Sachin Tendulkar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sachin Tendulkar
Tendulkar at an awards event in January 2013
|
| Personal information |
| Full name |
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar |
| Born |
24 April 1973 (age 40)[1]
Bombay, Maharashtra, India |
| Nickname |
Tendlya, God of Cricket,[2][3] Little Master,[1] Master Blaster[4][5] |
| Height |
5 ft 5 in (165 cm) |
| Batting style |
Right-handed |
| Bowling style |
Right-arm medium, leg break, off break |
| Role |
Batsman |
| International information |
| National side |
|
| Test debut (cap 187) |
15 November 1989 v Pakistan |
| Last Test |
14 November 2013 v West Indies |
| ODI debut (cap 74) |
18 December 1989 v Pakistan |
| Last ODI |
18 March 2012 v Pakistan |
| ODI shirt no. |
10 |
| Only T20I (cap 11) |
1 December 2006 v South Africa |
| Domestic team information |
| Years |
Team |
| 1988 |
Cricket Club of India |
| 1988–2013 |
Mumbai |
| 1992 |
Yorkshire |
| 2008–2013 |
Mumbai Indians |
| Career statistics |
| Competition |
Test |
ODI |
FC |
LA |
| Matches |
200 |
463 |
310 |
551 |
| Runs scored |
15,921 |
18,426 |
25,396 |
21,999 |
| Batting average |
53.79 |
44.83 |
57.92 |
45.54 |
| 100s/50s |
51/68 |
49/96 |
81/116 |
60/114 |
| Top score |
248* |
200* |
248* |
200* |
| Balls bowled |
4,240 |
8,054 |
7,563 |
10,230 |
| Wickets |
46 |
154 |
71 |
201 |
| Bowling average |
54.17 |
44.48 |
62.18 |
42.17 |
| 5 wickets in innings |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
| 10 wickets in match |
0 |
n/a |
0 |
n/a |
| Best bowling |
3/10 |
5/32 |
3/10 |
5/32 |
| Catches/stumpings |
115/– |
140/– |
186/– |
175/– |
|
| Source: Cricinfo, 15 November 2013 |
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (
i/ /; born 24 April 1973) is a former Indian
Cricketer widely acknowledged as the greatest
batsman of the modern generation, popularly holds the title "God of Cricket" among his fans
[2] He is also acknowledged as the greatest cricketer of all time.
[6][7][8][9] He took up cricket at the age of eleven, made his
Test debut against
Pakistan at the age of sixteen, and went on to represent
Mumbai domestically and
India internationally for close to twenty-four years. He is the only player to have
scored one hundred international centuries, the first batsman to score a
Double Century in a
One Day International, and the only player to complete more than 30,000
runs in international cricket.
[10] In October 2013, he became the 16th player and first Indian to aggregate 50,000 runs in all recognized cricket (
First-class,
List A and
Twenty20 combined).
[11][12][13]
In 2002,
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ranked him the second greatest Test batsman of all time, behind
Don Bradman, and the second greatest ODI batsman of all time, behind
Viv Richards.
[14] Later in his career, Tendulkar was a part of the Indian team that won the
2011 World Cup, his first win in six
World Cup appearances for India.
[15] He had previously been named "Player of the Tournament" at the
2003 edition of the tournament,
held in South Africa. In 2013, he was the only Indian cricketer
included in an all-time Test World XI named to mark the 150th
anniversary of
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.
[16][17][18]
Tendulkar received the
Arjuna Award in 1994 for outstanding sporting achievement, the
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 1997, India's highest sporting honour, and the
Padma Shri and
Padma Vibhushan
awards in 1999 and 2008, respectively, India's fourth and second
highest civilian awards and within a few hours of ending of his final
match on 16 November 2013, the
Prime Minister's Office announced the decision to award Tendulkar with the
Bharat Ratna,
India's highest civilian award, making him the youngest recipient to
date and the first ever sportsperson to receive the award.
[19][20] He also won the 2010
Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for cricketer of the year at the ICC awards.
[21] In 2012, Tendulkar was nominated to
Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the
Parliament of India.
[22] He was also the first sportsperson (and the first without an aviation background) to be awarded the honorary rank of
Group Captain by the
Indian Air Force.
[23] In 2012, he was named an Honorary
Member of the Order of Australia.
[24]
In December 2012, Tendulkar announced his retirement from ODIs.
[25] He retired from Twenty20 cricket in October 2013
[26] and subsequently announced his retirement from all forms of cricket,
[27] retiring on 16 November 2013 after playing his
200th and final Test match, against the
West Indies in Mumbai's
Wankhede Stadium.
[28][29] Tendulkar played 664 international cricket matches in total, scoring 34,357 runs.
[30]
Early years
Tendulkar was born at Nirmal Nursing Home on 24 April 1973.
[31] His father,
Ramesh Tendulkar, was a well-known
Marathi novelist and his mother, Rajni, worked in the insurance industry.
[32] 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.
[33] 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.
[34] He also showed an interest in tennis, idolising
John McEnroe.
[35]
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.
