Watched it a million times but that expression...

Watched it a million times but tht expression... truely god of cricket:-)

Emotional Sachin Says

Sachin's Speech....

"Friends please settle down, I'll get more

emotional! It's hard to believe my wonderful

journey is coming to an end.

I've a list of names to thank. The first is my

father, who passed away in 1999. Without his

guidance I wouldn't be standing in front of

you. he said 'chase your dreams, don't give up,

the path will be difficult.' I miss him today. My

mom, I don't know how she managed a naughty

child like me. She just prayed and prayed from

the day I started playing the game. For four

years I stayed with my uncle and aunt when in

school, they treated me like their own son. My

eldest brother Nitin doesn't like to talk ,much

but he said, whatever you do, I know you will

give 100%. My first cricket bat was presented

to me by my sister Savita. She still continues

to fast while I bat. Ajit my brother - We have

lived this dream together, he sacrificed his

career for me, he took me to Achrekar sir

first. Even last night he called me to discuss

my dismissal. Even when I'm not playing we will

still be discussing technique. If that hadn't

happened, I would have been a lesser

cricketer.

"The most beautiful thing happened to me when

I met Anjali in 1990. I know that being a

doctor there was a big career in front of her.

But she decides that I should continue playing

and she took care of the children. Thanks for

bearing with me for all the nonsense I've said

(Anjali wipes tears). Then the two precious

diamonds of my life Sara and Arjun. I've

missed out on several birthdays, holidays. I

know for 14-16 years I've not spent enough

time with you. But I promise you I will spend

the next 16.

"My inlaws - I've discussed several things with

them. The most important thing they did was

allow me to marry Anjali. In the last 24 years

my friends have made terrific contributions.

They have been with me while I was stressed.

They have been with me even at 3am when I

was injured. Thanks for being there for me.

"My career started when I was 11. I was

extremely delighted to see Achrekar sir in the

stands. I used to ride on his scooter and play

two matches a day. Sir took me along to make

sure I played. On a lighter note, Sir never said

'well played' because he didn't want me to be

complacent. You can push your luck now, Sir,

since I'm not playing cricker anymore.

"I started my career here in Mumbai. I

remember landing from NZ at 4am and playing

a Ranji game the next day. The BCCI was

fantastic from my debut. Thanks to the

selectors. You were right with me making sure

my treatment was taken care of.

"Thanks to all the senior cricketers who have

played with me. We see on the screen Rahul,

VVS, Sourav, Anil who is not here. All the

coaches. I know when MS presented the 200th

Test cap, I had a message to the team - I said

we are all so proud to be representing the

nation. I hope to continue to serve the nation

with dignity. I have full faith that you will

serve the country in the right spirit.

I will be failing in my duty if I didn't thank the

doctors who have kept me fit. Given the

injuries I have suffered. They have treated me

in odd hours.

My dear friend the late Mark Mascarenhas. I

miss him. My current management team WSG,

for continuing what Mark has done. Someone

who has worked closely with me for 14 years is

my friend Vinay Nayudu.

"The media has backed me a lot, since my

school days. Even today. Thank you. Thanks to

the photographers for capturing those

moments.

"I know my speech has become long. I want to

thank people who have flown in from different

parts of the world. I want to thank my fans

from the bottom of my heart. "Sachin, Sachin"

will reverberate in my years till I stop

breathing."

Sachin's Fact File

As one of the greatest Indian cricketer wraps up his 24-year career, here are some little-known, interesting nuggets about the master.

1. The first school Sachin attended as a child was Indian Education Society's New English School in Bandra East.

Sachin Tendulkar looks on with a bust of Sir Donald Bradman before an ODI against Australia at the SCG on February 26, 2012. (Getty Images)

2. Sachin's elder brother Ajit Tendulkar had played cricket alongside former India wicketkeeper Chandrakant Pandit and former India opener Lalchand Rajput.

3. In 1990, while returning from the tour of England at the age of 17, Sachin met his wife Anjali for the first time at the Mumbai airport.

4. Sachin got married at the age of 22.

5. Sachin's father-in-law is a seven-time national bridge champion.

6. Sachin's daughter 'Sara' is named after the first tournament Sachin won as a captain - 'Sahara' Cup in 1997.

7. Sachin's father, Ramesh Tendulkar, named him after the famous music director Sachin Dev Burman.

EARLY DAYS

8. Sunil Gavaskar gifted the 14-year-old Sachin a pair of his own ultra-light pads. Those pads were later stolen while Sachin was at the under-15 national camp.

