-makers like Syed Mushtaq Ali and
Krishnamachari Srikkanth had the spectators flocking to the
stadium.
But it is safe to say that not one of these great entertainers
matched the unique effect that Sachin Tendulkar has on followers
of the game in this country. Whether it is the crowd at the
stadium or the millions following the game on television all over
the world, they make one thing crystal clear they are there
because of Tendulkar.
Tendulkar has carried crowd support to another plane altogether.
In the past, spectators may have come to watch a particularly
brilliant player, but even after he was out, they would stay to
watch the action. These days, the crowd comes to watch Tendulkar
and Tendulkar alone, and they make no secret of this.
It is not even that the Indian team does not have other worldclass players in its ranks. Rahul Dravid is a supreme technician,
averaging over 50 in Tests. Sourav Ganguly is a player who mixes
power and elegance in fantastic proportions and, when in the
mood, can have the bowler begging for mercy. VVS Laxman is a
Hyderabadi stylist, a noble torch-bearer of the flame lit by ML
Jaisimha and carried by Mohammad Azharuddin. Virender Sehwag is
the new batting star on the horizon, a Tendulkar look-alike who,
only a few months ago, got a century against New Zealand in a
one-day international off just 70 balls and then followed it up
with a hundred on Test debut in South Africa.
But all this means nothing to the spectators; Tendulkar is all
that matters for them. And when he is out, the crowd leaves in
droves, and millions switch off their television sets. For them,
even the end result is unimportant. Tendulkar is out, and for
them the entertainment is over. Who won? Who lost? Who cares!
Tendulkar's phenomenal hold on the crowd was seen at its most
emphatic towards the closing stages of the recent Test match
against England at Ahmedabad. There was no chance of a result,
the proceedings were drab, and the spectators were finding
various means to entertain themselves.
One of them was to boo Shiv Sunder Das and Deep Dasgupta. Indeed,
the two probably deserved cheers for the manner in which they
blunted whatever little hopes England might have harboured of
victory with some fine batting and an invaluable century
partnership for the first wicket. But no, the crowd did not
really care for all this. They were only concerned that the
longer the two stayed at the wicket, the more limited the
pleasure of watching Tendulkar in action would be. And even in an
inconsequential situation, the cheer that went up when Tendulkar
finally entered was something to be heard to be believed.
Affable, mature and level-headed, Tendulkar is fully aware of the
hopes and expectations of the nation. His fan following possibly
exceeds that of the biggest super-stars of filmdom. It is a
tribute to his mental strength, then, that he has never got
bogged down by expectations. The situation can be truly
frightening when one considers that the country's population is
one billion and that cricket has a fan following that rivals
cinema, aside from the millions of Indian cricket fans worldwide.
It is a fair bet that, had Mike Denness not included Tendulkar in
the list of six Indian players he pulled up for various offences
in Johannesburg, the outcry would not have been half as
vociferous. Tendulkar's name being dragged into an unsavoury
affair like ball-tampering was something that his fans could not
stomach, and the processions they took out in protest largely
centered around defending Tendulkar rather than making out a case
for the other five players.
To his credit, Tendulkar does not let these unhappy interludes
affect his cricket. If anything, his batting is getting even
better, as proved by his burgeoning Test average and his
outstanding exploits in the one-day game. In a way, it may not be
a healthy sign for one person to shoulder such a burden in a team
game. But such is Tendulkar's influence that, even on the rare
occasion when he does not get runs, his presence in the side is a
source of confidence and inspiration to his teammates. There
could be no higher tribute to a young man who is already a living
legend, not just in Indian cricket but in the Indian nation.
After all, Tendulkar's popularity has long since transcended
cricket; he is an icon in a country where heroes are hard to come
by.
Perhaps the time has come, paraphrasing a famous story concerning
Dr WG Grace, to put a notice board outside the ground that reads
"Entry fee - Rs 100. If Tendulkar plays, entry fee - Rs 500."