In the first meeting, the young Sachin did not play his best. Ajit told
Achrekar that he was feeling self-conscious due to the coach observing
him, and wasn't displaying his natural game. Ajit requested the coach to
give him another chance at playing, but watch while hiding behind a
tree. This time, Sachin, apparently unobserved, played much better and
was accepted at Achrekar's academy. Ajit is ten years elder and is
credited by Sachin for playing a pivotal role in his life.
Sachin with his father, mother and two elder brothers.
Achrekar was impressed with Tendulkar's talent and advised him to
shift his schooling to Sharadashram Vidyamandir (English) High School,
[1] a school at Dadar which had a dominant cricket team and had produced many notable cricketers.
[36] Prior to this, Tendulkar had attended the Indian Education Society's New English School in Bandra (East).
[36] He was also coached under the guidance of Achrekar at Shivaji Park in the mornings and evenings.
[37] 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.
[38] He moved in with his aunt and uncle, who lived near Shivaji Park, during this period, due to his hectic schedule.
[36]
Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali
Meanwhile 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 consistently featured in his school Shardashram
Vidyamandir (English) team in Matunga Gujarati Seva Mandal (popularly
coined MGSM) Shield.
[39]
Besides school cricket, he also played club cricket, initially
representing John Bright Cricket Club in Mumbai's premier club cricket
tournament, the Kanga League,
[36] and later went on to play for the
Cricket Club of India.
[40][41][42] 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.
[43] On January 20, 1987, he also turned out as substitute for
Imran Khan's side in an exhibition game at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, to mark the golden jubilee of
Cricket Club of India.
[44] 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.
[45][46] Sachin served as a
Ballboy in
1987 Cricket World Cup when India played against England in the semifinal in
Mumbai.
[47][48]
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.
[49] 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.
[50]
Early domestic career
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.
[36] He narrowly missed out playing alongside his idol Gavaskar, who had retired from all forms of cricket after the
1987 Cricket World Cup.
[36] 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,
[1] 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.
[51]
Tendulkar finished the 1988–89 season as Mumbai's highest run-scorer.
[note 1][52] 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.
[53] Sachin was picked for young Indian team to tour England twice,under the Star Cricket Club banner in 1988 and 1989.
[54][55]
His first double century (204*) was for Mumbai while playing against the visiting Australian team at the
Brabourne Stadium in 1998.
[1][56]
He is the only player to score a century on debut in all three of his
domestic first-class tournaments (the Ranji, Irani, and Duleep
Trophies).
[57] Another double century was an innings of 233* against
Tamil Nadu in the semi-finals of the 2000
Ranji Trophy, which he regards as one of the best innings of his career.
[58][59][60]
Yorkshire
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.
[1][note 2] 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.
[61]
International career
Early career
Raj Singh Dungarpur is credited for the selection of Tendulkar for the Indian tour of
Pakistan in late 1989,
[62] and that also after just one first class season.
[63] 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 205 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.
[64] 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.
[65] 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.
[66][note 3] This was later called "one of the best innings I have seen" by the then Indian captain
Krishnamachari Srikkanth.
[67] 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.
[68][69] Thus Sachin Tendulkar became the youngest player to debut for India in
Tests at the age of 16 years and 205 days and also the youngest player to debut for India in
ODIs at the age of 16 years and 238 days.
[70][71]
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.
[72] He was dismissed without scoring in one of the two one-day games he played, and scored 36 in the other.
[73]
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.
[65] Wisden described his innings as "a disciplined display of immense maturity" and also wrote:
[74]
"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."
[75]
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.
[76] 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.
[77] It took him 79 ODIs to score his first 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.
[78]
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. The focus was on the
clash of the titans: Sachin Tendulkar vs
Shane Warne
the world’s most dominating batsman and the world’s leading spinner,
both at the peak of their careers, clashing in a full-fledged Test
series after 7 long years . In the lead-up to the series, Tendulkar
famously simulated scenarios in the nets with
Laxman Sivaramakrishnan
the former India leg spinner donning the role of Warne. In their tour
opener, Australia faced the then Ranji Champions Mumbai at the
Brabourne Stadium in a 3-day first class match.
[79] Tendulkar made an unbeaten 204 as Shane Warne conceded 111 runs in 16 overs and Australia lost the match within 3 days.
[80][81] These were characterized 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 in the ensuing Test series
as well. He also had a role with the ball in the 5 match ODI series in
India following the Tests, including a five wicket haul in an ODI in
Kochi.
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.
[82] The test match success was followed by two scintillating knocks in April 1998 in a Triangular cricket
tournament
in Sharjah where he scored two consecutive centuries - the first in a
must-win game to take India to the finals and then again in the finals,
both against Australia tormenting Shane Warne once again. These twin
knocks were also known as the
Desert Storm innings.
[83]
The innings in the finals was incidentally played on his 25th birthday.
Following the series Warne ruefully joked that he was having nightmares
about his Indian nemesis.
[84]
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.
[85]
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.
