Superstar Tendulkar writes the perfect script

He's 35-years-old and owns practically every batting record in the game, but you couldn't escape the feeling that this was probably Sachin Tendulkar's finest hour

December 15, 2008

	Given all that's gone on over the past three weeks, this was so much more than just a match-winning century © Getty Images

As Graeme Swann prepared to bowl the second ball of his 29th over, more than 20,000 people in the stands abandoned their plastic chairs. They were on their feet, creating the sort of bedlam and noise I last witnessed at this very venue seven years ago, when Harbhajan Singh's squirt past point clinched the most famous of India's series victories. Swann bowled. The batsman came forward and patted the ball back with almost exaggerated flourish. The crowd was momentarily quieted but the primal scream started again as Swann went back to his mark.

Again, there was sharp turn, but the paddle-sweep that greeted the ball was emphatic. As it streaked to fine leg, the batsman ran down the pitch and punched the air in celebration, before being held aloft by his equally delighted partner. He's 35-years-old and owns practically every batting record in the game, but you couldn't escape the feeling that this was probably Sachin Tendulkar's finest hour.

To score the winning runs in a record-shattering chase was special enough, but when that last stroke also brought up your 41st century, it became ineffably so. Boyhood dreams are made of this, and it says a lot about Tendulkar that he has never lost that child-like passion for the game.

Even in a world where cricket was played in isolation, this would have been a breathtaking effort. Given all that's gone on over the past three weeks though, this was so much more than just a match-winning century. Kevin Pietersen said it best after the game. "Who can write Sachin Tendulkar's scripts any better?," he asked. "The man from Mumbai came in and scored a sensational hundred. He batted like a superstar."

Those that reckon this will heal the wounds of the past don't know Tendulkar well enough though. The scabs of Barbados 1997 and Chepauk 1999 will always be there, especially given he had done so much in both games to take India towards victory. As the years passed, theories and opinions came and went, with people pointing to the absence of a defining fourth-innings knock from the Tendulkar repertoire. Brian Lara had the peerless unbeaten 153 at the Kensington Oval. What did Tendulkar have to offer as response?

An awful lot really, but those intent on nitpicking will inevitably find a way. As the afternoon progressed though, the feeling intensified that we were witnessing something extraordinary. With Pietersen not inclined to crowd the batsmen with close-in fielders, Tendulkar was more than happy to pick off the runs with a nudge here, a deflection there and the odd paddle-sweep for variety.

The contrast with Virender Sehwag couldn't have been more acute. Sehwag's 83 contained 11 singles and two twos, whereas 61 of Tendulkar's runs came in singles (45) or twos. It was a consummate innings. He defended purposefully, especially against the always menacing Andrew Flintoff, but there was no getting bogged down either. Every time there was a lull, either he or Yuvraj Singh would pierce the field.

	Those that aren't Indian struggle to fathom exactly what Tendulkar means to so many millions, and it's doubtful whether even those that live here really comprehend just how much a part of the national consciousness he has become. He is such a unifying force, a personality capable of stirring the emotions in every nook and corner of a vast land

Though dehydration became a factor as the afternoon sun beat down, he continued to scamper between the wickets with the same urgency he showed as a teenager. It's that enthusiasm that's so infectious. Sitting in the stands for an hour this afternoon, there was no doubt what the only people that really matter - the fans - think of him. His every stroke was cheered as though it was a century, and the chants of "Sachin, Sachin" reverberating around were an illustration of an adulation-obsession that sport has never seen, not even when Diego Maradona was playing at La Bombanera.

Vijay is a doctor who was in Chennai on a short trip. On Sunday night, he found himself with a pass for the final day's play. With a late-afternoon train to catch, he wasn't sure whether to go or not. There was another reason for his hesitancy too. Like millions of other sports fans who have been scarred by defeat, Vijay was afraid that he might jinx his team and his favourite player. But after watching the first session on television, he decided to take his chances.

Over the next three-and-a-half hours, he didn't leave his seat, not even for food and water at tea time. He made his train with 10 minutes to spare. "I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if I had given it a miss," he messaged me later.

Those that aren't Indian struggle to fathom exactly what Tendulkar means to so many millions, and it's doubtful whether even those that live here really comprehend just how much a part of the national consciousness he has become. He is such a unifying force, a personality capable of stirring the emotions in every nook and corner of a vast land. And in these times of distress and anger, it was so very appropriate that it would be Tendulkar who put the smiles back on at least a few faces.

Tendulkar shines on see-saw first day

India v Australia, 4th Test, Nagpur, 1st day

Tendulkar shines on see-saw first day

November 6, 2008

India 311 for 5 (Tendulkar 109, Sehwag 66, Laxman 64, Krejza 3-138) v Australia
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball-details
How they were out

	Sachin Tendulkar brought up his 40th Test hundred to lead India's rally to 311 for 5 on the opening day © Getty Images

Almost everything Sachin Tendulkar did today - from opening his account with a brush off the pads for four, to punching gloves with VVS Laxman at lunch to strutting back after tea - pointed to a batsman full of intent. His efforts paid off, despite a run-out chance on 74 and drops on 85 and 98 off the persevering debutant Jason Krejza, as he scored his 40th Test hundred to lead India's recovery, after a pre-lunch flurry of wickets, to 311 for 5 on the opening day in Nagpur.

