It’s that time again. When loss of hope is a mere understatement. When the light at the end of this tunnel just seems far-fetched. Dhoni’s empire never seemed so lost in these last 12 months, which If not the worst, certainly one of the most tumultuous times under the otherwise Midasian regime.

The fresh legs still getting their feet wet in the quagmires of Indian Cricket are being handed their ‘Welcome to Indian Cricket’ name tags.

One man who has weathered these sandstorms time and time again, on the field in Sharjah (22nd April 1998: India vs Australia) and even off it, answering incessant and at times innocuous questions about his retirement since 2007 will have to pad up one more time.

If that means, lift the burden of the nation again, so be it. A burden he continues to carry even after scoring 34,000 runs for the last 23 years. That’s Tendulkar for you.

It’s certainly not a first and most definitely won’t be his last. His eye for talent was his pitch for Dhoni’s name as future India captain. A master stroke only few could imagine. Otherwise a long haired, swashbuckling youngster from Ranchi who drank 5 liters of cow-milk everyday; who forget his State, never captained his school team lead India’s team going in the T20 World Cup.

Imagine Indian cricket without Dhoni’s contribution and you would get your answer.

The opening dialogue of Christopher Nolan’s 2006 film, The Prestige

Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called “The Pledge”. The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course…it probably isn’t.

The second act is called “The Turn”. The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you’re looking for the secret… but you won’t find it, because of course you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn’t clap yet. Because making something disappear isn’t enough; you have to bring it back.

That’s why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call “The Prestige”.

It’s time. Time for that third act from Cricket’s very own Houdini.

As Rahul Dravid in his 2011, Bradman oration speech has said,’ It’s about leaving the game better than you found it’.

The Indian team in doldrums. The Aussie tour is 3 months away. An opponent fit for farewell.

His legend will go on for years to come, but this Last Act will determine his legacy going forward.

All the best Sachin!