[86]
The first test match between India and Pakistan in Eden Gardens was
previously scheduled as the third test match of the tournament but later
on was shifted to the first match of the tournament. So,
Eden Gardens hosted the first match, in which Tendulkar was run out for nine after colliding with Pakistan bowler
Shoaib Akhtar.Around
100000 people came to support team India during the initial four days
of the tournament.The aggregate test attendance record which was made 63
years ago was broken during this test.
[87]
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.
[88] Tendulkar scored his 19th Test century in the second Test and the match resulted in a draw with Sri Lanka.
[89]
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.
[90]
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.
[91]
Captaincy
| Tendulkar's record as captain |
|
Matches |
Won |
Lost |
Drawn |
Tied |
No result |
Win % |
| Test[92] |
25 |
4 |
9 |
12 |
0 |
– |
8% |
| ODI[93] |
73 |
23 |
43 |
– |
2 |
6 |
31.50% |
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!",
[94] which translates into: "He won't win! It's not in the small one's destiny!".
[95]
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.
[96]
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.
[97]
Tendulkar remained an integral part of the Indian team's strategic
processes. He was 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.
[98] 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.
[98] However, Tendulkar asked Pawar not to appoint him captain, instead recommending
Mahendra Singh Dhoni to take over the reins.
[98]
Pawar later revealed this conversation, crediting Tendulkar for first
forwarding the name of Dhoni, who since achieved much success as
captain.
[98]
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.
[99]
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
Test.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.
[100][101][102]
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.
[103][104] 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.
[105]
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.
[106]
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.
[107]
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.
[108]
In meeting with the press that evening, Tendulkar stated that he was
disappointed and that the declaration had taken him by surprise.
[109] Many former cricketers commented that Dravid's declaration was in bad taste.
[110][111] After India won the match, the captain Rahul Dravid stated that the matter was spoken internally and put to rest.
[112]
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.
[113]
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.
[114]
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,
[115]
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.
[116]
During the preparation for the
2007 World Cup, Tendulkar was criticised by
Greg Chappell on his attitude.
[117]
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.
[118]
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.
[119]
Return to old form and consistency
In the subsequent series against Bangladesh, Tendulkar returned to
his opening slot and was Man of the Series. He continued by scoring two
consecutive scores of over 90 in the Future Cup against South Africa. He
was the leading run scorer and was adjudged the Man of the Series.
[120]
Tendulkar celebrates upon reaching his 38th Test century against Australia in the 2nd Test at the
SCG in 2008, where he finished
not out on 154
On the second day of the Nottingham Test (28 July 2007) Tendulkar became the third cricketer to complete 11,000 Test runs.
[121] In the subsequent One day series against England, Tendulkar was the leading run scorer from India
[122]
with an average of 53.42. In the ODI Series against Australia in
October 2007 Tendulkar was the leading Indian run scorer with 278 runs.
[123]
Tendulkar was dismissed seven times in 2007 between 90 and 100,
including three times at 99, leading some to suggest that he struggles
to cope with nerves in this phase of his innings. Tendulkar has got out
27 times in the 90s during his international career.
[124] On 8 November 2007 he got out on 99 against Pakistan in an ODI at
Mohali to the bowling of
Umar Gul.
In the fourth ODI, he got out on 97 (off 102 balls with 16 fours) after
dragging a delivery from Gul on to his stumps, falling short of another
century in ODIs in 2007.
2007/08 tour of Australia
In the
Border-Gavaskar Trophy, 2007–08,
Tendulkar showed exceptional form, becoming the leading run scorer with
493 runs in four Tests, despite consistently failing in the second
innings.
[125] Sachin scored 62 runs in the first innings of the first Test at the
MCG in
Melbourne, but couldn't prevent a heavy 337-run win for Australia.
[126] In the
controversial New Years Test at Sydney, Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 154 as India lost the Test. This was his third century at the
SCG, earning him an average of 221.33 at the ground.
[127] In the third Test at the
WACA cricket ground in
Perth,
Sachin was instrumental in India's first innings score of 330, scoring a
well compiled 71, as India went on to record a historic triumph at the
WACA.
[128] In the fourth Test at the
Adelaide Oval, which ended in a draw, he scored 153 in the first innings, involving in a crucial 126 run stand with
V.V.S. Laxman for the fifth wicket to lead India to a score of 282 for 5 from 156 for 4. He secured the
Player of the Match award.
[129]
In the One-Day International Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series involving
Sri Lanka and Australia, Tendulkar became the only batsman to complete
16,000 runs in ODIs.
[130] He achieved this feat against Sri Lanka on 5 February 2008 at the
Gabba in
Brisbane.
He started the CB series well notching up scores of 10, 35, 44 and 32,
but could not convert the starts into bigger scores. His form dipped a
bit in the middle of the tournament, but Tendulkar came back strongly in
India's must-win game against Sri Lanka at the
Bellerive Ovalin Hobart, scoring 63 off 54 balls. He finished the series with a match winning 117 not out off 120 balls in the first final,
[131] and 91 runs in the second final.
