Sachin... Sachin...

And in the cross-fire of dirty linen, one voice stands out today. And interestingly, it is the only voice that is not from a 'source'. And that voice belonged to Sachin Tendulkar.
Come to think of it. When was the last time that Tendulkar showed any kind of emotion to the press? Over the past seventeen years, I can only think of two. And neither comes close to this. The first was when he relinquished his captaincy after a disastorous tour of Australia. The second was the post-match conference after a century against Kenya in the '99 World Cup, the day after his father's funeral.
And thus spake Sachin of hurt and dissappointment and 'heart and soul' and how no coach has ever questioned his attitude. It has made certain that in this war of Chappell versus the senior players, the ex-coach has to lose. No TV expert, no former captain has ever (will ever?) questioned Sachin's love for the game. Only the most fickle of fans has ever said that Tendulkar is stretching his playing career, just for the green. Jadeja said today morning, that 'he has never missed practice in seventeen years'. Of course, a coach will know more about it that Jadeja, but then it is the perception that counts.
It might be a disciplinary issue too, you know, this coming-out-in-the-open-thing. There are rules saying exactly when a palyer can talk to the press. So when a player braces disciplinary sanction to be emotional before the nation after seventeen years, he has to be believed. I will be extremely surprised if Chappell walks out of this one.