Tendulkar and game of numbers

By John Cheeran
Sachin Tendulkar hit a century in Chittagong and soon cracked a few jokes to the supplicants around him. Tendulkar breathed from a can of oxygen, that is his 36th Test century, before telling the pen pushers that guys such as him do not play for numbers. Ah, what a wonderful sentiment!
Especially after his pathetic efforts in the Caribbean World Cup.
I’m baffled when Tendulkar says he scored an important century in Chittagong. Yes….important to whom? India? Or himself?
Only a worse fool than Tendulkar will say that his century in the first Test against Bangladesh, and bedeviled by inclement weather, has any importance other than to the batsman.
It is terrifying to note that Tendulkar has said “I’m looking forward to playing such important innings in future too.”
Great news for Indian cricket.
And let me quote Tendulkar more. “Every batsman wants to go out there and score runs. Players don’t play for the numbers; players go out to score runs and I’m no different.”
Excellent. We didn’t know that batsmen were supposed to score runs. And what does Tendulkar mean when he say that players do not play for numbers, but for runs…
Does Tendulkar know runs are tallied in numbers?
It was Leon Trotsky who said that everyone has a right to be stupid, but one should never abuse that right.
I would like to remind Tendulkar about Trotsky’s piece of advice, which is worth following for a lot of others who circle around Indian willows.
And to underline how much worthies such as Tendulkar and Ganguly care for Team India's cause is explained by the way they threw away their wickets immediately after reaching the number 100.
And Tendulkar talking about numbers game!