India lost debutant M Vijay, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag in 29 deliveries towards the end of the first session before the two in-form veterans shored up the innings. For nearly three and a half hours, Tendulkar and Laxman batted gracefully for 146 runs, their stand the highlight of India's day.

Tendulkar looked at ease since replacing Dravid - out for a duck - driving straight and impregnable in defence. He was the early aggressor in the partnership with Laxman, unfurling a slog-sweep over midwicket and a lofted on-drive in one Krejza over to raise India's 150. While the faster men were driven through cover, flicked to midwicket quite fluently or on-driven with laser-like precision, the spinners were tackled with excellent footwork.

Laxman, not at his most silky and sublime, collected his runs slowly and mechanically. As in Delhi, where he stroked 259 unbeaten runs, he stood firm, as has become his trademark. Even when the ball stopped on him, Laxman relied on those supple wrists and worked Krejza over the infield. The only phase when he was troubled was during Brett Lee's second spell, when the bowler obtained a bit of reverse-swing.

The scoring rate dipped with each session, from five - after Sehwag had blazed away - to four and under, but the objective rarely wavered. The pair scurried hard singles and dispatched anything loose - of which there was plenty - and almost always picking their mark whenever they went aerial.

Smart Stats Sachin Tendulkar's 109 was his 91st score of fifty or above, the highest for any batsman. He overtook Allan Border, who made 27 centuries and 63 fifties. Tendulkar became the first batsman to reach 5000 runs in the first innings of Tests, and averages 72.65 for the same. His average in the fourth innings, however, is 33.60 in 55 matches. Tendulkar's 40th Test century was also his tenth against Australia. Only Jack Hobbs, with 12 centuries in 41 Tests against Australia, has more. VVS Laxman, during his innings of 64, went past 1000 runs in 2008. It's the most he's scored in a calendar year, the previous highest being 984 runs in 15 Tests in 2002. Brett Lee averages 64.28 with the ball this series, which is his highest in the four Test series he has played against India. He averaged 59.50 in the series against India in 2003-04 in Australia. Billy Bowden became the tenth umpire to stand in fifty Tests. Steve Bucknor heads the list with 124. Jason Krezja, who took 3 for 138, is just 12 runs shy of becoming the spinner to concede the most runs in an innings on debut for Australia. Shane Warne's 1 for 150 against India in Sydney in 1992 is at the top of the list.

Tendulkar slowed down as tea approached, perhaps mindful of his mistakes in Mohali and Delhi. His teatime 62 comprised eight fours, seven of which were muscularly hit on the leg side. He still outpaced Laxman on resumption, adding another 47 in the final session. A fierce sweep from outside the off stump and over wide mid-on took Tendulkar into the eighties and he should have stayed there. Tendulkar waltzed down to Krejza, didn't get to the pitch of the ball, and Mitchell Johnson dropped a comfortable chance running back from mid-off. The next delivery, Laxman coolly went past fifty with a drive wide of sweeper-cover, but a loose shot against Krejza, making room to cut, was snapped up on the second attempt by Brad Haddin.

Proximity to his century seemed to have fired up Tendulkar, who dashed out, very untypically, against Krejza on 98 and looked on as Lee spilled a running catch at mid-off. Having spent 11 deliveries on 99, Tendulkar raised his bat in the warm Nagpur air after raising his hundred - and tenth against Australia - with a spanking cut. He hardly played a shot thereafter and fell lbw to Johnson for 109 with 15 minutes to go.

A 98-run partnership between India's new opening pair occupied much of the morning session before Australia fought back, led by Krejza's double-strike. Sehwag took care of the new-ball threat from Johnson, driving and scooping him through backward of point, slashing him over third man, and whipping him delectably across the line. A genuine outside edge off Johnson, which bounced low in front of Matthew Hayden at first slip, when Vijay was on 11, was the nearest Australia came to a chance early on.

Sehwag's panache was complemented by Vijay's solidity on perhaps the easiest track to make your debut as a batsman. Allowed to drive on the up mid-way through the first session, he also tucked the straighter deliveries for singles that kept the score ticking. Vijay was shaping well, and India had the ideal platform, when Shane Watson struck. Sehwag looked set for a hundred, hitting nine fours and a six in his 66, but couldn't capitalise on his good start, and dragged a turning delivery from Krejza back onto his stumps shortly after Dravid fell.

One down in the series, with a highly creditable draw in Delhi following a drubbing in Mohali, Australia were aiming to salvage their bruised pride. Evenly split in pace and spin, but mellowed by another under-performing display from Lee, Australia relied on Krejza to handle the bulk of the bowling. He came in under a degree of pressure and showed enough stomach for a fight after he was mauled in his first three overs. The Tendulkar drops would have hurt, but Laxman's wicket was reward for an encouraging debut.

