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Indian cricket team is in action, so Sachin Tendulkar has to be in the news no matter for what reasons as the people, the media and more importantly his critics love to talk about the most loved cricketer of all time. Indian cricket fraternity is obsessed with age and relates everything to it. From the past 2-3 years the world was only talking about one thing, when are the senior players going to retire?

Four of the five, Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman have succumbed to age criticism and have retired from professional cricket. The only one who remains is the maestro himself.

So know the whole focus is on Sachin and more son his age rather than his batting. Everything that Sachin does is related to his age. If he scores than it is because of his experience and when he fails than it is because of his growing age. Even when he fumbles in the field, critics say that it is his tired body and when someone like Virat Kohli drops a catch, than it becomes an unfortunate incident.

So, the new topic of discussion in Indian cricket is how Sachin got out in the last two innings against New Zealand and how him being 39 years old played a part in it. Sachin in the first innings of the second Test in Bangalore was clean bowled by Doug Bracewell and Sunil Gavaskar who was on air commentating said that it was a worrying sign as the Little Master left a big gap between bat and pad.

The ball was almost a half-volley and Sachin just tried to hit it towards mid-wicket instead of mid-on and in the process played across the line. People, who were waiting for something like that to happen, grabbed the opportunity and started.finding the faults in the ‘Great Man’s’ technique.

Yes, he was also was bowled in the first innings of the first Test but on that occasion the credit should be given to Trent Boult. The young Kiwi paceman bowled a perfect spell to Sachin and eventually got him out. It is true that Sachin off-late is getting out trying to play ball across the line.

In the last six innings that Sachin has played, he has got out bowled two times and leg before wicket twice. But for a man who has been on the cricket field from the past 23 years, it is not a big deal and even if it is, Sachin has the capability to fight it out because it is for sure that this is not the first time that Sachin has found himself in this situation.

Sachin, who was getting out playing drive in 2003 Australia series, showed how he can comeback. Everyone knows about his double hundred in Sydney. He in his innings curbed his natural instinct and played a steady but very effective innings.

Now Sachin is in the similar situation as in four out of the past six innings Sachin has been out bowled or LBW and people once again are starting to draw the conclusion. But to relate his dismissals to his age is very frustrating and agonising for the Master.

The man who has played for more than two decades and over 150 Tests will know that when he has a problem in his technique. Sitting outside and making judgment is the easiest thing to do.

People relate Sachin’s case with Dravid. Dravid too like Sachin faced a similar problem and was bowled almost all the time in Australia. People said that age took the toll on him. But how come a man who scored three hundreds in England in a span of two months became that old that he couldn’t face the ball.

One good innings and all these talks will be put to rest and Sachin will once again be the technically best batsman in the world.

By Gaurav Jha
Indian Sports News Network