They are calling Sachin a local at Lord’s,just like The Beatles

Tendulkar faithfuls,as they expect their hero to finally get a Lord’s hundred and tick one of the few boxes remaining in his list of achievements,are flocking at the Lord’s gate in hope for a glimpse. An old lady with a tough to hide Punjabi accent walks to the Lord’s gates with a request for two tickets for the first Test that starts in a week’s time. She isn’t lucky as the tickets for the first four days have been sold out but there the kind-hearted security guy gives her hope. “You can check on Monday,in case someone returns a few tickets,” he says. Only some divine intervention can ensure that the lady wouldn’t return from Lord’s empty handed on Monday. That’s because it isn’t just the expat Indians who are praying for the much-anticipated 100.

At Lord’s,they have started calling Tendulkar a local. The officials at the stadium have stories about how the Indian star drives to ground for training with his son in a BMW from his home that’s just around the corner. This happens to be London’s tony neighbourhood. The buildings around the famous ground retain the old world charm but the flats rates mirror the harsh reality of modern day real estate industry. Around Lord’s Tendulkar has for company footballer Gary Linekar,boxer Amir Khan and,yes very close to the Abbey Road zebra crossing,Paul McCartney.

The sight of him playing the indulgent father have given those at Lord’s another dimension of the record breaking cricketers. “He could have hired a coach but he gives something that is priceless – his time ,” says a Lord’s old timer with a dramatic pause in between. Others talk about his batting for hours without even a water break. With Tendulkar having celebrated his 38th birthday a couple of months back,England isn’t taking a chance. They know this could be the last time they would watch him in action. Just behind Lord’s there is a reminder that once the signal goes red,it’s just the zebra crossing you can bank on.