9. Dilip Vengsarkar gifted Sachin a GM bat after he was selected for the under-15 Bombay squad.

10. Dennis Lillie rejected Sachin when he went to the MRF Pace Foundation to become a fast bowler.

11. Sachin met Sourav Ganguly for the first time at the under-15 national camp in Indore.

12. Sachin scored his life's first century for Shradashram Vidyamandir against the Don Bosco School, Matunga, in the Harris Shield quarter-final at Shivaji Park.

13. Sachin's average in the 1988 Harris Shield was 102.5.

14. CCI amended its rules to allow 14-year-old Sachin to use its dressing room.

15. Sachin and Gavaskar were both named among the 36 Bombay Ranji Trophy probables in 1987.

16. Sachin was one of the ball boys during the 1987 World Cup held in India.

Becoming Tendulkar

17. Sachin, Waqar Younis, Salil Ankola and Shahid Saeed made their international debuts together in the 1989 Karachi Test.

18. Sachin's debut Test was Kapil Dev's 100th.

19. Sachin scored a duck in his ODI debut, which was against Pakistan.

20. Sachin scored his first Test century against England at Old Trafford, Manchester, in 1990.

Sachin's Entry & Guard of Honour - 200th Test

10 Reasons why I hate Sachin Tendulkar

1. He always plays a brilliant innings before my exam and hence didnt let me study.
2. Every time that I think of becoming an atheist, he gets into the nineties and I have no choice but to pray.
3. Every time I take a resolution not to bite my nails, he gets into the nineties and I am left with no choice but to chew on my nails.
4. He keeps all the records to himself.
5. He makes a lot more money than me.
6. He costs way too much on ‘super selector’ but since I have to pick him,the rest of my team gets weakened.
7. During a match, invariably when I want to go to the bathroom, he hits a boundary and hence I have no choice but to sit and watch the replay.
8. As soon as I convince myself that God does not exist, he plays a straight drive and proves me wrong.
9. He brings the whole country to astand still whenever he bats 
10. And the last and the biggest reason why I hate Sachin RameshTendulkar…...He is going to retire now!!!

Introduction - Sachin R Tendulkar

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (born 24 April 1973) is an Indian cricketer widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of his generation. He took up cricket at age of eleven, made his Test debut against Pakistan at just sixteen years old, and went on to represent Mumbai domestically and India internationally for more than twenty years. He retired from the Indian Premier League in May 2013 and has announced that he will retire from the sport in November 2013 after playing his two-hundredth Test match, against the West Indies in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. He is the first player to score one hundred international centuries, the first player to score a double century in a One Day International, and thus far the only to complete 34,000 runs in international cricket.

In 2002, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ranked him the second greatest Test batsman of all time, behind Don Bradman, and the second greatest one-day-international (ODI) batsman of all time, behind Viv Richards. Tendulkar was a part of the 2011 Cricket World Cup winning Indian team in the later part of his career, his first such win in six World Cup appearances for India. He was also the recipient of "Player of the Tournament" award of the 2003 Cricket World Cup held in South Africa. In October 2013, he became the only Indian cricketer to be named in an all-time Test World XI to mark the 150th anniversary of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.

Tendulkar has been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan award, India's second highest civilian award, and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, India's highest sporting honour. Tendulkar won the 2010 Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for cricketer of the year at the ICC awards. In 2012, Tendulkar was nominated to Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India. He was also the first sportsperson and the first one without aviation background to be awarded the honorary rank of Group Captain by the Indian Air Force. He has been proposed for honorary doctorates from University of Mysore and Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences , but he declined to accept honorary doctorates while being active in cricket.  In 2012, he was named as an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia.. On 14th Nov 2013, Department of Posts in India, announced to issue a set of a Miniature sheet and a sheetlet to commemorate the 200th Test Match of Sachin Tendulkar, which is also Tendulkar's last International match in any format. This has been only instance in Indian history after Mother Teresa, there have been commemorative stamps issued for a living person.

Sachin Tendulkar played 664 matches in international cricket,scoring 34,357 runs. On 5 October 2013, Sachin Tendulkar became the 16th player and first Indian to aggregate 50,000 runs in all recognised cricket (First-class cricket, List A cricket and Twenty20 combined). On 23 December 2012, Tendulkar announced his retirement from ODIs.

