Sachin Tendulkar,the newsmaker,often occupied the front page space

November 24,1989. He is only 16,going on 17. Sachin deals with a fired-up Pakistan attack in Faisalabad in his own inimitable style,scoring 36 unbeaten runs,while all around him apart from the original ‘Wall’ Manjrekar fall like barren trees in a cyclone. Bigger fish are falling into the Election Commission’s net at the time. President R Venkatraman has just ordered a look into allegations of ‘massive booth capturing’ in Amethi,the constituency of PM Rajiv Gandhi. While Rajiv is pulled up for breaking the poll code,Sachin is pulling Imran,Wasim and Qadir to the fence.

Maiden hundred struck; Saddam invades Kuwait

At 17 years and 112 days,Tendulkar becomes the (then) second-youngest centurion in Test history,and his 119 not out against England at Old Trafford on August 14,1990,helps India salvage a tough draw. The relief is palpable on the front page. Tendulkar saves India’s bacon,reads the headline. On the same page,we learn that Iraq has completed a surprise invasion of Kuwait. The young lad isn’t the only new thing promising a great deal. Also finding space in the sports pages is something TV viewers take for granted today – the stump camera.

That Perth Knock; Kapil’s 400th Test wicket

February 4,1992. Australia have been clearing the decks for a lightning-fast Perth pitch that could have tempted Dennis Lillee out of retirement. Coming in at 69 for two,Tendulkar departs with the total at 240,having scored 114 in an innings that leaves those present in no doubt that they have witnessed something special. At the WACA though,it is Kapil Dev who steals the headlines for becoming just the second bowler in Test cricket to make it past 400 wickets.

Aussie bowlers feel impotent; Viagra makes headlines

April 22,1998. Sachin Tendulkar blitzes 143 against Australia to take India into the final of the Coca-Cola Cup in Sharjah. It’s sometimes described by Indian cricket fans as the Desert Storm. Army-style lingo makes an appearance on the front pages of that day’s newspaper as well. “If we were in the military,I think we would call in and say our postion is being overrun,” James B. Regan is quoted as saying. Regan isn’t an Australian referring to Tendulkar’s knock. He is the head of Georgetown University’s Erectile Dysfunction Treatment Program and he is commenting on the number of people hoping to get a prescription for Viagra,which has just been released in the USA.

A near clone of desert storm; dolly gives birth

If the Australians were wondering whether Tendulkar’s 143 was a one-off effort,their hopes fade as he smacks a matchwining 134 in the final just two days later,on his 25th birthday. “Happy Birthday Sachin Tendulkar” crows the front page headline even as his birthday goodies — including an Opel Astra for being man of the series — are listed. But Tendulkar isn’t the only one celebrating his birthday. He shares it (and also front-page space) with Bonnie,daughter of Dolly the first cloned sheep.

Shoulder before wicket; Digvijay ruffles a few feathers

December 14,1999. The BJP’s allies and the opposition collectively raise decibels levels in Parliament as Ram Prakash Gupta,the BJP’s CM in UP,says that the Ram Temple is definitely on the party’s agenda. Digvijay Singh ruffles feathers in the Congress by refusing to expand his cabinet in Bhopal,throwing a petulant fit and unsettling 10 Janpath. However,the roof positively caves in once Sachin is given out leg before wicket by Daryll Harper to a short ball from McGrath that refuses to climb and crashes into his shoulder as he ducks.

Standing tall vs McGrath & Co;IC-814 hostage crisis

Late December,1999. It is holiday season but India is in the midst of gloom. Even a Sachin special at a packed MCG cannot save India from a hiding. McGrath’s steepling bounce,Lee’s searing pace,Fleming’s swing and Warne’s poetic spin put India in a hole. Meanwhile,the IC-814 hostage crisis is on. All but one of the 178 hostages are freed.

Taming Akhtar,Pakistan; Mahabodhi tree ‘being done in’

Unrestrained adulation can elicit different responses. On a day when Tendulkar dismantles Shoaib Akhtar and the rest of the Pakistan attack for a matchwinning 98 in the 2003 World Cup,an Indian Express report details how the Mahabodhi Tree that Gautam Buddha once sat under is being “done in by the offerings of worshippers … incense sticks asphyxiating leaves,offerings of sweets,yoghurt,milk and ghee attracting ants in the thousands.”

Tendulkar shelves cover drive; Vajpayee cynicism

What counts as a priority in India can confound those looking in and even some who are within. On January 4,2004,Vajpayee’s first visit to Pakistan since Kargil -for a SAARC summit – is huge news. He even hints that he will meet Musharraf. The Indian Express reports that Vajpayee shelves his cynicism and goes there with only one thing to offer – hope – on the same day that Sachin decides to shelve his cover drive and compile a most patient 241* at Sydney.

Tendulkar goes past Lara; recession comes to India

On October 17,2008,in Mohali,Tendulkar goes past Brian Lara’s record for the most Test runs. But even as he finishes the day on 12027,another national institution’s numbers are tumbling downhill. As the global financial crisis spreads to India,the Bombay Stock Exchange’s Sensex suffers one of its worst collapses,shedding 606 points to close on 9975.36 points,some 11000 points below its peak in January that year (the headline being: “Sensex falls off tenth floor”). For some,however,ecstasy over Tendulkar’s landmark overwhelms panic over the BSE plunge and the government’s emergency measures to halt the slowdown.

The One-day double; Didi runs on empty

It needs a special innings from Tendulkar to overshadow Mamata Banerjee’s second rail budget,presented on February 24,2010. His unbeaten 200 in Gwalior does just that. Praise for the knock is lavish (as The Indian Express’s headline ‘God’ implies). Tendulkar it seems could have batted all day if he had wanted to. All pessimism for that day is reserved for Banerjee’s budget. The report for that goes under the headline “No fare hike,no freight hike,Didi runs on empty”

Mohali 2011,and Indo-Pak cricket diplomacy

An India-Pakistan World Cup semifinal in Mohali. The two Prime Ministers — Manmohan Singh and Yousuf Raza Gilani — are in attendance. Diplomacy is high on the agenda and Pakistan end up giving Sachin four lives while he compiles a scratchy 85 to take India to 260. On March 31,2011,all newspapers flood the pages with articles on ‘permanent reconciliation’ but a hapless Pakistan team cannot reconcile themselves to the fact that they gave a gritty genius four lives and let a match literally slip through their fingers.

Tendulkar retires; Aircarft carrier begins career

And on November 17,The Sunday Express’s front page was all about Sachin Tendulkar. Among other news that he pushed into inside pages was the commissioning of India’s largest warship,INS Vikramaditya,which the country acquired after a long wait of nine years. Meanwhile in the Maldives,Abdulla Yameen,who projected himself as a defender of Islam,swept to victory in the presidential run-off election,defeating former president Mohamed Nasheed.