SACH a Day that belonged to no one else !!!

19^th May 1999 it was. Cannot possibly forget this day. Was lying on my bed at SGPGI, Lucknow after going under the knife to correct prolapsed L-4, L-5 discs. It was freaking painful to lay on the bed 24x7. Life was like: straight from the cricket ground to the OT. Though I knew deep down there that the surgery could be due anytime, something in me never listened to the docs and thereby aggravating the injury. Few mad late-nights of games of baddy and volleyball at IIT-K and then a trip to BITs Pilani for their sports meet in fact proved to be too expensive.  Wearing the morning sun on the shoulders is  ok as long as it is not burning your skin. But I had in fact allowed myself a dive into the nuclei of the hot sun.

With his reading glasses up on the forehead Dr Chhabra looked at my  MRI reports and then turned to his young residents. Exact words were – “ well, I don’t see a purpose in investing my time for this case. Completely useless”. I broke into tears- not because I thought I might not get cured properly but simply because I was in the grip of a terrible sense of uncertainty ‘ I might not be stepping into a sports-shed again’. I started tumbling. With a desperate try get back some sort of composure, I blabbered – Sir, will I be able to play again?’ . Dr Chhabra gave me a real dirty look and said “ will India lose a gold medal if you don’t go to Sydney Olympics? Any ways, do not worry I have told these docs to take good care of your freakin a**”. I got back my life that I had just lost 2 min back. Rest of time spent at SGPGI was nothing less than meaningless for me.  Couple of days later I was on my routine rehab along th 6^th floor corridor of the neuro surgery ward. Overheard a conversation between a doc and an old man- could easily be into his 80’s who was due for his scalp to be wide open on 23^rd. The gentleman was pleading to postpone his surgery by a solitary day (solitary day?)

By that time India had suffered a major blow to its dwindling World Cup hopes when Sachin Tendulkar returned home following the death of his father. And his teammates made it worse for him and the country by losing the match against Zimbabwe from a seemingly `unlosable' position.

Going into the match with a big handicap such as the absence of Sachin, India made a complete hash of things while bowling to Zimbabwe conceding 51 extras and, worse, being penalised four full overs for slow overrate. As if this complete lack of cricketing acumen were not enough they followed it up with a batting performance which alternately lifted and sank India's spirits before finally crumbling by just three runs. All it required was one batsman to stand up and snatch victory which was within their grasp, but player after player flattered only to deceive.

All that old man was begging was to watch the match vs Kenya. This guy puts behind the loss of his father to play a god-damn cricket match. He was not prepared to concede that it  was  just a cricket match. For him, it was worth trading a life for. I cannot afford to lay unconscious on the operation table while he takes the field, come what may. To my utter disbelief I had allowed two heavy teary lines down my cheeks. The entire ward was lined up behind that old gentleman’s passion forcing the team of docs to do just as destiny would have scripted. What unfolded on 23^rd May 1999, as they say is history.

I had completely forgotten that my back was cut and hammered couple of days back. Was dying to get on my knees, touch this grand old man’s feet which was never to be. But man, I tell you I get moist eyed even today when I recall that day even in passing.

SACH was /is the impact. Happy birth day, SACHIN !