[132]
Home series against South Africa
South Africa toured in
March and April 2008 for a three-Test series. Tendulkar scored a five-ball duck in his only innings of the series;
[133]
he sustained a groin strain in the match and as a result was forced not
only to miss the second and third Tests, but also the tri-series
involving Bangladesh, the
2008 Asia Cup, and the first half of the inaugural season of the IPL.
[134]
Sri Lanka Series
Before the
touring Sri Lanka for three Test
in July 2008, Tendulkar needed just 177 runs to go past Brian Lara's
record of Test 11,953 runs. However, he failed in all six innings,
scoring a total of just 95 runs. India lost the series and his average
of 15.83 was his worst in a Test series with at least three matches.
[135]
Return to form and breaking the record
In the following ODI series against Sri Lanka, Tendulkar was
sidelined due to injury. However, during the following Australia tour of
India, he returned to fitness and form, scoring 13 and 49 in the first
test before making 88 in the first innings of the second test, thus
breaking the record for most number of Test runs held by Brian Lara.
[136][137] He also reached the 12,000 run mark when he was on 61.
[138] He made a fifty in the third test and 109 in the fourth, as India won the series 2–0 and regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
[139] [140]
ODI and Test Series against England
Tendulkar was again out due to injury from the first three ODIs of a
7-match ODI series at home against England, but he made 11 in the fourth
ODI and 50 in the fifth, before the ODI series was called off due to
the Mumbai terror attacks, the scoreline being 5–0 to India.
[141][142] [143]
England returned for a 2-match test series in December 2008, and in
the first test in Chennai, chasing 387 for victory, Tendulkar made 103
not out in a 163-run unbroken fifth wicket stand with Yuvraj Singh. This
was his third century in a fourth match innings, and the first which
resulted in a win.
[144]
This was redemption for the Chennai Test of 1999 when chasing 271
against Pakistan, Sachin had made 136 with severe back pain and was out
17 runs short of the target, precipitating a collapse and a loss by 12
runs. He dedicated this century to the victims of the Mumbai terror
attacks. Tendulkar failed in both innings in the second test, India won
the series 1–0.
[145]
2009–2010
In early 2009, India revisited Sri Lanka for five ODIs, as the
Pakistan series had been cancelled due to the security situation in
Pakistan and the attacks in Mumbai. Tendulkar failed to reach double
figures in any inning, before becoming injured.
[146]
India's next assignment was an away series against New Zealand,
consisting of three Tests and five ODIs. In the ODI series, Tendulkar
made a 163 not out in the third match, an innings ended by stomach
cramps that forced him to retire hurt. India made 392 and won easily and
won the series 3–1.
[147] Tendulkar made 160 in the first test, his 42nd Test century, and India won.
[148]
He made 49 and 64 in the second test and 62 and 9 in the third, in
which India were prevented from winning by rain on the last day. India
won the series 1–0.
[149] [150]
Tendulkar rested himself for the ODI tour of West Indies, but was
back for the Compaq Cup (Tri Series) between India, SL and New Zealand
in early September 2009. He made 46 and 27 in the league matches before
notching up 138 in the final, as India made 319 and won by 46 runs.
[151]
This was Tendulkar's 6th century in ODI finals and his third
consecutive score of over 50 in such finals. India has won all six times
that Tendulkar has made a hundred in an ODI final.
[152]
Tendulkar played just one innings in the ICC Champions trophy in
South Africa, scoring 8 against Pakistan as India lost. The next match
against Australia was washed out and he was out with food poisoning in
the third match against the West Indies, as India were eliminated.
[153]
Australia returned for a seven-match ODI series in India in October,
and Tendulkar made 14, 4, 32 and 40 in the first four games.
[154] [155] [156] [157] In the fifth match, with the series tied at 2–2, Australia amassed 350/4 in 50 overs.
[158]
Tendulkar made his 45th ODI hundred, a 175 off 141 balls. Just when it
seemed that he would steer India to the large victory target, he
paddle-scooped debutant bowler
Clint McKay
strai8ght to short fine leg, with India needing 19 from 18 balls with
four wickets left. The Indian tail collapsed, and they lost by 3 runs,
being all out for 347.
[159]
During this match, Tendulkar also became the first player to reach
17,000 ODI runs, and achieved his personal best against Australia, as
well as the third highest score in a defeat.
[160]
In the ODIs against Sri Lanka in 2009–10, Tendulkar scored 69, 43, 96
not out and 8, as India won 3–1.In the Test Series, he scored a 100 no
out in the first test, which was drawn, and 40 in the second and 53 in
the third test as India clinched innings victory in both tests. India
won the series 2–0.
[161]
Sachin rested himself for the ODI tri-series in Bangladesh in 2010.
In the Tests against Bangladesh, he made 105 not out and 16 in the first
test, and 143 in the second. India won 2–0.
[162] [163]
In the
2-Test Series against South Africa, Tendulkar made 7 and 100 in the first test and 106 in the first innings of the second test.
[164]
In the course of the second 100 (his 47th Test Hundred) he achieved
several landmarks, in that he had scored four hundreds in his last four
matches and that the hundred against South Africa in the first Test was
the first at home against South Africa. The century was also his
hundredth score over 50 in International Test cricket, moving him to 92
international hundreds (Tests and ODIs combined).
