Dear Ajit, you are simply amazing: Sachin Tendulkar
Who is the biggest Sachin Tendulkar fan that you have known? Yourself? Well, everyone claims to be. That man with the tri-colour painted on his body, who travels with the team everywhere (Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary)? Probably. But there is one person who could give him stiff competition. Meet Ajit Singh - a construction labourer from a village in Haryana - who recently won a certificate from the Limca Book of Records for a unique feat: memorizing every single knock played by Sachin Tendulkar in Test cricket. Ajit Singh started a diary, in 1996, where he notes down all the innings played by Tendulkar in Test cricket. He didn't stop with just writing them down on paper, he has memorized all details about every single knock played by the master - the number of runs, opposition, year, match result and (Tendulkar's) match number. Shoot him a question, to test him or just for the curiosity, and he'll return answers much faster than the best stats-engine in world cricket.
"55th Test?"
"139 and 8, against Sri Lanka, in Colombo in 1997."
"104th Test?"
"8 and 52, against New Zealand, at Wellington in 2002"
Ajit says that he started this habit after the World Cup in 1996, where Tendulkar was the highest run scorer. Quite surprisingly, he says that he didn't know anything about the sport in itself before that. Such was the impact of Sachin on this man.
"I noticed him only after all the people started talking about him. Before 1996, I knew nothing about cricket. I started following cricket only after the 1996 World Cup and Sachin has remained my favorite cricketer. I started this habit when Sachin was made captain against Australia. I try and watch all his innings, and even when I read the newspapers, the first thing that I check out is the news about Tendulkar in the sports page," he said.
The Limca Book of Records tested him in 2010 and rewarded him with a certificate for this amazing ability. By his own admission, it has not been an easy task to remember all the details the way he does. He says that he has been constantly reading the diary since 1996, and even while working, he would often take it out to memorize the records.
Ajit Singh got to know from the newspapers that the little master will be playing in New Delhi, in the Ranji Trophy semi-finals between Services and Mumbai at Palam grounds, and travelled the distance from his village with the Limca certificate, and a hope of meeting his hero. On the rain-affected third day, he finally got his chance. He managed to get an entry into the Air Force Sports Complex grounds (where public are not allowed for this game) and meet his hero. While Ajit was elated that his dream was finally realized, Tendulkar was surprised that such a fan could actually exist. Tendulkar took a couple of photos with Ajit, tested his ability with a few questions and signed on the certificate.
"This is the first time I'm meeting Tendulkar. He asked me a few questions about his Test matches and also the 2003 World Cup. He asked me how much he made in the semi-final. I answered 83. He then asked me how much he had scored in his 23rd Test match. I replied that he had made 165 against England. He asked me his score in his 177th Test. I replied that he had scored 160 against New Zealand. He asked me about his 89th Test. I told him that he scored 201 against Zimbabwe in Nagpur" says the visibly elated worker from Haryana.
Needless to say, Tendulkar was impressed with this man's insane love for him. "I'm glad I passed the Test", laughs Ajit.
The journey has not been easy for Ajit Singh. The crazy habit has often been mocked at and ridiculed by people in his own village. Ajit, though, was not to be deterred. When he returns to his village tomorrow with the photographs and autographs with the great Sachin Tendulkar, the very people who made fun of him will now feel jealous.
People like Ajit Singh show the extent to which Tendulkar, and cricket, is loved in the nation. In Sachin's own words: "Dear Ajit, You are simply amazing!!"
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