Tendulkar is the 51st richest sportsman in the world according to Forbes' list of world's highest-paid athletes for the year 2013, with his total earnings estimated to be USD 22 million. In October 2013, the net worth of Tendulkar was estimated at USD 160 million by Wealth X, making him India's wealthiest cricket player

Career achievements - Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is the most prolific run scorer in one-day internationals with 18,426 runs. With a current aggregate of 15,470 Test runs, he surpassed Brian Lara's previous record tally of 11,953 runs as the highest run scorer in test matches in the second Test of Australia's 2008 tour of India in Mohali. Tendulkar described "It is definitely the biggest achievement in 19 years of my career" on the day he achieved the record. He also holds the record of highest number of centuries in both Test (51) and ODI (49) cricket. (49). On 16 March 2012, Tenduklar scored his 100th international hundred. It came against Bangladesh in the league matches of Asia Cup 2012. 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 chosen as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1997 and is ranked by the Wisden 100 as the second best test batsman and ODI batsman of all time.

Tendulkar has also consistently done well in Cricket World Cups. Tendulkar was the highest run scorer of the 1996 Cricket World Cup and 2003 Cricket World Cup. After his century against England during group stages of 2011 Cricket World Cup, he became the player to hit most number of centuries in Cricket World Cups with six centuries and the first player to score 2000 runs in World Cup cricket. Tendulkar has scored over 1000 runs in a calendar year in ODIs 7 times, and in 1998 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. On 24 February 2010, Tendulkar broke the previous world record for highest individual innings in an ODI, and became the first male cricketer to score a double-century in one-day cricket. He made 200 runs and broke the previous record of 194 runs, jointly held by Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry.

He has been Man of the Match 13 times in Test matches and Man of the Series four times, out of them twice in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. The performances earned him respect from Australian cricket fans and players. Similarly he has been Man of the Match 60 times in One day International matches and Man of the Series 14 times.He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the first player to score a double century in Men's ODI cricket. He also holds the world record for playing highest number of Test and ODI matches. Tendulkar is the only cricketer to accomplish the feat of scoring a hundred centuries in international cricket which includes 49 ODI and 51 Test centuries. He is also the only player to score fifty centuries in Test cricket, and the first to score fifty centuries in all international cricket combined. On 17 October 2008, when he surpassed Brian Lara's record for the most runs scored in Test cricket, he also became the first batsman to score 12,000, 13,000, 14,000 and 15,000 runs in that form of the game, having also been the third batsman and first Indian to pass 11,000 runs in Test cricket. He was also the first player to score 10,000 runs in one-day internationals, and also the first player to cross every subsequent 1000-run mark that has been crossed in ODI cricket history. In the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, Tendulkar surpassed Australia's Allan Border to become the player to cross the 50-run mark the most number of times in Test cricket history, and also the second ever player to score 11 Test centuries against Australia, tying with Sir Jack Hobbs of England more than 70 years previously. On 24 February 2010, Tendulkar became the first man to score a double century (200*) in an ODI against South Africa. On 8 November 2011, Tendulkar became the first batsman to score 15,000 runs in Test Cricket.

2011 World Cup and after

From February to April, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka hosted the 2011 World Cup. Amassing 482 runs at an average of 53.55 including two centuries, Tendulkar was India's lead run-scorer for the tournament; only Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka scored more runs in the 2011 tournament. India defeated Sri Lanka in the final. Shortly after the victory, Tendulkar commented that "Winning the World Cup is the proudest moment of my life. ... I couldn't control my tears of joy."

 

India were due to tour the West Indies in June, although Tendulkar chose not to participate. He returned to the squad in July for India's tour of England. Throughout the tour there was much hype in the media about whether Tendulkar would reach his 100th century in international cricket (Test and ODIs combined). However his highest score in the Tests was 91; Tendulkar averaged 34.12 in the series as England won 4–0 as they deposed India as the No. 1 ranked Test side. The injury Tendulkar sustained to his right foot in 2001 flared up and as a result he was ruled out of the ODI series that followed. Tendulkar created another record on 8 November 2011 when he became the first cricketer to score 15,000 runs in Test cricket, during the opening Test match against the West Indies at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi.