Lee, steady of line, lacked in speed. Watson lacked variety, and though he mixed up his pace he remained innocuous after removing Vijay. Cameron White, employed only reluctantly, turned his legbreak painfully slowly and never threatened. Johnson obtained disconcerting lift but his tendency to pitch too full made it easy for the batsmen. Over the next four days, Australia will need to be far more productive in their attempt to avoid their first series loss since 2005.

Losing five was too many - Tendulkar

India v Australia, 4th Test, Nagpur, 1st day

Losing five was too many - Tendulkar

November 6, 2008

	Sachin Tendulkar: "It was important that I got going because we had lost a couple of wickets and even Sehwag got out after that" © Getty Images

Sachin Tendulkar has said India were in a decent, but not brilliant, position after ending the first day of the final Test in Nagpur on 311 for 5. Tendulkar, who stabilised the Indian innings with his 40th Test hundred, felt losing five wickets was too many and "three would have been okay".

The situation when he began his innings was reminiscent of India's first innings in Mohali where a terrific start had been eroded by quick wickets. Today India went from 98 for 0 to 116 for 3 and were in danger of allowing Australia to bounce back after Virender Sehwag's half-century forced them on the defensive.

"It was important that I got going because we had lost a couple of wickets and even Sehwag got out after that," Tendulkar said. "I think it was just about keeping the head cool initially because when I walked in it was a critical stage. We had to make sure that we [VVS Laxman and I] had a good partnership and took the game away from Australia because the momentum was with them [Australia] initially."

Tendulkar and Laxman's efforts succeeded and they regained the advantage by adding 146 for the fourth wicket. Tendulkar went after the debutant offspinner Jason Krejza, slogging him over midwicket and lifting over mid-on. He fed off the deliveries that Mitchell Johnson bowled on his pads, flicking with impeccable timing towards the square-leg boundary. The shot of the day, however, was a trademark on-drive against Lee which bisected the gap between the bowler and mid-on.

Tendulkar, however, was fortunate to get a century. On 74 he survived a run-out chance; on 85 he mis-hit Krejza to mid-off where Johnson dropped the catch; on 96 he lofted Krejza once again to long-off where Brett Lee couldn't hang on. Tendulkar played out 11 dot balls on 99 before reaching his hundred by cutting Krejza to the point boundary.

"I can say he [Krejza] was a bit unlucky," Tendulkar said. "He had a first wonderful day. Today I can also thank God [for reaching the hundred] . I am delighted at getting the century."

The 40th century eluded Tendulkar twice in this series. He was out for 88 in Mohali and 68 in Delhi and on both occasions he was batting with fluency before falling against the run of play. Tendulkar, however, said although he missed out on hundreds, he had made vital contributions, such as the patient 49 in Bangalore which helped India save the Test.

"I know I am batting well, but I was not getting to the three-figure landmark. But I don't think that is everything. I have gone in at crucial [stages] at almost four or five times and I have been able to play. That is very satisfying, when you deliver when the team needs the most."

Tendulkar was dismissed in the last half-hour of the day, playing across the line to Johnson, who was bowling with the second new ball. That lapse, and the catches that were offered before his century, seemed to indicate a drop in concentration, but Tendulkar did not agree.

"I don't think I lost my concentration," he said. "Yes there was a patch in between but later on I felt I had sort of again changed the momentum and I just wanted to be there till the end today."

Tendulkar said that the pitch was a "perfect track" but what was noticeable, even in the first hour of play, was how quickly the bowlers' follow-throughs left their mark on the surface. Krejza got a few deliveries to spin and turn on day one and Tendulkar said it will definitely help the spinners more.

"The wicket is playing good. It is on the harder side and it is quite good. The spinners are getting bounce so I think in a day or two it will be difficult to play the spinners." When play ended on the first day, Harbhajan Singh made his way out to the middle, possibly to inspect the surface on which he hopes to fulfil the responsibility passed on to him by Anil Kumble.

Tendulkar evokes memories of 1992

India v Australia, 3rd Test, Delhi, 1st day

Tendulkar evokes memories of 1992

October 29, 2008

	Sachin Tendulkar's pick-up over midwicket off Cameron White was a damning verdict on the paucity of Australia's slow-bowling resources in the post-Warne era © Getty Images

At times you could have fooled yourself into thinking that it was the irrepressible teenager of Perth 1992 vintage batting, and not the 35-year-old veteran who was supposed to be on his last legs. The strokeplay was majestic and the approach worlds removed from the hesitancy that coloured Sachin Tendulkar's innings at times over the past couple of years.

