9

Sometimes, we forget that life is about the bigger picture. Trust the Gods to have to remind us of this. As with most questions in our school exam papers, the answer is obvious as soon as it has been revealed to us. How could we not have known? How could we have imagined another possibility?

When a man, nay, semi-God with 99 centuries to his name goes 19 innings without one, a feat which seemed impossible even if he tried, we must sit down and think. How easy it is to forget that the Gods make up their own rules, and he is simply playing by his. It is, aye, the bigger picture that we are missing here. He is simply paying back his dues to his first love cricket.

The IPLization of the game has eroded its vast (well, vast by cricket-world standards) test fanbase and (armchair) commentators have already begun sounding eulogies for the longer version of the game. Most fans are content to talk about the “glories of test cricket” than to sit themselves down and watch all 5 days of it. All this has not escaped the eyes of cricket’s most faithful devotee.

Sachin knew what he must do. With the future of test cricket in peril, he decided to do something about it. And what better way to do it than to make people wait...and watch.

When you realise that approximately 20% of the audience of Indian test series are those waiting for his 100th 100, you realise what a shrewd tactician he is. He had to make people wait, he had to make sure people patronize test matches often enough till they are hooked to them again, and for this, he had to commit a very selfless act indeed- he has kept himself away from the 100th hundred till the apostates return to the temples. To what depths go his devotion to the game!

It is the only logical explanation. None other is possible.