 

Ian Chappell was not happy with Sachin's performance after India's tour of Australia. He says that Sachin's quest for his 100th hundred has proved to be a hurdle for the entire team and has hampered their performance on the Tour of Australia. Former India World Cup winning captain and all-rounder Kapil Dev has also voiced his opinion that Sachin should have retired from ODI's after the World Cup. Former Australian fast bowler, Geoff Lawson, has said that Sachin has the right to decide when to quit although he adds that Tendulkar should not delay it for too long. The selection committee of BCCI expectedly included Sachin in the national test squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand commencing in August 2012

Injuries and decline amid surpassing Bradman's haul

Sachin Tendulkar continued performing well 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.

 

In the 2002 series in the West Indies, Tendulkar started well, scoring 79 in the first test, and 117 in the first innings of the second. In the second test at Port of Spain, Sachin Tendulkar scored his 29th Test century in his 93rd test match, to equal Sir Donald Bradman's record of 29 Test hundreds. Then, in a hitherto unprecedented sequence, he scored 0, 0, 8 and 0 in the next four innings, getting out to technical "defects" and uncharacteristically poor strokes. He returned to form in the last test scoring 41 and 86. However, India lost the series. This might have been the beginning of the "decline" phase in his career which lasted till 2006.In third test match against England in August 2002,Sachin scored his 30th test century to surpass Bradman's haul, in his 99th test match. The next test match was Sachin's 100 test match.

 

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.

 

He continued to score heavily in ODI cricket that year, with two hundreds in a tri series involving New Zealand and Australia.

 

The drawn series as India toured Australia in 2003/04 saw Tendulkar making his mark in the last Test of the series, with 241 not out in Sydney, putting India in a virtually unbeatable position. He followed up the innings with an unbeaten 60 in the second innings of the test. Prior to this test match, he had had an unusually horrible run of form, failing in all six innings in the preceding three tests. It was no aberration that 2003 was his worst year in test cricket, with an average of 17.25 and just one fifty.

 

Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 194 against Pakistan at Multan in the following series. India declared before Tendulkar reached 200; had he done so it would have been the fourth time he passed the landmark in Tests. In meeting with the press that evening, Tendulkar stated 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. After India won the match, the captain Rahul Dravid stated that the matter was spoken internally and put to rest.

 

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 with a fast 55, though Australia took the series 2–1.

 

On 10 December 2005 at Feroz Shah Kotla, Tendulkar scored his record-breaking 35th Test century, against the Sri Lankans. After this, Tendulkar endured the longest spell of his career without a Test century: 17 innings elapsed before he scored 101 against Bangladesh in May 2007. Tendulkar scored his 39th ODI hundred on 6 February 2006 in a match against Pakistan. He followed with a run-a-ball 42 in the second one-day international 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. In July 2006, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that Tendulkar had overcome his injury problem following an operation and rehabilitation programme and was available for selection, and he was eventually selected for the next series.

 

Tendulkar's comeback came in the DLF cup in Malaysia and he was the only Indian batsman to shine. In his comeback match, against West Indies on 14 September 2006, Tendulkar responded to his critics who believed that his career was inexorably sliding with his 40th ODI century. Though he scored 141 not out, West Indies won the rain-affected match by the D/L method.

 

During the preparation for the 2007 World Cup, Tendulkar was criticised by Greg Chappell on his attitude. As per the report, Chappell felt that Tendulkar would be more useful down the order, while the latter felt that he would be better off opening the innings, the role he had played for most of his career. Chappell also believed that Tendulkar's repeated failures were hurting the team's chances. In a rare show of emotion, Tendulkar hit out at the comments attributed to Chappell by pointing out that no coach has ever suggested his attitude towards cricket is incorrect. On 7 April 2007, the Board of Control for Cricket in India issued a notice to Tendulkar asking for an explanation for his comments made to the media.

 

At the World Cup in the West Indies, Tendulkar and the Indian cricket team, led by Rahul Dravid had a dismal campaign. Tendulkar, who was pushed to bat lower down the order had scores of 7 (Bangladesh), 57 not out (Bermuda) and 0 (Sri Lanka). As a result, former Australian captain Ian Chappell, brother of the then Indian coach Greg, called for Tendulkar to retire in his column for Mumbai's Mid Day newspaper.

 

During this period from about 2002 to 2006–7, Tendulkar's batting often seemed to be a shadow of its former self. He was inconsistent, and his big knocks mostly came in sedate, accumulative, uncharacteristic fashion. He seemed to have either cut out or lost the ability to play many shots, including the hook and pull and many other aerial strokes. He also developed a tendency to go without scoring much for long periods and become overtly defensive. While players such as Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis were at the peak of their careers, Sachin's seemed to be in terminal decline. There were several calls from him to retire. However, after the 2007 World Cup, his career had a second wind and his consistency and form returned.