The situation when he walked in was hardly that in which to unleash a fusillade of shots. At 27 for 2, he might even have been reminded of the bad old days, when the batting rode on his shoulders, especially away from home at venues like the MCG and Edgbaston. These days though, the line-up around him is far more robust and the freedom he batted with today was that of a man determined to enjoy a final flourish in the game that he has illuminated for so long. Even when India were under siege in the first session, there was safety in the thought that Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Man of the Match in Mohali a week ago, was pencilled in at No.7.

Brett Lee had already been taken off by the time Tendulkar emerged to raucous cheers, but Mitchell Johnson was bowling just as quick in his place. One bouncer whizzed past his helmet at 151 km/hr but if that was meant to intimidate, it had little effect. A couple of balls later, he was on tiptoe and striking the ball through point, much as he had done at the WACA all those years ago.

Johnson tried to tempt him into the sort of airy drive that Rahul Dravid had perished to, but the bait was never nibbled. For 20 balls, Tendulkar was in watchful mode, intent on seeing off the challenge of Australia's premier fast bowlers. Only when Johnson started to err on the short side did he start to open up, first tucking one off the hips past square leg and then lashing one through the fielder at point.

Lee was the culprit on that occasion, and Ricky Ponting turned to him a quarter of an hour before lunch. It was a crucial passage of play. Had Australia picked up a wicket then with the run-rate still well below three, the game might have turned. Instead, Lee was greeted with the most sumptuous of cover-drives. Lee continued to bowl quick and full, but Tendulkar either guided the ball into the off side, or played it straight back. There was no hint that the eyesight or reflexes have faded, no sign of a batsman on the wane.

The contest within a contest continued right after lunch, with Lee charging in as he had to dismiss Virender Sehwag earlier in the morning. Earlier this year, in the CB Series in Australia, Tendulkar had decided to use Lee's pace to bunt the ball over the slip cordon. It was a stroke he unfurled to telling effect in Bloemfontein in 2001, but this was Lee, the quickest bowler in the world, in the quintessential Test match battle of our times, Australia against India.

Such labels clearly meant nothing to him because the third ball after lunch nearly went over third man for six. Once again, he had rocked back, arched his spine like a gymnast and twirled the wrists to devastating effect. The score was still modest, 71 for 2, but a massive statement had been made. The unerring accurate Stuart Clark was then thumped behind point for four more, before Lee responded the way fast bowlers do. The straight, quick bouncer would have parted Tendulkar's hair if he hadn't been wearing a helmet, but all he did was drop the wrists and sway out of harm's way.

	Sachin Tendulkar's innings ended with a false shot but not before the momentum had shifted inexorably in India's favour © Getty Images

His riposte was far more damaging, a whiplash square of the wicket that got to the ball boys before anyone in the off side cordon had even moved a couple of feet. When Lee subsequently searched for the yorker, Tendulkar drove in classical fashion to the man at midwicket. More than Lee's raw pace, it was Clark's accuracy that troubled him most, with one superb leg-cutter almost kissing the outside edge on its way to Brad Haddin.

There were still moments to drive the bowler to distraction though. There was little wrong with the delivery that Clark bowled to him when he was on 46, but Tendulkar merely waited on it as though it were a loopy leg break and then cut it fine for four. Soon after, the field changed to 7-2, but rather than be tempted into the shot across the line, Tendulkar chose the path of discretion.

Cameron White was initially viewed with similar suspicion, but once a gorgeous on-drive off Clark had loosened the shackles, Ponting's first punt at spin was made to look foolish. When White tossed one up fairly wide, he pounced to drive it past extra-cover, and the pick-up over midwicket that followed was a damning verdict on the paucity of the slow-bowling resources in Australian cricket's post-Warne era.

After Johnson and Watson tied him down for a while, it all ended with a false stroke, but by then the momentum had shifted inexorably in India's favour, with Gautam Gambhir trading circumspection for aggression. Tendulkar has scored nine hundreds against Australia, and as a result half-centuries don't really linger too long in the memory. This little gem though should have a special place in the collection, right up alongside the one in Adelaide , when he launched into Glenn McGrath after the previous evening's monastic denial, and the minor masterpiece in Mumbai , when he and Laxman batted sublimely on a minefield to transform a match that had been within Australia's grasp. Even for the masters, centuries aren't everything.

sachin A player of two parts

A player of two parts

Why the man who now holds the record for the most runs in Tests is two batsmen in one

October 17, 2008

Circa 1990: three or four shots for every ball © Getty Images

In November 1989, a London-based writer came to the Indian team's nets in Karachi to seek out a player he was told had the "best on-drive in the game". That player, Sachin Tendulkar, was 16 and yet to play a Test, but he already had his future mapped out - by others as much as by himself. Anything less than the most centuries and the highest aggregate in international cricket would count as failure.

Nearly two decades later, when the inevitable has come to pass, fans may be merely satisfied rather than overcome, and even quite blasé about it. If it was ordained, where is the surprise? Such is the tyranny of inevitability. It throws a veil over the hard work, the physical toll, the mental strain that have gone into the making of a record-breaker. Of the 19 batsmen who have scored more than 8000 runs, only five have held the highest aggregate record, only three have played 150 Tests, but only one, Tendulkar, has been two different batsmen.

