There are so many things that Sachin Tendulkar is to so many people, that it is sometimes forgotten that he is first and foremost a batsman of unparalleled ability, dedication and mind. If he had taken to some other sport in early childhood, his persona would have been invented -- by coaches who want to teach their wards the virtues a tight technique that allows attacking shots, by film-makers who want to create celluloid fantasy by depicting the perfect batsman and superstar, by marketing men who want to appeal to the broadest strata of public imaginable and by cricket fanatics who want to see batting perfection embodied in one person. !