The Almighty's details

Personal information

Full name: Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Nickname: Little Master, Tendlya, Master Blaster, The Great One

Born: 24 April 1973 (1973-04-24) Bombay, India

Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)

Batting: style Right-handed

Bowling: style Right-arm leg break/off break/medium

Role: Batsman

International information
Test debut (cap 187) 15 November 1989: v Pakistan
ODI debut (cap 74) 18 December 1989: v Pakistan
ODI shirt no. 10

Teams information
Years

Bombay Under-15s (1987/88)
West Zone Under-15s (1987/88)

Bombay Under-17s (1987/88-1988/89)

West Zone Under-17s (1987/88)

Bombay Under-19s (1988/89)

1988–present Mumbai

1992 Yorkshire (Main ListA) ;
Indians (1990-2008)
World XI (1990-1996/97)
Rest of the World XI (1991-1998)
India XI (1993/94-2006/07)
India (1993/94-Present)
Wills' India and Pakistan XI (1995/96)
M Azharuddin's XI (1998/99)
Asian XI (1999/00)
International XI (2006)
2008 Mumbai Indians

Career statistics
Tests ODIs FC LA

Matches played

150 417 250 504

Runs scored

11,877 16,361 20,640 19,913

Batting avg
54.23 44.33 58.63 45.25

100s/50s
39/49 42/89 65/95 53/107

Top score
248* 186* 248* 186*

Balls bowled
3,862 8,009 7,221 10,185

Wickets
42 154 67 201

Bowling average
52.66 44.12 61.20 41.90

5 wickets in innings
0 2 0 2

Best bowling
3/10 5/32 3/10 5/32

Catches

98 122 165 157

Few Records of the Little Master !!!

1)Tendulkar and Brian Lara are the fastest to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket history. Both of them achieved this in 195 innings.
2)On 3 January 2007 Sachin Tendulkar (5751) edged past Brian Lara's (5736) world record of runs scored in Tests away from home.
3)Career Average 54.95 - the highest average among those who have scored over 10,000 Test runs.
4)Highest number of Test centuries (37).
5)Tendulkar's record of five centuries before he turned 20 is a current world record.
6)Tendulkar has scored centuries against all test playing nations. He was the third batman to achieve the distinction after Steve Waugh and Gary Kirsten. The current list also includes Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Adam Gilchrist and Marvan Attapattu.
7)Sachin's 37th ton against Bangladesh during the 2007 series 2nd Test, made historyas the 1st time the top four batsman of any team had all scored centuries in asingle innings. Dinesh Karthik made 129, Wasim Jaffer 138 and Rahul Dravid 129 were the other centurions.
ODIs
1)Most Stadium Appearances: 90 different Grounds.
2)Most Runs: 15,703 Runs at just over 44 runs per innings (as of 5th November 2007),. He is the leading run scorer in the ODI format of the game and the only player ever to cross the 15,000 run mark.
3)First player to reach 10,000-11,000-12,000-13,000-14,000 and 15,000 ODI runs.
4)Holds the record for scoring 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year. He has done it seven times - 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2007
5)Tendulkar has scored over 1000 ODI runs against all major Cricketing nations.
6)Sachin was the fastest to reach 10,000 runs taking 259 innings and has the highest batting average among batsmen with over 10,000 ODI runs
7)Most centuries: 41
8)Only player to have over 100 innings of 50+ runs (41 Centuries and 85 Fifties)(as of 15th Oct, 2007)
9)Fifties: 85. Tendulkar holds the record for the most ODI fifties,
10)Most centuries vs. Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
11)Most Man of the Match Awards: 55 Man of the Match Awards
12)Most Man of the Series Awards: 14 Man of the Series Awards
13)Most ODI runs in a calendar year: 1,894 ODI runs in 1998.
14)Most Centuries in a calendar year: 9 ODI centuries in 1998
15)Sachin Tendulkar with Sourav Ganguly hold the world record for the maximum number of runs scored by the opening partnership. They have put together 6,271 runs in 128 matches that includes 20 century partnerships and 21 fifty run partnerships
16)20 century partnerships for opening pair is also a world record.
17)Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid hold the world record for the highestpartnership in ODI matches when they scored 331 runs against New Zealand in 1999 at the LBS, Hyderabad
18)Sachin Tendulkar has been involved in six 200 run partnerships in ODI matches - a record that he shares with Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting.
19)Most runs (1,796 at an average of 59.87 as on 20th Mar 2007) in World Cup Cricket History including 4 centuries & 13 fifties with a best score of 152* against Namibia in 2003 world cup.
20)673 runs in 2003 Cricket World Cup, highest by any player in a single Cricket World Cup
21)Tendulkar was the first batsman in history to score over 50 centuries ininternational cricket. He has now scored 78 (37 in Tests, 41 in ODIs).
22)Has the most overall runs in cricket, (ODIs+Tests+Twenty20s), as of 30th June 2007 he had accumulated almost 26,000 runs overall.

Quotes by other players on the master blaster !!!

Don Bradman:
I saw him( Sachin) playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two...hi compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel!

Abdul Qadir:
I was fielding in the covers when Tendulkar came out to bat in his debut Test at Karachi. I still remember Waqar Younis was at his peak form at that time. Tendulkar tried to drive Waqar through the covers off his very first ball in Test cricket but was beaten all ends up. But I walked to captain
Imran Khan and told him 'this kid looks very good' and Imran agreed with me. Then came the one-day international at Peshawar, which was reduced due to rain. When Tendulkar came at the crease I told him that not to get bogged down against me and he should try and hit me at all parts of the Arbab Niaz Stadium. It was not that I bowled badly but it was due to his ability that he hit me for I think 24 odd runs in one over.
Then it became a routine for me to chat with young Tendulkar whenever we met in the nets or in the hotel. I used to give him tips how to play spinners and I must admit he was a good listener and always tried to learn. After the home series we went to Sharjah and although Tendulkar didn't score that many runs against my bowling I gave him tips off the field whenever we had time.