Leading Tendulkar

Tendulkar's two tenures as captain of the Indian cricket team were not very successful. When Tendulkar took over as captain in 1996, it was with huge hopes and expectations. However, by 1997 the team was performing poorly. Azharuddin was credited with saying "Nahin jeetega! Chote ki naseeb main jeet nahin hai!", which translates into: "He won't win! It's not in the small one's destiny!".

Tendulkar, succeeding Azharuddin as captain for his second term, then led India on a tour of Australia, where the visitors were comprehensively beaten 3–0 by the newly crowned world champions. Tendulkar, however, won the player of the tournament award as well as player of the match in one of the games. After another Test series defeat, this time by a 0–2 margin at home against South Africa, Tendulkar resigned, and Sourav Ganguly took over as captain in 2000.

Tendulkar remains an integral part of the Indian team's strategic processes. He is often seen in discussion with the captain, at times actively involved in building strategies. Former captain Rahul Dravid publicly acknowledged that Tendulkar had been suggesting moves such as the promotion of Irfan Pathan up the batting order which, although only temporary, had an immediate effect on the team's fortunes. In 2007, Tendulkar was appointed vice-captain to captain Rahul Dravid. During the Indian team's 2007 tour of England, Dravid's desire to resign from the captaincy became known. The BCCI President Sharad Pawar personally offered the captaincy to Tendulkar. However, Tendulkar asked Pawar not to appoint him captain, instead recommending Mahendra Singh Dhoni to take over the reins. Pawar later revealed this conversation, crediting Tendulkar for first forwarding the name of Dhoni, who since achieved much success as captain

Rise through the ranks

Tendulkar's performance through the years 1994–1999 coincided with his physical peak, in his early twenties. On the day of the Hindu festival Holi, Tendulkar was told to open the batting at Auckland against New Zealand in 1994. He went on to make 82 runs off 49 balls. He scored his first ODI century on 9 September 1994 against Australia in Sri Lanka at Colombo. It had taken him 79 ODIs to score a century.

 

Tendulkar waits at the bowler's end.Tendulkar's rise continued when he was the leading run scorer at the 1996 World Cup, scoring two centuries. He was the only Indian batsman to perform in the infamous semi-final against Sri Lanka. Tendulkar fell amid a batting collapse and the match referee, Clive Lloyd awarded Sri Lanka the match after the crowd began rioting and throwing litter onto the field.

 

After the World Cup, in the same year against Pakistan at Sharjah, Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin was going through a lean patch. Tendulkar and Navjot Singh Sidhu both made centuries to set a then record partnership for the second wicket. After getting out, Tendulkar found Azharuddin in two minds about whether he should bat. Tendulkar convinced Azharuddin to bat and Azharuddin subsequently unleashed 29 runs in a mere 10 balls. It enabled India to post a score in excess of 300 runs for the first time in an ODI. India went on to win that match.

 

This was the beginning of a period at the top of the batting world, culminating in the Australian tour of India in early 1998, with Tendulkar scoring three consecutive centuries. These were characterised by a premeditated plan to target Australian spinners Shane Warne and Gavin Robertson, to whom he regularly charged down the pitch to drive over the infield. This technique worked as India beat Australia. The test match success was followed by two scintillating knocks in a tournament in Sharjah where he scored two consecutive centuries in a must-win game and then in finals against Australia tormenting Shane Warne once again. Following the series Warne ruefully joked that he was having nightmares about his Indian nemesis. He also had a role with the ball in that series, including a five wicket haul in an ODI. Set 310 runs to win, Australia were cruising comfortably at 203 for 3 in the 31st over when Tendulkar turned the match for India taking wickets of Michael Bevan, Steve Waugh, Darren Lehmann, Tom Moody and Damien Martyn for just 32 runs in 10 overs.

 

Tendulkar single-handedly won the ICC 1998 quarterfinal at Dhaka to pave way for India's entry into the semifinals, when he took four Australian wickets after scoring 141 runs in just 128 balls.

