The Bharat Ratna: India’s farewell gift to Sachin Tendulkar along with Professor C N R Rao

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Press Communique

The President of India has been pleased to award the Bharat Ratna to:-

1. Shri Sachin Tendulkar

2. Prof. C.N.R. Rao

RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN, 16. Nov.2013.

Bharat Ratna for Prof CNR Rao and Sachin Tendulkar

The Government has decided to confer, the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award on eminent scientist Prof C.N.R.Rao and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar. Prof. C.N.R. Rao is an eminent scientist and a well recognized international authority on solid state and materials chemistry. He has published over 1,400 research papers and 45 books. Prof. Rao`s contributions have been recognized by most major scientific academies around the world through conferment of memberships and fellowships. He has been honoured with several national and international awards. Shri Sachin Tendulkar is undoubtedly an outstanding cricketer – a living legend who has inspired millions across the globe. During the last 24 years, since the young age of 16 years, Shri Tendulkar has played cricket across the world and won laurels for our country. He has been a true ambassador of India in the world of sports. His achievements in cricket are unparalleled, the records set by him unmatched, and the spirit of sportsmanship displayed by him exemplary. That he has been honoured with several awards is testimony to his extraordinary brilliance as a sportsman.

Sachin gets the best of salute by public, media and cricket frenzy country, who finds his due place with his nobility,humility, when Indian cricket under great & able leaders like Pataudi, Ajit, Bedia, Sunil, Kapil,  Mohammed, Anil, Sourab, Rahul  was rising to its best and is consistently producing world class cricketers with various formats of the games to name few are Sehwag, Pujara, Virat, Yuvraj, Gambhir the double and triple toners are copy book and some contrast with their intrinsic strength  are at par with best names Ricky,Lara of two ends of the game of cricket. Perfecting the copy book shots the forte of Sachin in midst of controlled hitters from any stance is the beauty of the game where Indian great players masters with ease with Sachin as model of Indian standards.

Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will be given the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, the Prime Minister’s Office has said. In a press release, the PMO said, “Sachin Tendulkar is undoubtedly an outstanding cricketer — a living legend who has inspired millions across the globe. He has been a true ambassador of India in the world of sports”.

Eminent Professor C N R Rao will also be awarded the Bharat Ratna.
Professor Rao “is a well recognised international authority on solid state and materials chemistry. Prof Rao’s contributions have been recognised by most major scientific academies around the world through conferment of member.

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Great fanfare for the little master who deserved the laurels not for game but for his attitude towards the game and his passion and respect for all the cricketers allover the globe tweeted and shared the moments of the master of the game.

With tearful  Sachin Tendulkar on Saturday adieu to bring the curtains down on his magnificient career by giving an emotional worded speech to thank his family, coaches, teammates, friends and fans, saying it was hard to believe that his life between “22 yards in the last 24 years” has come to end.

Roll over to  control his emotions, Tendulkar at the Wankhede,the  crowd listening with apt attention  thanks-giving speech every silvery  word  drew applause.

“Friends please settle down, I’ll get more emotional! It’s hard to believe my wonderful journey is coming to an end,” Tendulkar said immediately after his 200th and final Test which India won by an innings and 126 runs on Saturday.

Handed the microphone at the end of the presentation ceremony, the 40-year-old struggled to keep his composure as he took out a list of people to thank at the end of a remarkable journey.

“I have got a list of people to thank because sometimes I forget,” he joked.

“The first is my father (Ramesh Tendulkar), who passed away in 1999. Without his guidance I wouldn’t be standing in front of you. he said ‘chase your dreams, don’t give up, the path will be difficult.’ I miss him today,” said Tendulkar, who always looked heavenwards after every big knock in memory of his father.

Next in the list was his mother Rajni, who came to watch him for the first time in his farewell match and the other immediate family members.

“I don’t know how she managed a naughty child like me. She just prayed and prayed from the day I started playing the game. For four years I stayed with my uncle and aunt when in school, they treated me like their own son,” he said.

“My eldest brother Nitin doesn’t like to talk much but he said, ‘whatever you do, I know you will give 100 per cent’. My first cricket bat was presented to me by my sister Savita. It was a Kashmir willow. She still continues to fast while I bat,” he said.

