End of the Tendulkar era

Sad as it might sound, we have come to the end of the Tendulkar era. The great man had a chance to save India the blushes in the last two Test matches against England, and he failed to deliver. It is reasonable to expect that he, as the senior player (who has been given a really long rope) would have put his hand up, and saved us at least one of the Test matches - a la du Plessis at Adelaide.

Of course Tendulkar's fans and supporters will be up in arms defending him. Their main argument will be that it has been a team failure. That it is not the great man who failed the team. It was every member of the team that failed the team. I agree. But the great man has greater responsibility. Because he is the Great Man. And he has not been able to deliver to that greater responsibility.

So what is he waiting for to announce his retirement? Perhaps he thinks that he is immortal - because he is Tendulkar. And of course the national selectors don't have the courage to drop him. And everyone thinks that he should be given the opportunity to decide when it is time for him to go. Accountability for current performance is not important. If you have the weight of past performances in your favour, you have a longer rope, a much longer rope.

The king can no longer perform. Long live the king!