 

The inaugural Asian Test Championship took place in February and March 1999. Held just twice, the 1999 championship was contested by India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Eden Gardens hosted the first match, in which Tendulkar was run out for nine after colliding with Pakistan bowler Shoaib Akhtar. The crowd's reaction to the dismissal was to throw objects at Akhtar, and the players were taken off the field. The match resumed after Tendulkar and the president of the ICC appealed to the crowd, however further rioting meant that the match was finished in front of a crowd of just 200 people. Tendulkar scored his 19th Test century in the second Test and the match resulted in a draw with Sri Lanka. India did not progress to the final, which was won by Pakistan, and refused to participate the next time the championship was held to increasing political tensions between India and Pakistan.

 

A chronic back problem flared up when Pakistan toured India in 1999, with India losing the historic Test at Chepauk despite a gritty century from Tendulkar himself. The worst was yet to come as Professor Ramesh Tendulkar, Tendulkar's father, died in the middle of the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Tendulkar flew back to India to attend the final rituals of his father, missing the match against Zimbabwe. However, he returned with a bang to the World cup scoring a century (unbeaten 140 off 101 balls) in his very next match against Kenya in Bristol. He dedicated this century to his father

Career Wow's

Raj Singh Dungarpur is credited for the selection of Tendulkar for the Indian tour of Pakistan in late 1989, and that also after just one first class season. The Indian selection committee had shown interest in selecting Tendulkar for the tour of the West Indies held earlier that year, but eventually did not select him, as they did not want him to be exposed to the dominant fast bowlers of the West Indies so early in his career. Tendulkar made his Test debut against Pakistan in Karachi in November 1989 aged just 16 years and 223 days. He made just 15 runs, being bowled by Waqar Younis, who also made his debut in that match, but was noted for how he handled numerous blows to his body at the hands of the Pakistani pace attack. In the fourth and final Test in Sialkot, he was hit on the nose by a bouncer bowled by Younis, but he declined medical assistance and continued to bat even as he gushed blood from it. In a 20 over exhibition game in Peshawar, held in parallel with the bilateral series, Tendulkar made 53 runs off 18 balls, including an over in which he scored 27 runs off leg-spinner Abdul Qadir. This was later called "one of the best innings I have seen" by the then Indian captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth. In all, he scored 215 runs at an average of 35.83 in the Test series, and was dismissed without scoring a run in the only One Day International (ODI) he played.

The series was followed by a tour of New Zealand in which he scored 117 runs at an average of 29.25 in Tests including an innings of 88 in the second Test. He was dismissed without scoring in one of the two one-day games he played, and scored 36 in the other. On his next tour, to England in July–August 1990, he became the second youngest cricketer to score a Test century as he made 119 not out in the second Test at Old Trafford in Manchester. Wisden described his innings as "a disciplined display of immense maturity" and also wrote:-

"He looked the embodiment of India's famous opener, Gavaskar, and indeed was wearing a pair of his pads. While he displayed a full repertoire of strokes in compiling his maiden Test hundred, most remarkable were his off-side shots from the back foot. Though only 5ft 5in tall, he was still able to control without difficulty short deliveries from the English pacemen."

Tendulkar further enhanced his reputation as a future great during the 1991–1992 tour of Australia held before the 1992 Cricket World Cup, that included an unbeaten 148 in the third Test Sydney and 114 on a fast, bouncing pitch in the final Test at Perth against a world-class pace attack comprising Merv Hughes, Bruce Reid and Craig McDermott. Hughes commented to Allan Border at the time that "This little prick's going to get more runs than you, AB."

Early domestic career of Sachin Tendulkar

On 14 November 1987, Tendulkar was selected to represent Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, India's premier domestic first-class cricket tournament, for the 1987–88 season. However, he was not selected for the final eleven in any of the matches, though he was often used as a substitute fielder. He narrowly missed out playing alongside his idol Gavaskar, who had retired from all forms of cricket after the 1987 Cricket World Cup. A year later, on 11 December 1988, aged just 15 years and 232 days, Tendulkar made his debut for Mumbai against Gujarat at home and scored 100 not out in that match, making him the youngest Indian to score a century on first-class debut. He was handpicked to play for the team by the then Mumbai captain Dilip Vengsarkar after watching him easily negotiating India's best fast bowler at the time, Kapil Dev, in the Wankhede Stadium nets, where the Indian team had come to play against the touring New Zealand team. He followed this by scoring a century in his first Deodhar and Duleep Trophies, which are also Indian domestic tournaments.