Tendulkar made his debut in Pakistan. Of his team-mates then, one has become an insufferable television commentator, and two others have become good ones; one was convicted of murder and sent to jail, another banned for life for match-fixing. One eliminated the line between whistle-blower and perpetrator, one ran a banned series of matches, another was chairman of selectors. One has dropped out of the public eye and another has turned television actor. But Tendulkar bats on. Longevity is intrinsic to greatness.

At 19, the Mumbai boy was already the world's best batsman. Interestingly, Tendulkar seemed to agree with this assessment in a quiet, matter-of-fact way. This lack of arrogance possibly caused him to be less destructive in Test cricket than he might have been, but it was a crucial element in his becoming a national icon. Indians don't like their sporting heroes to be conceited; they give their hearts to modest players who underplay their emotions while performing consistently.

Of the two Tendulkars who played for India, the first had three or four shots for every ball; the second seemed conscious of three or four ways it could have got him out. Yet, amazingly, the spirit of the boy is ever present in the batsman, whether 16 or 35. A decade after making his debut, he was still teaching Shoaib Akhtar at the World Cup the difference between a good batsman and a great one. When pushed to the wall, Tendulkar continues to exhibit a rare creativity. It is not enough to somehow escape, it is necessary to escape while teaching the bowler a lesson he will never forget.

In sport as in art, late works usually crown a lifetime of effort. Looked at from either end of their careers, sportsmen present a harmonious picture. Occasionally, the "late style" (to borrow a phrase made popular by Edward Said) is about intransigence and unresolved contradictions. It doesn't fit into the whole.

Of the batsmen who have made over 9000 Test runs, six found their idiom at the start of their careers and kept with it (including, so far, the four still active). The later Brian Lara was not much different from the early Lara, the Allan Border who made his first run was the same as the one who made the 11,000th. The two exceptions are the Indians, Sunil Gavaskar and Tendulkar.

	Like great batsmen of any era, Tendulkar often seemed to be playing on a different planet altogether, keen to sculpt an innings that both merged with the team effort and stood out for its uniqueness

It is not uncommon for batsmen who began their careers as leading stroke-makers to finish as part of the supporting cast. Age converts the carefree into the careworn. Rohan Kanhai is a good example of a batsman who began by inventing strokes against the best bowling and ended by playing "experienced" innings in the shadow of the next generation.

Experience often means that players are more aware of things in their own game that do not work, and are chary of taking chances. Why attempt a risky boundary when there is a safe single to be had? Firebrand speakers become merely adequate, daredevil adventurers become boring teachers, those renowned for thinking out of the box show how comfortable they are sitting in it. It is the same with sportsmen.

"Late style is what happens," wrote Edward Said in his study of musicians and writers, "if art does not abdicate its rights in favour of reality." Great players go against the grain as well as place themselves at the head of a trend.

Gavaskar who began his career as a generic name for batting technique, discovered late the joys of hooking fast bowlers; a ferocious attack on Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding featured in his 29th Test century. It took him just 94 deliveries, and was one of the fastest in the game's history. This from a batsman who once took 60 overs to make 36 not out in a World Cup match.

Tendulkar's journey, though in the reverse direction, is no less dramatic. If Gavaskar found his responses within the tenets of orthodoxy, Tendulkar, no less orthodox for being a more attacking player, extended the reach of such orthodoxy. Five years ago he began to play a shot to the left of third man, which began with him withdrawing from the line of the ball delivered by a fast bowler and glancing it fine - but on the off side. It called for remarkable control and steely wrists. It wasn't as ugly as the reverse sweep, but lacked the grace of the "straight-bat pull", where he (and later, Virender Sehwag) whipped the ball, tennis-style cross court. Both strokes were created for the one-day game, but are no less effective when played wearing whites.

It may have been the Chennai defeat against Pakistan a decade ago that first sowed the seeds of the new Tendulkar. He was distraught at getting out so close to a win. He saw the need to be around; occupancy of the crease was not just a personal quirk but a team requirement. Tendulkar, the champagne cricketer with a dancer's footwork, curbed himself. He didn't actually become a clock-watching clerk, but he understood the need.

Sydney 2004, when he scored most of his runs on the on side in a devastating display of self-denial © Getty Images

The series of injuries that followed - toes, back, elbow - meant that effervescence was replaced by effectiveness, the straight and narrow was preferred to the fantastic. Like great batsmen of any era, Tendulkar often seemed to be playing on a different planet altogether, keen to sculpt an innings that both merged with the team effort and stood out for its uniqueness. His Sydney double-century in 2004, when he scored no boundary between the bowler and point, came after self-examination revealed that he had been playing away from his body too often. It was almost as if the off side did not exist; on display was discipline as well as proof that he could get the bowlers to bowl where he wanted them to.