Allan Donald:
His shot selection is superb, he just lines you up and can make you look very silly. Everything is right in his technique and judgement. There isn't a fault there. He is also a lovely guy, and over the years I've enjoyed some interesting chats with him… Sachin is in a different class to Lara as a
professional cricketer. He is a model cricketer, and despite the intolerable pressures he faces back home, he remains a really nice guy… Sachin is also the best batsman in the world, pulling away from Brain Lara every year…
We'd heard all about him modelling himself on Sunil Gavaskar, and he had the same neatness, the same time to spare, the same calmness - and a very heavy bat.

Anil Kumble:
I am very privileged to have played with him and seen most of the runs that he has scored. I am also extremely happy to have shared the same dressing room... He is a very reserved person and generally keeps to himself. He is very determined, committed and doesn't show too many emotions. He just goes about doing his job.

Barry Richards:
First and foremost, Tendulkar is an entertainer and that for me is as important factor as any fact or figure. Too often boring players have been pushed forward as great by figures alone. For sheer entertainment, he will keep cricket alive.

Bishen Singh Bedi:
The thing I admire most about this man is his poise. The way he moves, elegantly without ever looking out of place in any condition or company, suggests his pedigree. I remember he had once come to New Delhi in the 1990s to collect his Arjuna Award (India's highest award to its top
sportspersons) and he asked me if I would attend the function. He is a very sensitive human being…..
Sometimes you feel he really hasn't felt the kind of competition in the world his talent deserves. I would have loved to see him perform against top quality cricketers of the previous generation. It would really have brought out the best in him.

Brett Lee:
You might pitch a ball on the off stump and think you have bowled a good ball and he walks across and hits it for two behind mid wicket. His bat looks so heavy but he just waves it around like it's a toothpick.

Brian Lara:
Sachin is a genius. I'm a mere mortal.

Clive Lloyd:
He is a tremendous cricketer. He is young and has got a lot of ability. He's got his own style. He has got the temperament for big cricket and I hope that he goes from strength to strength.

David Gower:
For Sachin the balance is there. He is quick to complete his shot. He covers the crease much better than mere mortals.

Dennis Lillee:
If I'm to bowl to Sachin, I will bowl with my helmet on. He hits the ball so hard.

Erapalli Prassana:
In the early years, especially around the mid 90s, I had this feeling you could play around on his ego and get him out. He believed he could attack bowlers at any time and anyone who could bowl maidens to him stood a good chance. Things are of course different now.

Graeme Pollock:
Tendulkar is the best in the world at the moment. Why I've always liked him is that batsmen tend to be negative at times and I think batting is not about not getting out - it is to play positively. I think you got to take it to the bowlers and Sachin is one such player. When you do so, you change the
game, you change bowlers because they suddenly start bowling badly because they are under pressure.

Greg Chappel:
I'd like to see him go out one day and bat with a stump. I tell you he'd do OK…. I just get the feeling because of his mental strength that Sachin will be definitely the best player of his era and probably the best 2-3 of all time.

Ian Chappel:
Whenever I see Sachin play I am reminded of the Graeme Pollock quote of Cricket being a 'see the ball, hit the ball game.' He hits the ball as if it's there to be hit.

Shane Warne:
I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six... I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player.

Steve Waugh:
You take Don Bradman away and he is next up, I reckon.

Wasim Akram:
Eleven years ago when he first played against us in Pakistan, I remember (Imran) telling us this youngster (Tendulkar) is destined for big things. Imran took an immense liking to the determined youngster and I think he (Tendulkar) has not really disappointed in fulfilling his potential. I would
have loved to bowl to him in my prime say six years ago. I could not do that because of the tense cricket relations between Pakistan and India. It is one of the biggest regrets of my cricket career. But the last time I bowled to him in a Test.

Viv Richards:
I think he's marvellous. I think he will fit in whatever category of cricket that's been played or will be played, from the first ball that's ever been bowled to the last ball that's going to be. He can play in any era and at any level... What he looks to do first is to attack. If it's not there in the groove he waits for the line and defends. Most of the time batsmen, just because it could be a fearsome fast bowler they are facing, tend to defend. But Sachin's always ready. He's always in a position to take advantage of loose balls... He has something special. He's blessed. I would say he's 99.5 per cent perfect... Even if he retires tomorrow and doesn't achieve
anything more he is right there. I have never seen Bradman but heard people talk about him. But I tell you what, if Bradman could
bat like this man does then he was dynamite. Players like Sachin deserve to be preserved in cotton wool.