 

Tendulkar finished the 1988–89 season as Mumbai's highest run-scorer. He also made an unbeaten century in the Irani Trophy match against Delhi at the start of the 1989–90 season, playing for the Rest of India. Sachin was picked for young Indian team to tour England twice,under the Star Cricket Club banner in 1988 and 1989.

 

In 1992, at the age of 19, Tendulkar became the first overseas-born player to represent Yorkshire, which prior to Tendulkar joining the team, never selected players even from other English counties. Selected for Yorkshire as a replacement for the injured Australian fast bowler Craig McDermott, Tendulkar played 16 first-class matches for the county and scored 1070 runs at an average of 46.52.

 

His first double century(204*) was for Mumbai while playing against the visiting Australian team at the Brabourne Stadium in 1998. He is the only player to score a century in all three of his domestic first-class debuts. Sachin scored a brilliant 233* against Tamil Nadu in Ranji Trophy semifinal in April 2000 in Mumbai,which he still rates as one of his best in Ranji career

Early years and personal life of Tendulkar

Tendulkar was born at Nirmal Nursing Home on 24 April 1973. His father Ramesh Tendulkar was a reputed Marathi novelist and his mother Rajni worked in the insurance industry. Ramesh named Tendulkar after his favourite music director, Sachin Dev Burman. Tendulkar has three elder siblings: two half-brothers Nitin and Ajit, and a half-sister Savita. They were Ramesh's children from his first marriage. He spent his formative years in the Sahitya Sahawas Cooperative Housing Society, Bandra (East). As a young boy, Tendulkar was considered a bully, and often picked up fights with new children in his school. He also showed an interest in tennis, idolising John McEnroe. To help curb his mischievous and bullying tendencies, Ajit introduced him to cricket in 1984. He introduced the young Sachin to Ramakant Achrekar, a famous cricket coach and a club cricketer of repute, at Shivaji Park, Dadar.

 

Achrekar was impressed with Tendulkar's talent and advised him to shift his schooling to Sharadashram Vidyamandir (English) High School, a school at Dadar which had a dominant cricket team and had produced many notable cricketers. Prior to this, Tendulkar had attended the Indian Education Society's New English School in Bandra (East). He was also coached under the guidance of Achrekar at Shivaji Park in the mornings and evenings. 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 some of his most prized possessions. He moved in with his aunt and uncle, who lived near Shivaji Park, during this period, due to his hectic schedule.

Sachin Tendulkar and his wife AnjaliMeanwhile at school, he developed a reputation as a child prodigy. He had become a common conversation point in local cricketing circles, where there were suggestions already that he would become one of the greats. Sachin consistenly featured in his school ShardashramVidyamandir (English)team in Matunga Gujarati Seva Mandal (popularly coined MGSM Shield). Besides school cricket, he also played club cricket, initially representing John Bright Cricket Club in Mumbai's premier club cricket tournament, the Kanga League, and later went on to play for the Cricket Club of India. In 1987, at the age of 14, he attended the MRF Pace Foundation in Madras (now Chennai) to train as a fast bowler, but Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee, who took a world record 355 Test wickets, was unimpressed, suggesting that Tendulkar focus on his batting instead. On January 20, 1987, he also turned out as substitute for Imran Khan's side in an exhibition game at Brabourne Statdium in Mumbai,to mark the golden jubilee of Cricket Club of India. A couple of months later, former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar gave him a pair of his own ultra light pads and consoled him to not get disheartened for not getting the Mumbai Cricket Association's "Best junior cricket award"(He was 14 years that time). "It was the greatest source of encouragement for me," Tendulkar said nearly 20 years later after surpassing Gavaskar's world record of 34 Test centuries. Sachin served as a ballboy in 1987 Cricket World Cup when India played against England in the semifinal in Mumbai. His season in 1988 was extraordinary, with Tendulkar 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 against St. Xavier's High School in 1988 with his friend and team-mate Vinod Kambli, who would also go 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 (not out) 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.

On 24 May 1995, at the age of 22, Tendulkar married Anjali, a paediatrician and daughter of Gujarati industrialist Anand Mehta and British social worker Annabel Mehta. Sachin's father-in-law, Anand Mehta, is a seven-time national bridge champion. Anjali is six years his senior. They have two children, Sara (born 12 October 1997) and Arjun (born 24 September 1999). Arjun, a left handed batsman, has recently been included in under-14 probable list of Mumbai Cricket Association for off-season training camp. In January 2013 he was selected in Mumbai under-14 team for the west zone league