The boy who hit Abdul Qadir for three sixes in Peshawar had moved aside for the man who let the ball go outside the off stump with the realisation that not playing was an integral part of playing. In 110 matches before that Sydney Test, Tendulkar was involved in 31 wins; in the 39 Tests following it, he played his part in 16. The win percentage had gone up from 28 to 41 (obviously, there were other circumstances too). Tendulkar, an intelligent man, could not have been unaware of this. When individual effort does not contribute significantly to team victories, there is unhappiness all around. By 30, with nothing left to prove as a batsman, he set about correcting this nagging anomaly, this disconnect between his performance and the team's. If that meant he would have to cut out the flamboyance, then so be it. If fans complained that he was playing within himself, he could point to India's wins.

But Tendulkar is more than the sum of his figures. His mere presence is a morale booster, both for his ten colleagues in the team, and the billion supporters outside it. As remarkable as his record is his self-possession. His head hasn't changed size, his boots haven't grown smaller. He alone knows what it means to be Tendulkar, with its frustrations, its sacrifices, and the need to be Tendulkar at all times. He is a one-man university that teaches sportsmen how to handle money, fame and pressure.

Indians refuse to give Tendulkar the luxury of failure. The mirror he holds up to us is a distorted one, making us seem, like him, invincible, rich and accomplished. When he fails, therefore, it is as if we fail. That is the biggest compliment fans can pay their hero. But it is a heavy burden, even if Tendulkar seems to carry it lightly.

A rough calculation shows that he averages over 200 days in a year travelling for cricket, playing it at the highest level, or practising for it. Two-thirds of a year devoted to cricket, and not one bad day at work? Even Mozart was allowed an occasional off day. The future will treat Tendulkar much better than we have, although we were given the privilege of watching the boy grow into a man and live up to potential. Even that is a remarkable feat. Not every promising player accomplishes as much as he promises. Tendulkar has. Let us celebrate that. His record will be broken. But his impact will last.

Tendulkar scales the highest peak

Test cricket's highest run-getter

Tendulkar scales the highest peak

Thirty-nine centuries, 11,954 runs, 152 Tests - the numbers are immense whichever way you look at it. In a career spanning nearly 20 years, Sachin Tendulkar has constantly been India's biggest hope: through the 1990s, he was easily India's best batsman, especially overseas, in conditions which none of the others came close to mastering. With the emergence of Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly, the pressure has eased somewhat, but Tendulkar still remains the most prized wicket for opposition bowlers, which is a remarkable testimony to his skill levels and the high standards he has consistently achieved.

The best measure of the class of a batsman is his performances against the greatest team of his time, and if that is the yardstick then Tendulkar is matchless: in 25 Tests against Australia, he averages 56, with nine hundreds and an equal number of fifties. Since 1990, he is one of only four batsmen who have scored more than 1000 runs against Australia at a 50-plus average. (Click here for the full list.)

Through most of his career, Tendulkar has been the mainstay of the Indian batting, which is reflected in the percentage of team runs that he has scored. As you'd expect, it isn't as high as Lara's, who has often been West Indies' only hope, but it's only a few decimal points below Dravid's, and a run lesser than Gavaskar's, who was also helped by the fact that he opened the batting and hence had a greater opportunity to bat. The three Australians are at the bottom of the list, which clearly indicates the quality of the other batsmen they played with.

Contribution to the team runs for the top eight batsmen

Batsman	Runs	Team runs in those matches	Percentage
Brian Lara	11,912	62,994	18.91
Sunil Gavaskar	10,122	61,174	16.55
Rahul Dravid	10,145	65,486	15.49
Sachin Tendulkar	11,939	78,334	15.24
Jacques Kallis	9678	64,032	15.11
Ricky Ponting	10,099	69,858	14.46
Allan Border	11,174	80,128	13.94
Steve Waugh	10,927	90,758	12.04

The champion at No. 4

Tendulkar started his Test journey at No.6, but 22 innings into his career, in the second innings at Adelaide in 1991-92, he was pushed up to No. 4 for the first time as India chased a daunting target of 372. The move failed - Tendulkar made just 17 - but in his next innings, on a bouncy Perth track, he scored 114 sublime runs which virtually sealed his No. 4 slot. Since then he has batted almost exclusively at that position, scoring 9953 runs at four before the Mohali Test - the most by any batsman at that position, and almost 85% of his total runs. Tendulkar averages 55.91 at that position - among batsmen with at least 4000 runs, only three have a higher average at No.4. (Click here for Tendulkar's innings-by-innings list at No. 4.)

The presence of Dravid at No. 3 has bolstered the top order immensely, but the lack of a settled and successful opening pair has meant Tendulkar has often come out to bat early in the innings, when the bowlers are fresh and encouraged by two quick strikes. Out of the 199 times he has batted at No. 4, 78 times he has come out with the score less than 50, of which on 34 occasions the score was less than 20. The table below lists his performances according to the team situation at his entry. When he has come in very early, his numbers have suffered - the average dips to less than 40. However, these situations have also produced some of his really memorable innings: against Pakistan in Chennai in 1999, he made 136 as India fell agonisingly short of a fourth-innings target of 271 after their second wicket had fallen at 6; in the Boxing Day Test in 2000, he scored 116 glorious runs coming in at 11 for 2; at Edgbaston in 1996, he came in at 17 for 2 and scored 122 out of a team score of 219, in an innings in which the second-highest score was a mere 18.

However, there were also other instances when he fell cheaply - 18 times out of these 34 innings he was dismissed under 20.

He was far more successful when he came in with the score between 21 and 50, averaging 54.56. Among his 44 innings in such situations, his two most unforgettable ones were in Bloemfontein, when he came in at 43 for 2 and made a stunning 155, and at Trent Bridge in 1996, when he scored 177 after the team had been 33 for 2.

Most of his No. 4 runs, though, have come when the top three have given India a solid start: coming in at a score of 100 or more, he averages more than 76, with 17 centuries in 71 innings, including three of his four double-hundreds. Forty of those innings have been at home, where he averages 69.50. In similar situations overseas, his average is an incredible 87.39, with five unbeaten hundreds.

Tendulkar's stats at No.4 by when he has come in to bat

Team score at entry	Innings	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
Less than 20	34	1297	39.30	5/ 3
20 to 49	45	2346	54.43	6/ 13
50 to 99	50	1749	41.64	6/ 8
100 and more	71	4512	76.47	17/ 16

Breaking up those numbers host-country-wise reveals early wickets haven't bothered him as much in England as it has in New Zealand and South Africa. In South Africa, in fact, a solid start hasn't helped him much.

Tendulkar's stats at No.4, by host country and by when he has come in to bat

Host country	Team score at entry	Innings	Runs	Average	100s/ 50s
Australia	Less than 60	9	390	43.33	1/ 3
Australia	60 or more	11	782	97.75	4/ 1
England	Less than 60	10	535	53.50	2/ 1
England	60 or more	6	506	84.33	1/ 4
New Zealand	Less than 60	6	210	35.00	0/ 2
South Africa	Less than 60	13	459	35.31	2/ 1
South Africa	60 or more	5	111	27.75	0/ 1
Sri Lanka	60 or more	11	600	66.67	3/ 2
West Indies	Less than 60	8	419	52.38	1/ 3
West Indies	60 or more	6	201	40.20	0/ 2
India	Less than 60	33	1374	43.12	4/ 6
India	60 or more	60	3143	61.63	11/ 12

Getting starts and converting them

Comparing the scoring patterns for the seven batsmen in the 10,000-club plus Jacques Kallis, who is only 239 runs away from that landmark, it turns out Ricky Ponting has the lowest failure rate and Steve Waugh the highest. More than 40% of Tendulkar's innings ended before it reached 20 - only Lara and Waugh have a higher low-score percentage. Tendulkar, however, makes up by converting more than 16% of his innings into centuries, a ratio bettered only Ponting. For Allan Border, the percentage is a poor 10.80.

Innings-wise break-up for each batsman

Batsman	Less than 20* (%)	20 to 49* (%)	50 to 99 (%)	100 or more (%)
Sachin Tendulkar	97 (41.28)	50 (21.28)	49 (20.85)	39 (16.59)
Brian Lara	95 (41.48)	52 (22.71)	48 (20.96)	34 (14.85)
Allan Border	97 (38.80)	63 (25.20)	63 (25.20)	27 (10.80)
Steve Waugh	104 (43.15)	55 (22.82)	50 (20.75)	32 (13.28)
Rahul Dravid	71 (35.50)	53 (26.50)	51 (25.50)	25 (12.50)
Sunil Gavaskar	81 (38.94)	48 (23.08)	45 (21.63)	34 (16.35)
Ricky Ponting	60 (32.09)	52 (27.81)	40 (21.39)	35 (18.72)
Jacques Kallis	74 (38.38)	44 (22.22)	48 (24.24)	30 (15.15)

*Excludes not-out innings

Series and year-wise stats

Another indicator of the consistency of these eight batsmen is their series-wise averages. Ponting heads that chart again, with only five series in which he averages less than 30. Lara is next in the list, while Tendulkar's ten poor series are more than offset by the 16 series in which his average soared to more than 70.

Series-wise performances for each batsman (excludes one-off Tests)

Batsman	No. of series	Series average <=30	Series average >=70
Sachin Tendulkar	49	10	16
Brian Lara	35	6	11
Allan Border	39	7	8
Steve Waugh	47	11	11
Rahul Dravid	43	10	13
Sunil Gavaskar	31	9	6
Ricky Ponting	36	5	16
Jacques Kallis	42	7	11

Tendulkar has been around for 20 years now, but only in three of those did his average for the year dip to less than 30 - in 1995, 2003 and 2006. The numbers are even more impressive for Border and Dravid, who haven't allowed their average to dip below 30 at all.

