To get an idea how cricket consumes the sports scene here....two days ago, India celebrated a remarkable achievement by one of its most famous cricketers, Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar scored the first "double century" ever in one-day international cricket. He did it against South Africa at the ripe-old, past-prime age of 37.
What's a "double century", you ask? It's 200 points....the equivalent of someone scoring 100 points in an international basketball game. Few have come close, but no one's ever actually done it....until this past Wednesday. Individual performances of half-centuries (50 points) and centuries (100 points) are well-respected in cricket already. Getting a previously-unheard-of double century borders on superhuman for most cricket fans.
Here's what one half-page ad wrote as their tribute to Tendulkar's achievement in today's "The Hindu" newspaper....
For making us believe that He still exists.
For making 50-year olds behave like 5-year olds.
For carrying a billion hopes on your shoulders, and still walking tall.
For making each one of us feel like a double-century maker.
For being the glue India needs.
For giving us sore throats.
For making us cry.
For erasing borders.
For making toothless grandmothers do a jig.
For giving us 24th February, 2010.
For being born an Indian.
For showing the world what 'andar se solid' really means.
For believing that no dream is too big.
Thank you, Sachin
