Piyali Dasgupta / Indiatimes

May 23, 2003

Bachchan is back. But before India could get too happy and let out a collective sigh of relief, Sachin is out. Not just out-if some people who 'know' cricket are to be believed, he may be out for good.

Sachin Tendulkar has never been booed anywhere in the world. He is the demi-God of cricket. When it finally happened though, it was at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Sachin was booed at the very ground where he has been revered as a demi-god.

Sometime in the mid-January, Indiatimes Cricket ran a headline saying 'Endulkar', implying the unthinkable. Around the same time there was the incidence of Pakistani paceman Shoaib Akhtar hitting him on the head. The knives came out almost immediately-people said he was no more the same Sachin. Sixteen years of cricket have taken their toll on his body.

Former Pakistani player Moin Khan said, "The fact of the matter is that Shoaib Akhtar literally exposed Sachin’s present-day ability against quality fast bowling during a spell that will certainly be remembered for long." Again, there was the implication of the unthinkable.”