Its Whizcraft - TOM ALTER

Dominance is not the right word. Yes, Sachin Tendulkar dominates. But there is no subtlety in
dominating— no sense of the art in the craft. Because, Sachin, like no other batsman today, brings
art into his craft, and craft into his art. So when he dom- inates— even when he swears revenge on
a bowler who has got him out cheaply— Sachin’s madness always has a method. Viv Richards was
more of the madness, Sunil Gavaskar more of the method. Sachin— well, Sachin is the best of both.
Just over 10 years ago, I sat in the office of Sportsweek magazine with that same Sunil Gavaskar.
Ayaz Memon and I were listening to Gavaskar in one of his rare, priceless moods. The ‘Little Master’
was delving deep into his own experience, his own genius, and bringing forth pearls of wisdom as
sudden, and as effective, as his straight- drives back past the bowler. Then Gavaskar came up with
the following statement (remember, this was in 1988, when Dilip Vengsarkar was about to become
captain of India): "The two best batsmen in Bombay today are Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar."
Full stop. End of statement. The ball crosses the boundary-line underneath the sight- screen.
Sachin was 15 at the time. His immense partnership with Vinod Kambli was already part of
cricketing lore, and his name was there to be read in the fine- print almost every day. But he had
only played for his school. Yet Gavaskar was certain.And a few months later, when we were planning
a sports- video for Sportsweek , Gavaskar’s words still filled my mind. I wanted to interview
Vengsarkar and Tendulkar, the two best batsmen in Bombay.I had always been a fan of Vengsarkar’s,
and I knew that he has suffered from being a Shashi Kapoor to Gavaskar’s Amitabh Bachchan. But
Gavaskar had retired, so Vengsarkar was free to be his own man.Vengsarkar was ready and willing
for the interview, and we decided to shoot it on the Marine Drive side of Hindu Gymkhana. When we
enquired from Vengsarkar about Sachin, he told us that Sachin had net- practice with the Bombay
team at Wankhede Stadium that morning. (Sachin had, by the time of interview, played for Bombay,
and scored a century in his first Ranji Trophy match.)
Vengsarkar joined us at the nets, and the first sight I had of Sachin was him playing an off- drive
on the ‘up’. And as I watched the stroke, Vengsarkar said: "Sachin Tendulkar’s weakness is going for
his shots on the off side, and loft- ing them." It was ten years ago that Vengsarkar said that.
Today, just watch the off- side fields set for Sachin when he first comes in to bat. The opponents
are planning— almost desperately— for that same alleged weakness of Sachin’s to appear.Very seldom
do they succeed. For Sachin Tendulkar has taken the art of driving on the ‘up’, and crafted it into
one of the most breathtaking shots of modern cricket. Art and craft. The secret of Sachin.
Eventually, 10 years ago, Sachin had batted enough, and we took him to the Hindu Gymkhana. I
interviewed him with a match going on in the background. Sachin was shy, but confident. He spoke
only enough to get his point across. He was not at all nervous about the interview, and treated it as
a necessary experience. At the age of 15.Ten years later, he speaks easier, and more often. But the
confidence is the same. Not bravado, not ego. Just a deep confidence in his art, his craft. The
essential Sachin has not changed.
In our interview, four points stood out. Firstly, Sachin stated that Gavaskar and Richards were his
heroes. Secondly, Sachin, without hesitation, said that he could read Hirwani’s googly, and was ready
to face the West Indian fast- bowlers. (In fact, he said he prefers fast bowling.)Thirdly, when asked
whether he grew tired of batting while with Kambli in that mammoth partnership, Sachin’s reply was
almost an unbelieving shake of the head. And fourthly, Sachin made it very clear that being
compared with Gavaskar was a bit embarrassing for him, and that he simply wanted to play his own,
"natural" game.
The inspiration of Gavaskar and Richards, the confidence to face any type of bowling, the love for
fast bowling, the desire to play and play, and, finally, the knowledge that your skill is unique— these
ingredients made Sachin a very special 15- year old, and they still make him a very, very special
25- year- old.
After the interview, we had Sachin walk across to where he had left his bat and kit- bag, pick up
his bat thoughtfully, look into the distance, and then pick up his kit- bag too, and walk out towards
Marine Drive and into the future. It was a shot which any veteran actor would have rehearsed
several times, and probably muffed just as often. Sachin did it— first take ‘OK’. It was as natural
as his batting. Ten years later, he faces the cameras for umpteen ad- films with the same
uncluttered ease.
Will Sachin still be as uncluttered, as natural, 10 years from now?
I write this soon after Sachin’s century in the second innings of the first match of the New Zealand
tour. It was a match of no apparent importance, beyond getting to know the conditions.
And yet, Sachin played a knock of amazing skill and determination.
Why?
Because he, and India, had failed in the first innings. And Sachin Tendulkar knew how important it
was for him to not only succeed in the second innings, but dominate with his art and craft. Which
he proceeded to do. Remember the knock against Shane Warne for Mumbai in the first match of
Australia’s tour of India this year? Another apparently insignificant match. But Sachin used it to set
the tone for an entire series. A series which will be written about for decades. A series which made
Sachin a mythical legend.
Ten years from now, Sachin Tendulkar will still be doing just that— playing the game he loves to
play to the best of his immense ability. It is as simple as that.
And just think— 10 years from now, Sachin will be only 35. He could still play for another 10 years
after that.
And they will still be setting those off-side fields for him, trying to get him to drive on the ‘up’.
Once again, it’s as simple as that.
And I will be showing my grandchildren the tape of Sachin’s interview.
In the year 2018.
Source: Outlook

