Heads some younger, some wiser – have been advising Sachin to quit – at least at the One-Day level. I beg to differ and not out of long-lasting love for Sachin, not for any nostalgic sentimentality. I understand what those heads are saying, understand the wisdom and the concern, certainly no one asking Sachin to retire has any hard feelings against him.

But I truly think Sachin has more cricket left in him good, world-class cricket. But is he playing it today? No that is the issue. He is playing with a tension and a hesitancy which makes him seem so mortal, and that is why we can not accept this Sachin. Tendulkar walks down the tunnel. Is there light at the end of it? Reuters

Tendulkar walks down the tunnel. Is there light at the end of it? Reuters I strongly believe that if he were to play for the next one year at all levels of cricket except the IPL Ranji, Duleep, one-day internationals, Tests – without a break, he will retain his top-form. The key is to keep playing, no matter who the opponent… that is what made Sachin great, and still can.

If he rests through the IPL season, as he should have done after the World Cup, he will be back at full throttle. And he must play all the matches in the one-day series in Australia – not to get him his 100th hundred, but to get him back in his own special rhythm. Let him play all the remaining matches, we not only owe him that, but we need Sachin at top form to win. He was in the World Cup, and that was less than a year ago – and we won the World Cup. Let us never forget that, as Indian cricket struggles through one of its darkest hours. We brought it upon ourselves, now we must bring ourselves out of it.

And it is so heartening to see the authorities thinking now about the domestic game. Maybe certain words written and spoken, out of true love for Indian cricket, have hit home. Pitches with pace and bounce, importance being given to the Duleep Trophy now let all players representing the country be requested, nor forced, to play Duleep and Ranji matches. What a difference that will make – and if requests are not heeded, then force should be used for the sake of those players, and for the sake of Indian cricket.

Dravid, Laxman and Sachin – the knives are out for you. And you can re-sheath them by performance alone – and to perform, you must play. That is what Harbhajan must do, and will; Irfan had to, and did; Yusuf must do, and might; Aaron must become fit again, and succeed at the domestic level to prove his immense potential; Yadav must not remain an Australia-hero, but take wickets in India, too. Play cricket, and play it well – that is the only rebuttal.

For across the length and breadth of India domestic cricket today are players so hungry, so wise beyond their years, so aware of all of life’s ups and downs, that if given a chance they will take international cricket by storm. Watch out, watch out… And, finally, Virat Kohli – a winner, on and off the pitch, style and dash and venom and velvet – may he be wise enough to win on the pitch more than off it. For those wins on the pitch are all that really matter, and in his heart of hearts, he most know that well.