[165]
In the second match of the subsequent ODI series, Tendulkar scored 200
not out to become the world's first person to score a double century in
ODI cricket.
[166]
Tendulkar's shot to reach 14,000 Test runs. He was batting against Australia in October 2010.
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.
[167] India defeated Sri Lanka in the final.
[168]
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."
[169]
| Tendulkar's results in international matches[170] |
|
Matches |
Won |
Lost |
Drawn |
Tied |
No result |
| Test[171] |
200 |
72 |
56 |
72 |
0 |
– |
| ODI[172] |
463 |
234 |
200 |
– |
5 |
24 |
| T20I[173] |
1 |
1 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
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.
[174]
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.
[175][176]
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.
[175]
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.
[177][178]
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.
[179]
The selection committee of BCCI expectedly included Sachin in the
national test squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand
commencing in August 2012.
[180]
100th international century
Tendulkar scored his much awaited 100th international hundred on 16 March 2012, at Mirpur against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup.
[181]
He became the first person in history to achieve this feat.
Incidentally, it was Tendulkar's first ODI hundred against Bangladesh.
He said "It's been a tough phase for me ... I was not thinking about the
milestone, the media started all this, wherever I went, the restaurant,
room service, everyone was talking about the 100th hundred. Nobody
talked about my 99 hundreds. It became mentally tough for me because
nobody talked about my 99 hundreds."
[182] Despite Tendulkar's century, India failed to win the match against Bangladesh, losing by 5 wickets.
[183]
Return To Ranji Trophy
After getting out bowled on 3 similar instances against the New
Zealand recently and hitting a slump in form, Tendulkar returned to the
Ranji Trophy to get back some form ahead of the England Series at home,
in a match for Mumbai against Railways on 2 November 2012. All eyes were
on Tendulkar, who was playing his first Ranji Trophy match since 2009.
And he didn't disappoint smashing 137 off 136 balls with 21 fours and 3
Sixes, to take his team to 344 for 4 at stumps on day one.
[184]
However, because of a poor form in the first two Tests in the series
against England, and India being humiliated in the second match of that
series by 10 wickets on 26 November 2012,
[185] some people have started to question his place in the Indian team. A report by
The Hindustan Times said that Tendulkar had a discussion with the national chief selector
Sandeep Patil, in which he said that he would leave it to the selectors to decide on his future as he is not getting any runs.
[186] This speculation, however, was later considered to be false.
[187][188]
Then he decided to play in the knockout stage of the
2012-13 Ranji Trophy. He scored 108 in the quarter final against
Baroda before being bowled by
Murtuja Vahora, where Sachin was involved in a 234-run partnership with opener
Wasim Jaffer (150) for the 3rd wicket at
Wankhede Stadium.
[189] Mumbai eventually piled on 645/9 and won on 1st innings lead.
[190] In the semi final against
Services at Palam A Ground, with
Mumbai reeling at 23/3, Sachin scored 56 from 75 balls and had an 81-run 4th wicket partnership with
Abhishek Nayar (70),
[191] and Mumbai eventually won on 1st innings lead after the match went into the sixth day due to rain delays.
[192] In the final against
Saurashtra, he was run out for 22 following a misunderstanding with
Wasim Jaffer.
[193] Mumbai eventually won the Ranji Trophy 2012–13.
[194]
He also played in the
Irani Trophy for Mumbai, where he scored 140* against Rest of India and helped
Mumbai to score 409 in reply to Rest of India's 526. This was also his 81st hundred in first-class cricket, equalling
Sunil Gavaskar's Indian record for most first-class hundreds.
[195][196][197]
Retirement
Sachin fielding at 199th Test match in
Eden Gardens(he is seen wearing a hat)
Following poor performance in the 2012 series against England, Tendulkar announced his retirement from
One Day Internationals on 23 December 2012, while noting that he will be available for Test cricket.
[198][199][200] In response to the news, former India captain
Sourav Ganguly noted that Tendulkar could have played the up-coming series against
Pakistan, while
Anil Kumble
said it would be "tough to see an Indian (ODI) team list without
Tendulkar's name in it", and Javagal Srinath mentioned that Tendulkar
"changed the way ODIs were played right from the time he opened in New
Zealand in 1994".
[201]
After playing his lone
Twenty20 International in 2006 against South Africa, he stated that he would not play
T20 Internationals anymore.
[202] He announced his retirement from IPL after his team
Mumbai Indians beat
Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on 26 May to win the Pepsi
Indian Premier League 2013.
[26] He retired from Twenty20 cricket and limited-overs cricket, after playing the
2013 Champions League Twenty20 in Sept-Oct 2013 in India for
Mumbai Indians.
[203]
On 10 October 2013 Tendulkar announced that he would retire from all cricket after the
two-Test series against West Indies in November.
[204]
Later the BCCI confirmed that the two matches will be played at Kolkata
and Mumbai, making the farewell happen at his home ground on
Tendulkar's request.