By far the best i have seen or played against- ALLAN DONALD

Sachin Tendulkar has often reminded me of a veteran army colonel who has many medals on his
chest to show how he has conquered bowlers all over the world. Which is why I find it amusing when
critics suggest that he plays well only at home. Do they realise that they are talking about a guy
who has scored centuries in almost all the Test-playing countries?
I must admit that I was not entirely convinced that Tendulkar had something special about him when
I first heard about him. It was prior to South Africa's return to world cricket that the "Tendulkar
buzz" was heard around the county circuit. He played a season for Yorkshire, but did not really get
going. However, he did score one century in a Sunday League, the rerun of which I saw on
television. There was a lot of Sunil Gavaskar in his style, and he also had the balance that nobody
else possessed. But these were glimpses of potential and I did not think he would be consistently good
for a long period of time.
How wrong I was. Tendulkar got better and better with each passing year and today he is the most
frightening batsman as far as bowlers across the world are concerned. Everybody is king at home,
and scoring heavily in your backyard has never really impressed me. However, Tendulkar has 16
centuries outside India, which is more than half of all his centuries. Many quality batsmen end up
with that many centuries in their entire career, so that number is a clear indication that we are
talking about a freak player - someone who is as good and as consistent abroad as he is at home.
As a bowler you have to have your gameplan ready before bowling to Tendulkar. Sachin looks to leave
a lot of balls in the beginning, and as a bowler your best chance against him is in the first 20
minutes. During our team meetings, we often speak about the importance of the first 12 balls to
Tendulkar. If you get him then you can thank your stars, otherwise it could mean that tough times
lie ahead.
Consistency is the factor that makes Tendulkar special. He is often spoken about in the same breath
as Brian Lara, but as far as I am concerned, the comparison does not even begin. Lara is not half
as consistent as Tendulkar and lacks the discipline of the latter. The left-hander plays in a more
loose manner and is not that controlled or patient during the first 20 minutes of his innings. Lara
was unbelievable in 1994, but he has never been able to recreate that magic consistently after that
Which is why I rate my dismissal of Tendulkar at Durban in 1996 as the best ball I've ever bowled
in Test cricket. I remember that over very clearly. Tendulkar had just hit me for two boundaries,
but I decided to stick to my outside-the-off-stump line. The ball just nipped back sharply and
claimed his off-stump. It was a perfect ball and, more importantly, exposed a tiny chink in the army
colonel's armour. Since then we have worked on bowling that ball against Tendulkar and have had
some degree of success with it. At 29, Tendulkar is at the middle of his career and from hereon he can score another 15 to 20
centuries, taking him close to the 50-century mark. He will continue to terrorise bowlers for another
six to eight years, and, hopefully, he will be able to keep the motivation going.
Great players often decide to retire out of the blue. This is particularly common among those who are
family men because they find it increasingly difficult to spend time away from their near and dear
ones. I've heard that Tendulkar is deeply attached to his children and might face such a crisis.
However, like many admirers all over the world, I certainly hope that he succeeds in keeping his
focus on the game for many more years. I think he owes it to the game and to his admirers. ALLAN DONALD'the white lightning'

"Yet another Sachin Failure" - The story behind : Anon Payn

One bad series from the Master (read: Test Series in Sri Lanka) and we have these so called cricket
analysts mushrooming from all corners claiming it to be "yet another failure" when the fact remains
that despite all the talk of India's fab four, Tendulkar remains India's premier bet.
The last time he was written off was after the 2007 World Cup, when he had performed reasonably
well in the series before that winning the "Man of the Series" in the ODI series against the West
Indies at home.
True the loaded Indian batting line up couldn't find their way past Bangladesh in that tournament
once Sachin failed. Another failure against the Lankans encouraged some publicity hungry maniacs to
make uncalled for statements like "He should take a look in the mirror" and "He's just a comic hero
now".
Perhaps Sachin remains the only batsman in cricket history to be criticized so heavily for two
failures, don't remember any of the Chappell brothers commenting on Inzy's retirement when he
returned binary figures in 2003 World Cup.
Now let's see what transpired after the WC 07.
Test Tour of Bangladesh Series: Tendulkar wins the mantle of "Minnow Basher", piling two tons and
getting adjudged the "Man of the Series".
Future Cup in Ireland (ODIs): With scores like 99, 93 and 8 from three innings against South Africa
Sachin top scores in the series, once again taking away the honors. But he manages only 4 against
the mighty Irish attack.
Tour of England (Tests): Chooses to look ordinary to play two crucial innings of 91 and 82 which are
instrumental in India beating England in England for the first time in a Test series since 1986. Is
criticized for not hooking when a deep square leg is intentionally placed and the bowlers are
deliberately bowling short.
Tour of England (ODIs): With scores of 99, 55, 72 and 94 Sachin proves to be India's most effective
and highest scoring batsman yet again. India go 3-1 down in the series after 4 matches, but riding
on the back of knocks such as 72 in 59 balls and 94 in 81 from the Premier Batsman of the World,
India take it to the last match . Is a victim of two massive umpiring blunders, one of them denying
him a ton by one run, and the other in the final ODI. Is still criticized for not playing a match
winning knock in the final. (Interestingly for Sachin critics it's only the last match of a series that
always matters!)
Australia's Tour of India (ODIs): Tendulkar again amongst runs when most other bats struggle. Two
knocks of over 70 and a one in the 40s come at important moments. Again the top scorer in the
series for India.
Pakistan's Tour of India (ODIs): Unforgettable knocks of 99 and 97 against Pakistan. The latter is
studded with 11 boundaries when he crosses 50.
Pakistan's Tour of India (Tests): An unbeaten fifty in the fourth inning at Delhi and score of over 80
in the first inning at Kolkata before injury strikes, curtailing the series with just three innings
played for Tendulkar.
Tour of Australia (Tests): Minnow bashing resumes down under. Sachin is the single most important
reason for India's fight in the ill tempered series. Top run getter for either side in the series with
493 runs, silencing critics with an inspiring, memorable and mesmerizing performance.
Tour of Australia (ODIs; Tri Series): Reverses law of averages, is dismissed cheaply in a few group
stage matches, but saves his best for the last. The last 3 innings produce scores of 63, 117* and 91.
The first ensures a birth in the best of three finals, and the latter two seal the tournament after
just the first two finals, encoring the famous Sharjah performance.
Nine good series sandwiched between two bad ones (the World Cup and the Sri Lanka Test series), out
of which the series against South Africa in Ireland, the English ODI series, the Tests and the CB
tri-series Down Under were definitely outstanding.
Not the story of a player who, apparently, plays a good knock only once in 6-7 years, and definitely
not of someone who is past his prime.
PS: By the way, didn't hear any suggestions for the miraculously consistent Jaques Kallis after a
disastrous England tour. Surprisingly, it wasn't even discussed as much as a single Tendulkar failure
is.

