Mirror mirror on the wall

Off late I've seen my strong interest in cricket come back to me. I've been one of that generation of cricket loving Indians whose happiest moments were somehow connected with the happy times of Men in Blue. But some how it has never been possible for me to displace them from their hero status that fast. That could probably because my baptism to cricket watching was carried out by a chubby 16 year old. And over the last 18 or so years I have watched that chubby 16 year old grow from might to might, take on the world create and break records with the ease only he can. I saw him win laurels. I saw him being addressed as 'God'. I saw TV channels climbing TRPs just by squeezing his name into news. I saw adjectives overflowing. But he remained the same. Modest and grounded.Then I saw his home crowd boo him. I saw his effigies and posters being burnt. I saw people screaming for his blood. I saw self proclaimed cricket statisticians and ex- cricketers hired by TV channels dissect his ability and personality. I saw the pressure on him to prove them wrong. I saw him fight the demons alone. The sixteen year old who faced Waqar Younis with a broken nose the young man who stood tall amidst the desert storm, wore back braces and got india so close to a victory in scrotching chennai heat , the ultimate team man who bowled his life out after his captain gifted him a declaration at 194 at Pakistan..... the media, cricket lovers and the country conveniently forgot many more things and wrote off the game's best boy. As ViV Richards said'ungrateful India' went on to say he should give up the game.
But Sachin Tendulkar came back. I would never say like a phoenix for I dare beleive Tendulkar eas never ever finished. But still he remained the same. Modest and grounded never screaming from roof tops... or asking questions to mirrors. Probably Sachin Tendulkar is far too sure about himself that he doesn't really want to ask questions to mirrors. Well, with all due respect, the copy right of the title of this post and the few lines below goes to Ian Chappel. But I'm taking the liberty to ask the mirror a question that Ian Chappell himself asked barely months ago.
Mirror mirror on the wall
Who is the greatest cricketer of all
Sachin Tendulkar forever.
Mr Chappell, I hope you heard the mirror too. But honestly it would be so not like Sachin Tendulkar if this article ends without this. I know you are used to the fact that Tendulkar does not let people down. But I'm sorry he let YOU down.