They practise their art with a flourish that just refuses to fade. One beats the bat and the other belts the ball. Both lead by example and what makes them such successful performers is their passion to dominate.
When Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne come face to face in a crucial match of the Indian Premier League at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here on Sunday, one can expect some classy action from the two stalwarts of international cricket.
Mumbai Indians are comfortably placed in the points table while Rajasthan Royals' resurgence continues.
The race for a semifinal slot is intense and these two gentlemen, proven champions of their trade, hold the key.
Total participation
The involvement of Tendulkar and Warne is complete — whether making runs, snaring batsmen, setting the field, making tactical bowling changes in a form of cricket that was invented late in their career. Warne came out of retirement to teach a lesson or two to players half his age. Tendulkar just refuses to age.
What sets Warne and Tendulkar apart is the fact that they rely on the basics to make their point.
There is no mindless slogging when Tendulkar is at the crease and Warne still retains faith in imparting revolutions to the ball when striving to take wickets. Warne does not bowl to contain even in this form of the game.
Tendulkar is his team's highest run-maker while Warne's craft with the ball deserves more than the ten wickets that have come his way.
There is no doubt that the two have brought quality to their respective campaigns and in the process enriched the learning process of the young minds.
Warne and Tendulkar will be the main actors in the drama that promises to attract a full house on Sunday. Mercifully, it is not a day match, for Jaipur is a bowl of furnace as summer grips this part of the country. Pure entertainment from Warne and Tendulkar would be a welcome respite!