I come to celebrate Sachin.. not to praise him!! - Tom Alter

What is there left to say about the man?
Words are now as meaningless as runs , Let us celebrate -- and there is so much to celebrate!
Let us keep the celebrations simple and joyful -- let the combined Shivaji Parks of our hearts be not
raucous and boastful, but smiling and united.
He has gifted us with a century of Tests -- let us close our eyes and see him again on that day in
late '89, walking out to battle for the first time, ready to face Imran and Wasim and Waqar,
dragging his bat behind him like a reluctant schoolbag on its way to the bus-stop; then keep our eyes
closed and pray for another century of Tests, for there will never be another like him.
Let us celebrate all the mornings he also has gifted us -- the mornings when we wake and know he
will bat today; the mornings when tea is especially good and hot, and the air clearer and crisper --
only because we feel blessed inside, waiting to see him play.
Let us celebrate all the evenings when we gather to discuss him, or simply walk alone, imaginary bat
in hand, playing the magical shots in our fantasies that only he can play in reality.
Let us celebrate his mannerisms -- that peering out from his helmet, still wide-eyed as a schoolboy;
that waving of the arm and hand when someone moves near the sightscreen; that bending of the knee
and slight hitch of the crotch between shots; that swallowing and then swallowing again, which -- on
the screen -- looks so much like minor bouts of indigestion; that scrambling scamper between the
wickets; that looking to the heavens -- in memory of his father -- when he reaches another
milestone; that sudden, sunburst of a grin when he takes a wicket; that look of disbelief at his bat
when he finally gets out. Let us celebrate the year 1998, when he conquered -- no, not conquered, but slaughtered -- the
Aussies at home and in Sharjah; the knock at the Brabourne for Mumbai, when he won the series
before it even started on a day when he was Batman and Superman and Chacha Choudury all in one
-- and that night in the desert, when the storm blew and blew and he just played on and on and on.
That was the year when he was invincible, and spoiled an entire nation into believing in his
invincibility.
Let us celebrate the earlier years, when he was a mop of hair attached to a cricket bat which
swished and swatted in gay abandon; when he realized, against New Zealand, the secret of batting
like a hurricane in the first fifteen overs of one-day matches; when he was building up his legend --
not step by step, but leap by leap.
Let us celebrate -- also -- those moments when the gods decided they must put him in his place, lest
he overtake even them in greatness; above all, those two moments against Pakistan in ’99 -- the
year those gods took away from Sachin -- when he was out on the brink of victory at Chennai, and
"pushed out" by Shoaib in Calcutta. Both times Sachin -- who likes nothing more than winning --
had battled with a nobility and a grace that even the Pakistanis were awed by; and both times the
gods dismissed him when no one else could. As he walked around Eden Gardens that day -- calming
down the crowd who were so upset about his being given out -- the look on his face was a century
older than his young body.
But -- most of all -- let us celebrate two things; cricket, the game which Sachin graces as few
others have done in the history of the noble game, and this -- the fourth Test in a wonderful series.
No better script could have been written -- even all the ad-film makers, for whom Sachin sells their
products and his own soul, could have dreamed up such a perfect moment. In the almost obscene irony of the standoff between the ICC and Indian players, this is what must be
remembered -- cricket, the game that made it all possible; both the fourth Test, and the standoff.
What a game it is, this game of cricket -- and let us concentrate on Test cricket, for we are
celebrating Sachin's hundreth Test. That is what is so special -- because Test cricket is so special.
The challenge, the flow of time and runs, the waxing and waning of light and momentum, the fresh
smile of the morning giving way to the sunburnt grimace of the afternoon, then the fading evening
kindly offering one more over -- it is a blessed time, and Sachin, as we said, has blessed us with a
century of these times.
And India and England 1-1, with only this fourth Test to play? Indian routed in the first, then
courageously saving the second, then crushing the oldest foe in the third? Sourav and Rahul and
Sachin all scoring centuries in the same innings -- can Aamir and Shahrukh and Salman all be
superstars in the same film? And Sachin answering all his ridiculous, childish, foolish critics with
the determined majesty of his bat?
It is cricket, it is drama, it is art, it is life -- and we will celebrate it together. All of us -- the
ICC and all of India and most of the cricketing world.
Sachin, if India wins, we will be filled with a joy that passeth understanding; if India wins and you
score a century -- well, I know it might just happen, so I will not even try to describe that joy.
But -- if you do not score a century and India loses -- the celebration will still go on. Just as
cricket -- and you -- will, too.
Sachin -- thanks for so, so much.
What more can we way?
Except that the tea tomorrow is going to taste like heaven.
Tom Alter is one of the leading personas in the film, TV, and theatre world. Born and raised in
Mussoorie, Alter is also a writer, commentator and compere.