[205][206]
He scored 74 runs in his last test innings against West Indies, thus
failing short by 79 runs to complete 16,000 runs in test cricket.
[207] The
Cricket Association of Bengal and the
Mumbai Cricket Association organized events to mark his retirement from the sport.
[208][209] Various national and international figures from cricket, politics, Bollywood and other fields spoke about him in a day-long
Salaam Sachin Conclave organized by
India Today.
[210][211]
Indian Premier League and Champions League
| Tendulkar's record in Twenty20 matches[170] |
|
Matches |
Runs |
HS |
100s |
50s |
Avg. |
| T20I[212] |
1 |
10 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
10.00 |
| IPL[213] |
78 |
2334 |
100* |
1 |
13 |
34.83 |
| CLT20[214] |
13 |
265 |
69 |
0 |
1 |
20.38 |
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.
[215] As an icon player, he was signed for a sum of US$1,121,250, 15% more than the second-highest paid player in the team,
Sanath Jayasuriya.
[216]
In 2010 edition of Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians reached the
final of the tournament. Tendulkar made 618 runs in 14 innings during
the tournament, breaking
Shaun Marsh's
record of most runs in an IPL season. He was declared player of the
tournament for his performance during the season. He also won Best
Batsman and Best Captain awards at
2010 IPL Awards ceremony.
[217]
Sachin Tendulkar captained Mumbai Indians in 4 league matches of
second edition of the league. He scored 68 in the first match and 48
against Guyana. But Mumbai Indians failed to qualify for semifinals
after losing the initial two matches. Tendulkar scored 135 runs.
[218]
In the 2011 IPL, against
Kochi Tuskers Kerala,
Tendulkar scored his maiden Twenty20 hundred. He scored 100 not out off
66 balls. In 51 matches in the IPL Tendulkar has scored 1,723 runs,
making him the second-highest run-scorer in the competition's history.
[219]
Style of play
Tendulkar plays a wristy leg-side flick
Tendulkar is
cross-dominant: he bats, bowls and throws with his right hand, but writes with his left hand.
[220] He also practices left-handed throws at the nets on a regular basis.
Cricinfo columnist Sambit Bal has described him as the "most wholesome batsman of his time".
[1]
His batting is based on complete balance and poise while limiting
unnecessary movements and flourishes. He appears to show little
preference for the slow and low wickets which are typical in India, and
has scored many centuries on the hard, bouncy pitches in South Africa
and Australia.
[1]
He is known for his unique punch style of hitting the ball over square.
He is also renowned for his picture-perfect straight drive, often
completed with no follow-through. The straight drive is often said to be
his favourite shot.
[221] In 2008,
Sunil Gavaskar,
in an article he wrote in the AFP, remarked that "it is hard to imagine
any player in the history of the game who combines classical technique
with raw aggression like the little champion does".
[222]
Sir Donald Bradman,
considered by many as the greatest batsman of all time, considered
Tendulkar to have a batting style similar to his. In his biography, it
is stated that "Bradman was most taken by Tendulkar's technique,
compactness and shot production, and had asked his wife to have a look
at Tendulkar, having felt that Tendulkar played like him. Bradman's
wife, Jessie, agreed that they did appear similar."
[223][224]
Tendulkar at the crease, getting ready to face a delivery
Former Australian cricket team coach
John Buchanan voiced his opinion that Tendulkar had become susceptible to the short ball early in his innings because of a lack of footwork.
[225] Buchanan also believes Tendulkar has a weakness while playing left-arm pace.
[225]
He was affected by a series of injuries since 2004. Since then
Tendulkar's batting has tended to be less attacking. Explaining this
change in his batting style, he has acknowledged that he is batting
differently because, firstly, no batsman can bat the same way for the
entire length of a long career and, secondly, he is a senior member of
the team now and thus has more responsibility. During the early part of
his career, he was a more attacking batsman and frequently scored
centuries at close to a run a ball.
Ian Chappell, former Australian player, remarked in 2007 that "Tendulkar now, is nothing like the player he was when he was a young bloke".
[226]
Tendulkar has incorporated several modern and unorthodox strokes into
his repertoire, including the paddle sweep, the scoop over short fine
leg and the slash to third man over the slips' heads, over the last
seven or eight years. He is often praised for his ability to adapt to
the needs of his body and yet keep scoring consistently.
[227]
Tendulkar has taken 201 wickets across all three formats of the international game.
While Tendulkar is not a regular bowler, he can bowl
medium pace,
leg spin, and
off spin.
He often bowls when two batsmen of the opposite team have been batting
together for a long period, as he can often be a useful partnership
breaker.
[228] With his bowling, he has helped secure an Indian victory on more than one occasion.
[229]
He has taken 201 international wickets – 46 in Tests, 154 in ODIs where
he is India's tenth highest wicket taker, and one wicket in
Twenty20 Internationals.
[230]
Fan following
Tendulkar's entry into world cricket was hyped up by former Indian
stars and those who had seen him play. Tendulkar's consistent
performances earned him a fan following across the globe, including
amongst Australian crowds, where Tendulkar has consistently scored
centuries.
