unfinished business

Of the innumerable birthday wishes and tributes that came Sachin Tendulkars way as he turned 37 on Saturday....

Of the innumerable birthday wishes and tributes that came Sachin Tendulkars way as he turned 37 on Saturday,the one that took the cake was Mahendra Singh Dhonis quip about there being a realistic possibility of him retiring before his veteran team mate. After all,apart from the glut of records that he has amassed,another startling facet of Tendulkars career has been its longevity especially considering the packed international calendars that have existed in his era. But if there is one blot on the countrys greatest cricketing resume,it is his record as captain.

In fact,after two forgettable stints 1996-97 and 1999-2000 at Team Indias helm,Tendulkar seemed to have had enough of it and never considered the possibility of leading the side even though he was offered the position on a couple of occasions thereafter. In contrast,Dhoni has tasted unprecedented success as India skipper,that too in his short career at the helm.

And with Tendulkar captaining the Mumbai Indians against Dhonis Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League final on Sunday,it adds another dimension altogether to the showdown at the DY Patil Stadium. A win for Mumbai will certainly be a crowning glory for Tendulkar,should he manage to recover from his finger injury in time. For Dhoni,who had tasted defeat in the last IPL final to be held at this venue,it will be shot at redemption and a chance to add another feather to his cap.

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Right from his debut in 1989,not only did Tendulkar all of 16 years then look destined for greatness,it also seemed inevitable that he would lead the country one day. And when he did,the coronation didnt live up to the hype. His dismal record as skipper India won only 23 out of 73 ODIs and his win-percentage in 25 Tests was a miserable 16 per cent added more weightage to the argument that great players do not necessarily making great captains.

On the other hand,when Dhoni burst onto the scene,few people wouldve actually thought that the relatively unknown wicket-keeper from Ranchi,with an ungainly batting technique,would set a new benchmark for captaincy. Incidentally,Tendulkar is believed to have played a huge role in his elevation as Indian skipper for the inaugural World Twenty20 tournament. Rest,as the cliché goes,is history.

The Jharkhand power-hitter returned home with Indias first World Cup trophy since 1983,before eventually becoming an automatic choice to lead the country in all three formats of the game. He now boasts of win-percentages of 69.23 in 13 Tests and 61.97 in 78 ODIs best ever by an Indian.

Widely considered as one of the most intelligent cricketers,Tendulkar has often insisted that he and Dhoni think along the similar lines. And it is not surprising that the duo,generally positioned behind the stumps,are the brains behind Indias rise to No.1 in the Test rankings and No. 2 in the ODI standings.

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Dhonis rise up the popularity charts,meanwhile,has almost matched Tendulkars. And it seemed that Dhoni would replace the latter on the billboards,before the senior batsman produced an exceptional 21st year of his career even by his standards.

As the country celebrates his birthday like a national festival,Tendulkar may prefer to put the champagne on ice,at least for a day. One more unfinished business awaits him on Sunday,and knowing the man and his form,it will not be wise to bet against him.