The little master's achivements

List of Test cricket centuries
Tendulkar celebrates reaching his 38th test century against Australia on 4 January 2008 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Tendulkar celebrates reaching his 38th test century against Australia on 4 January 2008 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
No. ↓ Score ↓ Against ↓ Inn. ↓ Test ↓ Venue ↓ H/A ↓ Date ↓ Result ↓
1 119* England 2 2 Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester Away 01990-08-14 August 14, 1990 Draw
2 148* Australia 1 3 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Away 01992-01-06 January 6, 1992 Draw
3 114 Australia 1 5 WACA Ground, Perth Away 01992-02-03 February 3, 1992 Lost
4 111 South Africa 1 2 Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg Away 01992-11-28 November 28, 1992 Draw
5 165 England 1 2 M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Home 01993-02-12 February 12, 1993 Won
6 104* Sri Lanka 2 2 Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo Away 01993-07-31 July 31, 1993 Won
7 142 Sri Lanka 1 2 K. D. Singh Babu Stadium, Lucknow Home 01994-01-19 January 19, 1994 Won
8 179 West Indies 1 2 Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur Home 01994-12-02 December 2, 1994 Draw
9 122 England 2 1 Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham Away 01996-06-08 June 8, 1996 Lost
10 177 England 1 3 Trent Bridge, Nottingham Away 01996-07-05 July 5, 1996 Draw
11 169♠ South Africa 1 2 Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town Away 01997-01-04 January 4, 1997 Lost
12 143♠ Sri Lanka 1 1 R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo Away 01997-08-03 August 3, 1997 Draw
13 139♠ Sri Lanka 1 2 Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo Away 01997-08-11 August 11, 1997 Draw
14 148♠ Sri Lanka 1 3 Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Home 01997-12-04 December 4, 1997 Draw
15 155* Australia 2 1 M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Home 01998-03-09 March 9, 1998 Won
16 177 Australia 1 3 M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore Home 01998-03-26 March 26, 1998 Lost
17 113 New Zealand 2 2 Basin Reserve, Wellington Away 01998-12-29 December 29, 1998 Lost
18 136 Pakistan 2 1 M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Home 01999-01-31 January 31, 1999 Lost
19 124* Sri Lanka 2 2 Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo Away 01999-02-28 February 28, 1999 Draw
20 126*♠ New Zealand 2 1 Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali Home 01999-10-13 October 13, 1999 Draw
21 217♠ New Zealand 1 3 Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera Home 01999-10-30 October 30, 1999 Draw
22 103 England 1 2 Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera Home 01999-12-13 December 13, 1999 Draw
23 116♠ Australia 1 2 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Away 01999-12-28 December 28, 1999 Lost
24 122 Zimbabwe 1 1 Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi Home 02000-11-21 November 21, 2000 Won
25 201* Zimbabwe 1 2 Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur Home 02000-11-26 November 26, 2000 Draw
26 126 Australia 1 3 M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Home 02001-03-20 March 20, 2001 Won
27 155 South Africa 1 1 Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein Away 02001-11-03 November 3, 2001 Lost
28 176 Zimbabwe 1 1 Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur Home 02002-02-24 February 24, 2002 Won
29 117 West Indies 1 2 Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain Away 02002-04-20 April 20, 2002 Won
30 193 England 1 3 Headingley, Leeds Away 02002-08-23 August 23, 2002 Won
31 176 West Indies 2 3 Eden Gardens, Kolkata Home 02002-11-03 November 3, 2002 Draw
32 241* Australia 1 4 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Away 02004-01-04 January 4, 2004 Draw
33 194* Pakistan 1 1 Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan Away 02004-03-29 March 29, 2004 Won
34 248* Bangladesh 1 1 Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka Away 02004-12-12 December 12, 2004 Won
35 109 Sri Lanka 1 2 Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi Home 02005-12-22 December 22, 2005 Won
36 101 Bangladesh 1 1 Bir Shrestha Shahid Ruhul Amin Stadium, Chittagong Away 02007-05-19 May 19, 2007 Draw
37 122* Bangladesh 1 2 Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur Away 02007-05-26 May 26, 2007 Won
38 154* Australia 1 2 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney Away 02008-01-04 January 4, 2008 Lost
39 153 Australia 1 4 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Away 02008-01-25 January 25, 2008 Draw

Key:

* denotes that he remained not out.
♠ denotes that he was the captain of the Indian team in that match.
Test denotes the number of the Test match played in that series.
Inn. denotes the number of the Indian innings in the Test match.
H/A denotes whether the venue was in home (India) or away.
Lost denotes that the match was lost by India.
Won denotes that the match was won by India.

List of ODI centuries
No. ↓ Score ↓ Against ↓ Pos. ↓ Inn. ↓ S/R ↓ Venue ↓ H/A/N ↓ Date ↓ Result ↓
1 110 Australia 2 1 84.61 R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo Neutral 01994-09-09 September 9, 1994 Won
2 115 New Zealand 2 2 84.55 IPCL Sports Complex Ground, Vadodara Home 01994-10-28 October 28, 1994 Won
3 105 West Indies 2 1 78.35 Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur Home 01994-11-11 November 11, 1994 Won
4 112* Sri Lanka 2 2 104.67 Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah Neutral 01995-04-09 April 9, 1995 Won
5 127* Kenya 2 2 92.02 Barabati Stadium, Cuttack Home 01996-02-18 February 18, 1996 Won
6 137 Sri Lanka 2 1 100.00 Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi Home 01996-03-02 March 2, 1996 Lost
7 100 Pakistan 2 1 90.09 The Padang, Singapore Neutral 01996-04-05 April 5, 1996 Lost
8 118 Pakistan 2 1 84.28 Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah Neutral 01996-04-15 April 15, 1996 Won
9 110♠ Sri Lanka 2 1 79.71 R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo Away 01996-08-28 August 28, 1996 Lost
10 114♠ South Africa 1 1 90.47 Wankhede Stadium, Bombay Home 01996-12-14 December 14, 1996 Won
11 104♠ Zimbabwe 1 1 107.21 Willowmoore Park, Benoni Neutral 01997-02-09 February 9, 1997 Won
12 117♠ New Zealand 2 2 85.40 M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore Home 01997-05-14 May 14, 1997 Won
13 100 Australia 2 2 112.35 Green Park Stadium, Kanpur Home 01998-04-07 April 7, 1998 Won
14 143 Australia 2 2 109.16 Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah Neutral 01998-04-22 April 22, 1998 Lost
15 134 Australia 2 2 102.29 Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah Neutral 01998-04-24 April 24, 1998 Won
16 100* Kenya 2 2 97.08 Eden Gardens, Kolkata Home 01998-05-31 May 31, 1998 Won
17 128 Sri Lanka 2 1 97.70 R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo Away 01998-07-07 July 7, 1998 Won
18 127* Zimbabwe 2 2 97.69 Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo Away 01998-09-26 September 26, 1998 Won
19 141 Australia 2 1 110.15 Bangabandhu Stadium, Dhaka Neutral 01998-10-28 October 28, 1998 Won
20 118* Zimbabwe 2 2 105.35 Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah Neutral 01998-11-08 November 8, 1998 Won
21 124* Zimbabwe 2 2 134.78 Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah Neutral 01998-11-13 November 13, 1998 Won
22 140* Kenya 4 1 138.61 County Ground, Bristol Neutral 01999-05-23 May 23, 1999 Won
23 120♠ Sri Lanka 1 1 85.10 Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo Away 01999-08-29 August 29, 1999 Won
24 186*♠ New Zealand 2 1 124.00 Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad Home 01999-11-08 November 8, 1999 Won
25 122 South Africa 2 2 88.40 IPCL Sports Complex Ground, Vadodara Home 02000-03-17 March 17, 2000 Won
26 101 Sri Lanka 2 1 72.14 Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah Neutral 02000-10-20 October 20, 2000 Lost
27 146 Zimbabwe 2 1 95.42 Barkatullah Khan Stadium, Jodhpur Home 02000-12-08 December 8, 2000 Lost
28 139 Australia 2 1 111.20 Nehru Stadium, Indore Home 02001-03-31 March 31, 2001 Won
29 122* West Indies 2 2 93.12 Harare Sports Club, Harare Neutral 02001-07-04 July 4, 2001 Won
30 101 South Africa 2 1 78.29 New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg Away 02001-10-05 October 5, 2001 Lost
31 146 Kenya 2 1 110.60 Boland Park, Paarl Neutral 02001-10-24 October 24, 2001 Won
32 105* England 4 1 97.22 Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street Away 02002-07-04 July 4, 2002 N/R
33 113 Sri Lanka 4 1 110.78 County Ground, Bristol Neutral 02002-07-11 July 11, 2002 Won
34 152 Namibia 2 1 100.66 City Oval, Pietermaritzburg Neutral 02003-02-23 February 23, 2003 Won
35 100 Australia 2 1 84.03 Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior Home 02003-10-26 October 26, 2003 Won
36 102 New Zealand 2 1 112.08 Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad Home 02003-11-15 November 15, 2003 Won
37 141 Pakistan 2 2 104.44 Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi Away 02004-03-16 March 16, 2004 Lost
38 123 Pakistan 2 1 94.61 Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera Home 02005-04-12 April 12, 2005 Lost
39 100 Pakistan 2 1 88.49 Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar Away 02006-02-06 February 6, 2006 Lost
40 141* West Indies 2 1 95.27 Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur Neutral 02006-09-14 September 14, 2006 Lost
41 100* West Indies 4 1 131.57 IPCL Sports Complex Ground, Vadodara Home 02007-01-31 January 31, 2007 Won
42 117* Australia 2 2 97.5 Sydney Cricket Ground Away 02008-03-02 March 02, 2008 Won

Product and Brand Endorsments

Sachin Tendulkar endorses the following products:

• Pepsi: 1992 - Present
• Canon: 2006 - 2009
• Airtel: 2004-2006
• Nazara Technologies: 2005 - 2008. License for Mobile Content development based on Sachin.
  • Reliance Communications sub-licensed brand 'Sachin Tendulkar' to update the user of the latest 2007 Cricket World Cup scores and news in Sachin's voice. Hutch - ICC's prime communication sponsor protested calling Reliance's plan as 'ambush marketing', a charge that Reliance Communication denies.
• Britannia: 2001 - 2007
• HomeTrade: 2001 - 2002
• Sunfeast: 2007 - 2013/14
• National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC): 2003 - 2005
• Boost: 1990 - Present
• Action Shoes: 1995 - 2000
• Adidas: 2000-2010
• Fiat Palio: 2001 to 2003
• Reynolds: 2007 - Present
• TVS: 2002 - 2005
• ESPN Star Sports: 2002 - Present
• G-Hanz: 2005 - 2007
• Sanyo BPL: 2007 - Present
• AIDS Awareness Campaign: 2005
• Colgate-Palmolive
• Philips
• MRF
• VISA

Career achievements

Sachin Tendulkar is the most prolific run scorer in one-day internationals with 16,361 runs and the second highest run scorer in Test matches with 11,877 runs after Brian Lara. He also holds the record of highest number of centuries in both Test (39) and ODI cricket (42). Throughout his career, he has made a strong impact on Indian cricket and was, at one time, the foundation of most of the team's victories. In recognition with his impact on sport in a cricket-loving country like India, Tendulkar has been granted the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India. He was also elected Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1997 and is ranked by the objective scoring method of the Wisden 100 as the second best test batsman and best ODI batsman of all time.

Tendulkar has also consistently done well in Cricket World Cups (excluding the 2007 Cricket World Cup in which India were knocked out after only 3 matches). Tendulkar was the highest run scorer of the 2003 Cricket World Cup and 1996 Cricket World Cup. Tendulkar has scored over 1000 runs in a calendar year in ODIs 7 times, and in one of these years he scored 1894 runs, easily the record for the highest number of runs scored by any player in a single calendar year for one day internationals. Tendulkar is also one of the very few players who are still playing in international cricket from the 1980s.

He has been Man of the Match 11 times in Test matches and Man of the Series 4 times, out of them twice in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. The performances earned him respect from Australian cricket fans and players.

Injuries and decline !!!

Tendulkar continued his good form in Test cricket in 2001 and 2002, with some pivotal performances with both bat and ball. Tendulkar took three wickets on the final day of the famous Kolkata Test against Australia in 2001. Tendulkar took the key wickets of Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, centurions in the previous test.
Tendulkar made 673 runs in 11 matches in the 2003 Cricket World Cup, helping India reach the final. While Australia retained the trophy that they had won in 1999, Tendulkar was given the Man of the Tournament award. The drawn series as India toured Australia in 2003/04 saw Tendulkar making his mark in the last Test of the series, with 241* in Sydney, putting India in a virtually unbeatable position. He followed up the innings with an unbeaten 50 in the second innings of the test and then an unbeaten 194 against Pakistan at Multan in the following series. The 194 was controversial in that he was stranded prior to reaching his double century as a result of a declaration by Rahul Dravid. In meeting with the press that evening, Tendulkar responded to a question on missing 200 against Pakistan by stating that he was disappointed and that the declaration had taken him by surprise. Many former cricketers commented that Dravid's declaration was in bad taste. The media noted at the time that the decision had apparently been made by Sourav Ganguly, and Ganguly himself later admitted that it had been a mistake. The controversy was put to rest when Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and coach John Wright spoke to the media after the team's victory and stated that the matter was spoken internally and put to rest.
Although he was in strong form, tennis elbow then took its toll on Tendulkar, leaving him out of the side for most of the year, coming back only for the last two tests when Australia toured India in 2004. He played a part in India's victory in Mumbai in that series, though Australia took the series 2-1.
On 10 December 2005, at Feroz Shah Kotla, he scored record-breaking 35th Test century, against the Sri Lankans. On 6 February 2006, Tendulkar scored his 39th ODI hundred, in a match against Pakistan. He followed with a run-a-ball 42 in the second ODI against Pakistan on 11 February 2006, and then a 95 in hostile, seaming conditions on 13 February 2006 in Lahore, which set up an Indian victory.
On 19 March 2006, after scoring an unconvincing 1 off 21 balls against England in the first innings of the third Test in his home ground, Wankhede, Tendulkar was booed off the ground by a section of the crowd, the first time that he had ever faced such flak. Tendulkar was to end the three-Test series without a single half-century to his credit, and news of a shoulder operation raised more questions about his longevity. Tendulkar was operated upon for his injured shoulder. In July 2006, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that Tendulkar had overcome his injury problem following a rehabilitation programme and was available for selection, and he was eventually selected for the next series.

Domestic career !!!

In 1988/1989, aged just 15, he scored 100 not-out in his first first-class match for Bombay against Gujarat. At 15 years and 232 days he is the youngest cricketer to score a century on his first-class debut. His first double century was for Mumbai playing against the visiting Australian team at the Brabourne Stadium in 1998.
Tendulkar is the only player to score a century in all three of his Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy debuts.
In 1992, at the age of 19, Tendulkar became the first overseas born player to represent Yorkshire (Craig White, although born in Yorkshire was the first player to be signed as an overseas player by Yorkshire. He had to be listed as an overseas player as he had already played for Victoria in Australia). Tendulkar played 16 first-class matches for the county and scored 1070 runs at an average of 46.52.

Indian Premier League
Tendulkar was made the icon player and captain for his home side, the Mumbai Indians in the inaugural Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition in 2008. As an icon player, he was signed for a huge sum of US$1,121,250, 15% more than the second-highest paid player in the team, Sanath Jayasuriya.

Early years and personal life !!!

Tendulkar was born on 24 April 1973 in Mumbai, India. His father, Ramesh Tendulkar, a Marathi novelist, named Tendulkar after his favorite music director, Sachin Dev Burman. Tendulkar's elder brother Ajit, encouraged him to play cricket. Tendulkar has two other siblings: a brother Nitin, and sister Savitai.
Tendulkar attended Sharadashram Vidyamandir (High School), where he began his cricketing career under the guidance of his coach and mentor, Ramakant Achrekar. During his school days he attended the MRF Pace Foundation to train as a fast bowler. But fast bowling guru Dennis Lillee was unimpressed, and suggested Tendulkar to "just focus" on his batting.
When he was young, Tendulkar would practice for hours on end in the nets. If he became exhausted Achrekar would put a one-Rupee-coin on the top of the stumps, and the bowler who dismissed Tendulkar would get the coin. If Tendulkar passed the whole session without getting dismissed, the coach would give him the coin. Tendulkar now considers the 13 coins he won then as his most prized possessions.
While at school, he developed a reputation as a child prodigy. He had become a common conversation point in Mumbai circles, where there were suggestions already that he would become one of the greats. His season in 1988 was extraordinary, scoring a century in every innings he played. He was involved in an unbroken 664-run partnership in a Lord Harris Shield inter-school game in 1988 with friend and team mate Vinod Kambli, who also went on to represent India. The destructive pair reduced one bowler to tears and made the rest of the opposition unwilling to continue the game. Tendulkar scored 326* in this innings and scored over a thousand runs in the tournament. This was a record partnership in any form of cricket, until 2006 when it was broken by two under-13 batsmen in a match held at Hyderabad in India.
When he was 14, Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar gave him a pair of his own ultra light pads. "It was the greatest source of encouragement for me," he said nearly 20 years later after surpassing Gavaskar's top world record of 34 Test centuries. This was in the same year as his first-class debut. Tendulkar never played for any Under-19 teams, crossing straight into the seniors.
In 1995, Sachin Tendulkar married Anjali (born 10 November 1967), the paediatrician daughter of Gujarati industrialist, Anand Mehta. They have two children, Sara (born 12 October 1997), and Arjun (born 24 September 1999).
Tendulkar sponsors 200 underprivileged children every year through Apnalaya, a Mumbai-based NGO associated with his mother-in-law, Annaben Mehta. He is reluctant to speak about his charitable activities, choosing to preserve the sanctity of his personal life despite media interest in him.

Merits of the little master...

Sachin Ramesh (Marathi: सचिन रमेश तेंडुलकर) (born 24 April 1973 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India), often referred to as the Little Master or the Master Blaster is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. In 2002, Wisden ranked him the second greatest Test batsman of all time next only to Sir Donald Bradman, and the second greatest ODI batsman of all time next only to Sir Viv Richards.

Tendulkar is the first player to score 10,000 runs in One-day internationals, and has the most centuries in both Tests and ODIs. He is one of the three batsmen to surpass 11,000 runs in Test cricket, and the first Indian to do so.
Tendulkar has been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awards.