[75] One of the most popular sayings by his fans is "Cricket is my religion and Sachin is my God".
[231] Cricinfo mentions in his profile that "... Tendulkar remains, by a distance, the most worshipped cricketer in the world."
[232] During the Australian tour of India in 1998
Matthew Hayden said "I have seen God. He bats at no. 4 in India in Tests.".
[233] However, on God, Sachin himself is reported to have said "I am not God of cricket. I make mistakes, God doesn't"
[234] Sachin made a special appearance in the
Bollywood film
Stumped in 2003, appearing as himself.
[235]
There have been many instances when Sachin's fans have done extreme
activities over Sachin's dismissal in the game. As per reports by many
Indian newspapers, a person hung himself being distressed over Sachin's
failure to reach 100th century.
[236] Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary,
a fan of Tendulkar from Bihar, has followed almost all the matches
played by Sachin since 2003 and has sacrificed his personal life to
watch Sachin's play.
[237]
At home in
Mumbai, Tendulkar's fan following has caused him to lead a different lifestyle.
Ian Chappell
has said that he would be unable to cope with the lifestyle Tendulkar
was forced to lead, having to "wear a wig and go out and watch a movie
only at night".
[226]
In an interview with Tim Sheridan, Tendulkar admitted that he sometimes
went for quiet drives in the streets of Mumbai late at night when he
would be able to enjoy some peace and silence.
[238] Tendulkar has a presence in the popular social networking site Twitter with the user name sachin_rt since May 2010.
[239]
Career achievements
An innings-by-innings breakdown of Tendulkar's Test match batting career
up to February 2008, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of
the last ten innings (blue line)
Sachin Tendulkar is the most prolific run scorer in one-day internationals with 18,426 runs.
[240] 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.
[241][242] Tendulkar described "It is definitely the biggest achievement in 19 years of my career" on the day he achieved the record.
[243]
He also holds the record of highest number of centuries in both Test
(51) and ODI (49) cricket. (49). On 16 March 2012, Tendulkar scored his
100th international hundred.
[244] 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.
[245] 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.
[246]
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.
[247] 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.
[248][249]
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.
[250]
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.
[251]
He has been
Man of the Match 13 times in Test matches and
Man of the Series four times,
[252] out of them twice in the
Border-Gavaskar Trophy against
Australia. The performances earned him respect from Australian cricket fans and players.
[75] Similarly he has been
Man of the Match 62 times in One day International matches and
Man of the Series 14 times.
[253] He is the leading run-scorer and
century maker in
Test and
one-day international cricket.
[254][255][256] He is the first player to score a double century in Men's
ODI cricket.
[257][258] He also holds the world record for playing highest number of
Test and
ODI matches.
[259]
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.
[260] He is also the only player to score fifty centuries in Test cricket,
[261] 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,
[241] having also been the third batsman and first Indian to pass 11,000 runs in Test cricket.
[262]
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.
[263] 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.
[264] On 8 November 2011, Tendulkar became the first batsman to score 15,000 runs in Test Cricket.
National honours
Other honours
Controversies
Mike Denness incident
In India's 2001 tour of South Africa in the second
test match between
India and
South Africa at
St George's Park,
Port Elizabeth match referee
Mike Denness fined four Indian players for excessive appealing as well as the Indian captain
Sourav Ganguly for not controlling his team.
[286] Tendulkar was given a suspended ban of one game by Mike Denness in light of alleged
ball tampering. Television cameras picked up images that suggested Tendulkar may have been involved in cleaning the seam of the cricket ball.
[287] This can, under some conditions, amount to altering the condition of the ball. The match referee
Mike Denness found Sachin Tendulkar guilty of ball tampering charges and handed him a one Test match ban.
[288] The incident escalated to include allegations of racism,
[289]
and led to Mike Denness being barred from entering the venue of the
third test match. The ICC revoked the status of the match as a Test as
the teams rejected the appointed referee.
[290] The charges against Tendulkar and Sehwag's ban for excessive appealing triggered a massive backlash from the Indian public.
[291]
Ferrari import tax
In commemorating Tendulkar's feat of equalling
Don Bradman's 29 centuries in
Test Cricket, automotive giant
Ferrari invited Tendulkar to its paddock in
Silverstone on the eve of the
British Grand Prix on 23 July 2002, to receive a
Ferrari 360 Modena from the F1 world champion
Michael Schumacher.
[292] On 4 September 2002 India's then finance minister
Jaswant Singh wrote to Tendulkar telling him that the government will waive customs duty imposed on the car as a measure to applaud his feat.
[293]
However the rules at the time stated that the customs duty can be
waived only when receiving an automobile as a prize and not as a gift.
It is claimed that the proposals to change the law (Customs Act) was put
forth in Financial Bill in February 2003 and amended was passed as a
law in May 2003. Subsequently the Ferrari was allowed to be brought to
India without payment of the customs duty (
1.13 crore (US$170,000) or 120% on the car value of
.75 crore (US$110,000)).