“Ajit my brother, We have lived this dream together. He sacrificed his career for me, he took me to (Ramakant) Achrekar sir first. Even last night he called me to discuss my dismissal. Even when I’m not playing we will still be discussing technique. If that hadn’t happened, I would have been a lesser cricketer,” he added.

Tendulkar then thanked wife Anjali for being the best partner that life could have given him.

“The most beautiful thing happened to me when I met Anjali in 1990. I know that being a doctor there was a big career in front of her. When we had a family, she decided that I should continue playing and she took care of the children. Thanks for bearing with me for all the nonsense I’ve said. You are the best partnership that I had in my life,” Tendulkar said as an emotionally-overwhelmed Anjali cried in the presentation area.

Tendulkar’s two kids, son Arjun (14) and daughter Sara (16), were also present at the ceremony and Tendulkar promised them a lion’s share of his time now as reward for being patient when he missed their special days for cricket.

“The two precious diamonds of my life Sara and Arjun. I’ve missed out on several birthdays, holidays, annual days. I know for 14-16 years I’ve not spent enough time with you. But I promise you that the next 16 and the many more after that are yours,” he said.

Tendulkar also thanked his in-laws for, most importantly for letting him marry Anjali! He also did not forget to thank his friends but didn’t name anyone in particular.

“My in-laws – I’ve discussed several things with them. The most important thing they did was to allow me to marry Anjali. So, thank you for that,” he said, lightening the heavy atmosphere surrounding his farewell.

“In the last 24 years my friends have made terrific contributions. They have been with me while I was stressed. They have been with me even at 3am when I was injured. Thanks for being there for me,” he said.

Not to forget his first coach Ramakant Achrekar, who came down to the stadium for the first time to watch him in action, and the BCCI for supporting him.

“My career started when I was 11. I was extremely delighted to see Achrekar sir in the stands. I used to ride on his scooter and play two matches a day. Sir took me along to make sure I played. On a lighter note, Sir never said ‘well played’ because he didn’t want me to be complacent. You can push your luck now, Sir, since I’m not playing cricket anymore,” he joked.

“The BCCI was fantastic from my debut. Thanks to the selectors. You were right with me making sure my treatment was taken care of,” Tendulkar said.

Tendulkar also thanked his fellow cricketers and the support staff, especially the doctors and trainers.

“Thanks to all the senior cricketers who have played with me. We see on the screen Rahul (Dravid), VVS (Laxman), Sourav (Ganguly), Anil (Kumble) who is not here. All the coaches,” he said.

“I know when MS (Dhoni) presented the 200th Test cap, I had a message to the team – I said ‘we are all so proud to be representing the nation. I hope to continue to serve the nation with dignity. I have full faith that you will serve the country in the right spirit’.

“I will be failing in my duty if I didn’t thank the doctors who have kept me fit. Given the injuries I have suffered. They have treated me in odd hours,” he said.

“My dear friend the late Mark Mascarenhas. I miss him. My current management team WSG, for continuing what Mark has done. Someone who has worked closely with me for 14 years is my friend Vinay Nayudu,” he added.

“The media has backed me a lot, since my school days. Even today. Thank you. Thanks to the photographers for capturing those moments.”

In the end, Tendulkar thanked the millions of adoring fans by saying that the chants of ‘Sachin, Sachin’ that resonated in the stadiums would remain with him till the last moment of his life.

“I know my speech has become long. I want to thank people who have flown in from different parts of the world here. I want to thank my fans from the bottom of my heart. ‘Sachin, Sachin’ will reverberate in my ears till I stop breathing,” he said, drawing a deafening applause from the crowd.

Sachin Tendulkar got a memorable gift in his emotionally-charged farewell Test which lasted just about two and a half days as India crushed a hapless West Indies by an innings and 126 runs to complete a 2-0 whitewash in one of the most lopsided contests in recent history.

There was an outpouring of emotions when the moment arrived as a teary-eyed Tendulkar left the playing arena, which he dominated for 24 long years. Amid standing ovations from his teammates as well as the fans who had thronged the stadium to see the champion for one last time, Tendulkar walked into the sunset of his glittering career. Starting the day at 43 for three, the West Indies were skittled out for a paltry 187 in their second innings as Pragyan Ojha completed a match-haul of 10 wickets taking his second five-for. Only seven sessions of play was possible in a Test match in which one of the most respected and celebrated cricketers in the history bid goodbye to the game in front of his home crowd and his family, many of whom watched him for the first time from the stands. Gauging the emotional atmosphere, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, once the play was extended for 15 minutes after the fall of eighth wicket, introduced Tendulkar to roll his arms for a couple of overs amid deafening cheers from the partisan crowd. He pitched a googly right, bowled a few loopy half volleys which were cheered by one and all. He didn’t have much luck like the first Test but it didn’t matter as Dhoni replaced Tendulkar with his frontline spinner Ashwin, who got the ninth wicket of the West Indies innings. Moment after the final West Indies wicket fell, the Indian cricketers converged around the ‘Man of the Moment’ and handed him a souvenir stump as they came one by one to hug him. After that a relay ‘Guard of Honour’ was given by Dhoni and his men as Tendulkar walked out of the pitch one final time trying hard to conceal his emotions under the floppy sun hat. But one could see him wipe a tear off as the West Indies players came down to congratulate the legend on a wonderful career. Arjun Tendulkar, who was doing the duty of a ball-boy, stood applauding at the boundary line. Starting with a 8-1 off-side field, Ashwin bowled on Gayle’s pads as he was clipped for three boundaries in a single over by the big-bodied Jamaican. Marlon Samuels (11) stepped out to a flighted delivery from Pragyan Ojha, only to find that Dhoni had effected the easiest of stumpings. Gayle also followed suit as he edged a straighter one from Ojha for Dhoni to take a sharp catch. At 87 for five, there was a fear that the match may well get over even before lunch session as Narsingh Deonarine (0) offered a simple return catch to become Ojha’s fourth victim of the innings and ninth of the match. However Chanderpaul, playing his 150th Test match offered some resistance in company of Denesh Ramdin (53) as they added 68 runs for the seventh wicket before the veteran padded up one from Ashwin that went straight after pitching. Chanderpaul scored 41 with four boundaries. Skipper Darren Sammy (1) who had demoted himself in the batting order didn’t fare any better. Ramdin, however, continued hitting the odd boundaries in between as he reached half-century as wickets fell at the other end. It was Mohammed Shami, who brought an end with a typical inswinging delivery that brought curtains down on a wonderful career. It was yet another dismal batting performance from the West Indies as the likes of Gayle, Kieron Powell, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Chanderpaul failed to live upto their expectations for the second time in the match. Gayle managed to score just 35 off 53 balls on Saturday, his highest in the series, that was studded with four boundaries and a six. A dashing batsman in the T20 format, Gayle finished the series without a single half century to his name in the four completed innings. His scores in the series stand as 18, 33, 11, 35. A total of 97 runs in a high-profile series doesn’t do justice to his enormous big-hitting potential. However Chanderpaul played in his typical manner trying to put up a resistance against the spin twins of Ojha and Ashwin on a track that had considerable wear and tear. The 50 run partnership between Chanderpaul and Ramdin came off 60 balls. Ramdin, who was fighting a losing cause, completed his 50 off 60 balls with 10 fours and a six which he hit over deep midwicket off Ashwin’s bowling. Shane Shillingford (8) hung in there for sometime dangerously and helped Ramdin complete his half-century. But it was only a matter of time before Shillingford finally got an off-break from Ashwin that turned sharply to trap him plumb in-front. At 185 for nine, when last man Shanon Gabriel walked in one anticipated a near end to a one-sided Test match. At 11.47 am, it was Shami, who brought an end with a typical inswinging delivery that breached through Gabriel’s defence, bringing curtains down on a wonderful career. West Indies team will have some introspection to do before the ODI series comes calling as they have surrendered both the matches without a semblance of fight. The Caribbean batsmen were below par and the pace attack didn’t have forepower to dismiss the talented Indian batting line-up. The only bright spot for the Caribbeans has been the performance of Shillingford, who got back-to-back five wicket hauls in the series.