Sachin the great ?

"Cricket is our religion,Sachin is our GOD", a message which we have seen many times during the cricket matches.Sachin Tendulkar has acquired the status of a demi god in this cricket crazy country. But is Sachin really the genius we are making him ?

Sachin Tendulkar has always preferred to open the batting in ODI's, a position where batting is probably the most easiest ( except on some rare ocassion where the pitch favors the fast bowlers). All, but two fielders are inside the circle and there is no pressure to start with. The most difficult position in the ODI's is the number 5 or 6 position, where you are always under some kind of pressure. If the team gets off to a good start and you come to bat in the 40-45th over, there is no time to get settled down and you have to score quickly rightaway. If the team loses some early wickets and you are in by 15-20th over, you have to consolidate the score and should not throw away the wicket. Considering the fact that India always had a phlethora of good opening batsmen like Saurav Ganguly, Virendra Sehwag and now even Robin Uthappa, Sachin should have batted down the order for the best results. Infact his record at No.4 in the few matches he has played at the position is also very good.But again, is it possible to score 41 ODI centuries batting at No.4 ?

In the last decade and a half, India are struggling to find a good opening batsman for the Test matches. Infact after Sunil Gavaskar, India hasn't found any good opening batsman, though Virendra Sehwag is great when in full flow. But whenever India has had a good start, their chances of a win has increased considerably. In the 2003 tour of Australia, India had a good opening combination in Sehwag and Akash Chopra, whereas in the last tour to Australia, India did well in the third and the fourth test, when Sehwag was playing well. Still Sachin Tendulkar has preferred to bat at number 4. When he can open in the ODI's, why can't he open in Test matches ? At least like Dravid, he should give it a try. Sachin cannot say that he prefers batting at No. 4 and be indifferent to team's failure, especially when many experts say he is the best contemporary batsman in the world. What worth is your talent and ability, when it does not help the team win matches regularly ? If he is the best batsman in the world, he sure can open the innings.

Sachin, no doubt is the best batsman of his generation and probably the second best ever. But I think most of the time, he has played in a selfish manner and put his own interest ahead of the team. Surely, an unprecedented talent like Sachin deserve to win more matches for India.