[294] When the move to waive customs duty became public in July 2003, political and social activists protested the waiver
[295] and filed a
PIL in the
Delhi High Court. With the controversy snowballing, Fiat India agreed to pay the import duty.
[296]
Personal life
Family
On 24 May 1995,
[297] 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.
[298] Anjali is six years his senior.
[299]
His wife Anjali said in an interview that she first met him at the
Mumbai airport when he returned from his first tour of England in 1990,
after scoring his maiden Test ton and when she was there to pick up her
mother and Sachin was arriving with the Indian team. They had a
courtship of five years and had got engaged in 1994 in New Zealand.
[300]
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 probables 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.
[301]
Beliefs
Tendulkar is an ardent devotee of
Sathya Sai Baba of
Puttaparthi.
[302][303][304] He has visited Puttaparthi on several occasions to seek Baba's blessings.
[302][305]
In 1997, Tendulkar captained the Indian National side, playing against a
World Eleven team, in the Unity Cup which was held at the hill view
stadium in Puttaparthi, in Baba's presence.
[306][307]
After Sai Baba's death, Tendulkar broke into tears when he saw the body
of Baba in Puttaparthi, and cancelled his birthday celebrations.
[308][309][310] The cricketer is also known to celebrate
Ganesh Chaturthi at home and frequently visits temples during night when it is calm and quiet.
[311][312] He performed the superstitious rituals of Nāga Dosha Pooja and
Sarpa Samskara in 2006 at the
Kukke Subramanya Temple in
Mangalore.
[313][314][315][316]
Business interests
Tendulkar's immense popularity has led him to be an early pioneer in
India on cricket business dealings when he signed a record sports
management deal with
WorldTel in 1995, the value of the deal being
30 crore (US$4.6 million) over five years.
[317] [318] His next contract with WorldTel in 2001 was valued at
80 crore (US$12 million) over five years.
[319] In 2006, he signed a contract with
Saatchi and Saatchi's ICONIX valued at
180 crore (US$28 million) over three years.
[320]
Tendulkar has opened two restaurants:
Tendulkar's[321] (
Colaba,
Mumbai) and
Sachin's[322] (
Mulund,
Mumbai) and
Bangalore. Sachin owns these restaurants in partnership with Sanjay Narang of Mars Restaurants.
In 2007, Tendulkar also announced a
JV
with the Future Group and Manipal Group to launch healthcare and sports
fitness products under the brand name 'S Drive and Sach'.
[323] A series of comic books by
Virgin Comics is also due to be published featuring him as a superhero.
[324]
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.
[325][326][327]
In October 2013, the net worth of Tendulkar was estimated at USD 160
million by Wealth X, making him India's wealthiest cricket player.
[328][329]
Commercial endorsements
Sachin Tendulkar has been sponsored by several brands throughout his career including
Boost (1990–present),
[330] Pepsi (1992–2009),
[331] Action Shoes (1995–2000),
[332] MRF (1999–2009),
[333] Adidas (2000–10),
Britannia (2001–07),
[334] Fiat Palio (2001–03),
[335] TVS (2002–05),
[336] ESPN Star Sports (2002–present),
[337] Sunfeast (2007–13),
[338] Canon (2006–09),
[339] Airtel (2004–06),
[340] Reynolds (2007–present),
[341] G-Hanz (2005–07),
[342] Sanyo BPL (2007–present),
[343] Toshiba (2010–present),
[344] Colgate-Palmolive,
[345] Philips,
[345] VISA,
[345] Castrol India (2011–12),
[346] Ujala Techno Bright,
[347] Coca-Cola (2011–13)
[348] and
Musafir.com (2013–present).
[349]
He has also been a spokesperson for
National Egg Coordination Committee (2003–05),
[350] AIDS Awareness Campaign (2005)
[351] and
Luminous India (2010–present).
[352]
Nominated to Rajya Sabha
In April 2012, Tendulkar accepted the
Rajya Sabha nomination proposed by the
president of India and became the first active sportsperson and cricketer to have been nominated.
[353] Former cricketers
Sanjay Manjrekar,
[354] Ajit Wadekar,
[355] Madan Lal[355] expressed their surprise over this move.
On 2 May, Tendulkar was elected to seat number 103 in the Rajya Sabha
[356] and took the oath on 4 June.
[357] He refused to take the bungalow allotted to him in New Delhi calling it "waste of tax payer's money" as he resides in Mumbai.
[358]
Philanthropy
Tendulkar sponsors 200 underprivileged children every year through
Apnalaya, a Mumbai-based NGO associated with his mother-in-law, Annabel
Mehta.
[359][360] A request from Sachin on Twitter raised
1.025 crore (US$160,000) through Sachin's crusade against cancer for the Crusade against Cancer foundation.
[361][362]
Sachin Tendulkar spent nine hours on the 12-hour Coca-Cola-NDTV Support
My School telethon on 18 September 2011 that helped raise
7 crore –
2 crore more than the target – for from the creation of basic
facilities, particularly toilets for girl students, in 140 government
schools across the country.
[363]
Biographies
Sachin Tendulkar has been the subject of various books. The following is the listing of books focused on Tendulkar's career:
