Sachin's different strokes - On the cricket maestro's 37th birthday!!

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Did you know that Sachin Tendulkar loves to cook fried fish or that he cannot live without his iPod? On the cricket maestro's 37th birthday, we dug out some not-so well known facts about Tendlya.

Despite attaining his iconic status, Sachin's feet are firm on the ground. His simplicity has perhaps been his greatest virtue.

Tendulkar sponsors 200 underprivileged children every year through Apnalaya, a Mumbai-based NGO associated with his mother-in-law, Annaben Mehta.

The cricketer loves the game of Tennis. Tendulkar's idol is the American Tennis superstar-John McEnroe. During his young age, he argued and fought for McEnore with his colony friends who supported Swedish Bjorn Borg.

Sachin sported a head-band, sweat-band and a tennis racquet showing his staunch loyalty towards his idol. Even today, he loves to go for Wimbledon matches as an avid spectator and lover of the game.

He is always followed by the cameras and shutterbugs but the Master Blaster prefers to be on the other side of the camera. His passion for photography comes to the fore in the moments that he spends with his family - moments that Sachin loves to capture and treasure for life!

 

[imhere]

Sachin GOD of cricket

 

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Sachin's agility is not restrained just to cricket. He was taught swimming in some half an hour by Manoj Prabhakar on the 1990 tour to England. The ambidextrous cricketer also likes to play table-tennis and carries his own racquet on tours. He is also fond of adventure sports.

He is the cynosure of all eyes but the stardom never got to Sachin whose humility is praised by all and sundry. Despite being a senior, Sachin's camaraderie with the young members of the team speaks volumes about his down-to-earth nature.

Far from being intimidated by him, the younger players even pull his leg on a lot of occasions. "If I crack jokes at someone they too have a right to crack jokes at me." says Sachin.

Sachin also admits to have learnt one of his greatest lessons off-the-pitch from his daughter Sarah. As Sachin and Anjali were preparing to celebrate Sarah's birthday, she said that she wanted to have a party at the slums of Govandi and share the goodies with the children there. The proud father decided to auction a half-day's coaching camp with the kids on behalf of an NGO

Sachin's greatest hobby, according to his close friends, is music. He has a vast collection of western pop and serious music and spends every available leisure hour listening to his favourite artists. Among his favourite artistes are Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar.

 

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The swashbuckling batsman can toss in his favourite ingredients to cococt a scrumtious meal as well. Tendulkar can cook baingan bhartha but he likes cooking sea-food particularly fried fish. Sachin does not shy away from admitting the fact that he nibbles some of his home cooked delicacies while he is still preparing them! The Master Blaster sometimes makes tea for guests.

Of course the living legend's favourite gadget is an iPod, the first thing that goes into his bags every time he leaves for a cricket tour. He also carries video camera and still camera just to be able to preserve all his living moments that would serve as beautiful memories in the long run.

Tendulkar is passionate about cars. His love of cars began early. There was a drive-in theatre close to where Sachin lived from where he could see cars of all shapes and sizes. He absolutely loved the place as it was the only place where a young Sachin could see a movie yet not get out of the car.

A God-fearing man, Sachin frequents the Siddhivinayak temple to pay his obeisance to the Almighty whenever he can. On every occasion in Kolkata, Tendulkar has visited Kalighat a day ahead of his match.

 

[Mirza Jatt]

Some famous comments on Sachin.

"I have seen God, he bats at no. 4 for India" - Matthew Hayden

"I still think Tendulkar is the best batsmen in the world ahead of Steve Waugh and Lara." - Glenn McGrath

"On a train from Shimla to Delhi, there was a halt in one of the stations. The train stopped by for few minutes as usual. Sachin was nearing century, batting on 98. The passengers, railway officials, everyone on the train waited for Sachin to complete the century. This Genius can stop time in India!!" - Peter Roebuck

"There are 2 kind of batsmen in the world. One Sachin Tendulkar. Two all the others." - Andy Flower

"Sachin Tendulkar has often reminded me of a veteran army colonel who has
many medals on his chest to show how he has conquered bowlers all over the
world" - Allan donald

"I saw him (Sachin) playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two...hi compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel" - Sir Don Bradman

"Technically, you can't fault Sachin. Seam or spin, fast or slow nothing is a problem" - Geoffrey Boycott

"He is a perfectly balanced batsman and knows perfectly well when to attack and when to play defensive cricket. He has developed the ability to treat bowlers all over the world with contempt and can destroy any attack with utmost ease " - Greg Chappell

"I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He was unstoppable. I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player " - Shane Warne.

"I think he is marvellous. I think he will fit in whatever category of Cricket that has been played or will be played, from the first ball that has ever been bowled to the last ball that's going to be. He can play in any era and at any level. I would say he's 99.5% perfect." - Viv Richards.

"Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don't know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their television sets and switch off their lives." - BBC Sports, on Sachin Tendulkar.

"India me aap Prime Minister ko ek Baar Katghare me khada kar sakte hain..Par Sachin
Tendulkar par Ungli nahi utha Sakte.." - N.S.Sidhu

"Harder he works, the luckier he gets."- Ian Chappell

""We did not lose to a team called India...we lost to a man called Sachin" -Mark Taylor, during the test match in Chennai (1997)" .

"I am fortunate that I've to bowl at him only in the nets!" - Anil Kumble.

"To Sachin, the man we all want to be"
What Symonds wrote on an aussie t-shirt he autographed specially for Sachin. -

"Sachin is cricket's God!" - Barry Richards.

 

[desiman]

Sachin is god and the best the world has ever seen. He is God on the field and off the field. A true gem of a person, never seen him get angry or swear. He is true idol for every young Indian to follow.

 

[desiman]

Just trying to understand the term, can someone clarify who is 'God'? You mean, worshipping him as idol? How many 'Gods' availables in India?

He is the God of cricket, no one even comes close to him in stature. His attitude, behavior, brilliance, professionalism, humility and innocence is second to none. If cricket was a religion, Sachin would be the God.

 

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Just trying to understand the term, can someone clarify who is 'God'? You mean, worshipping him as idol? How many 'Gods' availables in India?

God doesn't necessarily mean you worship him as a god. we use the term similarly in saying somebody is god of rock music, or maybe like Schumacher is the god of F1. i think u dont have that much knowledge in English language to know the meaning of it and take every opportunity to crack sick jokes with sarcasms to satisfy yourself.
Any way enjoy the picks.