http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Chinnadupargea-Sachin-c50607 Tendulkar - the perfect role model - Part 1 - Opinion
Young batsmen, who aspire to play for their country at a later age, often grow up watching some of the finest stroke makers in the game on television. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 for example, grew up watching the most inimitable masters of the game,
and would turn the television off whenever the Prince of the Port of Spain would get out. When he reached his early 20s, he managed to emulate Brian Lara’s style with such ease that many began to mistake him for Lara himself. Bravo however, did not have the
same consistency as Lara did in his prime.
For school kids who struggle with the art of batsmanship and are overawed by the technicalities of the art, it is plausible that a suitable role model needs to exist for them to look up to. Unfortunately, Lara’s batting style may not be the best example
of doing the basics right and playing with an aggressive intent at the same time. His flamboyance, which is characterized by a high bat lift which sends deliveries rocketing to the fence, might be considered as appealing, but in truth, is largely inimitable.
One batsman however, with his solid technique and penchant for scoring runs by timing the ball, is worth copying to the very core. That batsman is http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. Ever since he arrived into the international arena, tongue and cheek comparisons were
being made between him and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sunil-Manohar-Gavaskar-c91863. The similarities do exist, but Tendulkar has carved a game of his own.
Diminutive and determined at the crease, the Little Master from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 has essayed innings with such pure class that it is hard to think of a better batsman who has embraced the pitch. The sheer grit combined with a loathing for losing, went well with a
tactical approach that gave a billion fans in the subcontinent plenty to smile about. Add to that the gentleman like behavior on the field, it is hard to even think of a player, who combines humility, with class and precision as Tendulkar has done and continues
to do so.
Thus, copying Tendulkar or aiming to bat like him can reap many rewards for any young cricketer. The reasons are not as obvious as what is widely acknowledged though. Tendulkar’s batting encompass an array of strokes which border on the aggressive and the
defensive at the same time. He pulls them off with such astounding regularity that imitating him seems like a farfetched idea. His wrist work is probably the finest ever, as not many right handed batsmen of his generation could manage to work the ball through
the leg side from an off stump line with ease. What needs to be examined about Sachin however, are the basics that he continues to do over and over again, which have helped him play some outrageous strokes.
Firstly, his stance is upright and perfectly balanced. The two legs stand parallel to each other like two chimneys, in a horizontal position. The bat is placed squarely behind the right leg, which is right from the coaching manual. This orthodoxy of Tendulkar’s
stance is part of the reason as to why opposition bowlers find it hard to dismiss him. The straightness of his bat and many of his strokes which he pulls off with ease can in part be attributed to his upright and orthodox stance.
Continued in Part 2...
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