Endulkar, Scyld Berry and Mumbai

By John Cheeran
Whenever you think of Mumbai, think Sachin Tendulkar.
I certainly do. Especially when the Master shows signs of decline and frustration at the crease.
To doubt Tendulkar’s ability to take runs off quality bowling attack is blasphemy in India.
It, simply, is not the done thing.
As the cricket caravan moves to Mumbai for the third and final Test in the India-England series, everyone is waiting for Tendulkar to play a blazing innings. But as always there are a few doubters.
Scyld Berry, the Sunday Telegraph cricket writer, is one of them.
Last Sunday, Berry wrote:
“It was good for England, but sad for cricket, that Tendulkar failed to reach 30 for the ninth Test innings in a row. He has visibly gone downhill in the field in this series, unable to stop any off-drives of power, and switched yesterday from mid-off to mid-on. As a batsman he is now, regularly being hit by fast bowlers, this time by Harmison on the shoulder before he fended Flintoff to second slip.
“India’s next assignment is a tour of the West Indies. Tendulkar’s one-day place is still unchallenged, but in Tests, the bouncers will come thicker and faster if Fidel Edwards and Tino Best are playing.
Tendulkar has not made 30 since he set his 35th Test hundred, which set a world record. Typical of cricket that the heights should precede the depths, as well as the other way round.”
A pack of Indian cricket writers were in Mohali but none could see cricket and Tendulkar as they are.
Criticism of Tendulkar is a no-no and when Times of India, the quintessential Mumbai newspaper, carried a story titled Endulkar? in the wake of Karachi Test disaster there was a howl of protest.
And when Tendulkar went on to score a century in the one-dayer against Pakistan, Times of India’s rival Hindustan Times gloated and patted themselves for refraining from criticising the batsman.
But let me add my bit to the Endulkar business.
TOI’s Endulkar headline was far from original as Outlook, that wooly magazine, more than a year ago had titled Endulkar, a comment piece critical of India’s most successful batsman.
There were no howls then. It only shows what circulation is all about.