Year-wise performances for each batsman (excludes years in which batmen played less than three Tests)

Batsman	No. of years	Year average <=30	Year average >=70
Sachin Tendulkar	19	3	4
Brian Lara	15	2	2
Allan Border	16	0	1
Steve Waugh	17	2	4
Rahul Dravid	13	0	2
Sunil Gavaskar	15	2	2
Ricky Ponting	13	2	3
Jacques Kallis	12	2	4

Stretches without hundreds

A measure of consistency over a long career is also the number of innings the batsmen have gone without centuries: for Tendulkar the longest such stretch is only 17 innings, the best among the eight batsmen. Gavaskar and Kallis are just one innings further behind, but Border went a whopping 61 innings without a three-figure score in 36 matches between 1988 and 1992. Tendulkar is also one of only three batsmen with less than five instances of ten-plus innings without a hundred.

Stretches without centuries

Batsman	Innings	100s	Longest stretch without 100 (inngs)	No. of 10-plus inngs stretches without 100
Sachin Tendulkar	246	39	17	4
Brian Lara	232	34	27	6
Allan Border	265	27	61	6
Steve Waugh	260	32	41	6
Rahul Dravid	214	25	22	8
Sunil Gavaskar	214	34	18	3
Ricky Ponting	199	35	20	4
Jacques Kallis	207	30	18	5

A blessing and a curse

Perhaps now, with all the records behind him, Sachin Tendulkar can enjoy a second childhood and bat with something of the insouciance that made Brian Lara so captivating to watch

October 17, 2008

	What might Sachin Tendulkar have done outside of a culture so obsessed with the individual? © AFP

For Brian Charles Lara, the moment to capture in sepia came against one of the game's all-time greats. When Glenn McGrath drifted on to the pads on a belter of a pitch at the Adelaide Oval, Lara worked him down to fine leg for the single that took him past Allan Border on the all-time run-scorers' list. The record was the perfect way to end an Australian adventure that began with a sublime 277 at the SCG 12 years earlier.

Anonymous in the first two Tests of the series, Lara came alive on a pristine batting surface at one of the most beautiful grounds in the world. By the time he put AB in the shade, he had already gone past 200. The 226 that he finished with would have been a fitting farewell note to Australia if not for the fact that his second-innings failure and the seven-wicket defeat encapsulated the frailties that had seen the West Indies' star wane even as Lara continued to shine.

There was no legend confronting Sachin Tendulkar at the PCA Stadium the first ball after tea. The clock had just ticked past 2:30 when Peter Siddle set off on his long run to the bowling crease. A bustling workhorse rather than a pace thoroughbred, Siddle had done little wrong the first two sessions, but when the first ball of the third was pitched a touch too wide of off stump, Tendulkar opened the face and steered it down to third man as he'd done so many times before. Three runs scampered and history made, a generation after a similar stroke, albeit off an offspinner, took Sunil Gavaskar into hitherto uninhabited 10,000-run land.

The autumns of the two batting patriarchs of our age couldn't have been more different though. The last five years of Lara's career saw a batsman at ease with the world, freed of the burden that he had lugged around for a decade. The haplessness of those around him was probably a factor. Stadiums that were once island fortresses were easily breached by visiting sides, and away from home, West Indies had a record every bit as depressing as that of Bangladesh. With the team winning next to nothing and seldom coming close, Lara went out and expressed himself. In those 34 Tests, he averaged 57.50, well over his career figure, while scoring a staggering 13 centuries.

There was always something of the Caribbean joie de vivre in Lara's batting, an air of the carnival that brings his native Trinidad to a standstill. Even his Australian swansong was indicative of that, with the 226 runs amassed from just 298 balls in truly buccaneering fashion. The team may have been mediocre beyond belief, but Lara refused to be shackled by their limitations.

Tendulkar's journey took him in a very different direction. An often-solitary beacon capable of ravishing strokeplay when in his pomp, he has seldom enthralled over the past half decade. Injuries undoubtedly played a part, as did the fact that he was no longer the fulcrum of India's batting push. Virender Sehwag scored quicker, Rahul Dravid looked more resolute and VVS Laxman more elegant. And as India finally became a half-decent side away from home, the focus shifted to individual milestones. He has ticked them off one by one - 10,000 runs against Pakistan at the Eden Gardens in 2005, the 35th century that took him past Gavaskar (against Sri Lanka in Delhi in 2005) and now this.

	Long before he even turned 30 though, Tendulkar had ceased to be just a cricketer. For a developing nation, aspiration is the name of the game but even then the expectations of him were so outré as to be ridiculous

Along the way, the audacious strokeplayer of old emerged from hibernation now and then, notably at Sydney and Adelaide last January, when you could glimpse the teenager who caught Sir Donald Bradman's eye with centuries at the SCG and the WACA. For the most part though, he became an efficient accumulator, albeit with troughs that were so uncommon during the halcyon years.

Long before he even turned 30 though, Tendulkar had ceased to be just a cricketer. For a developing nation, aspiration is the name of the game but even then the expectations of him were so outré as to be ridiculous. His life became reality TV, and all that was needed was the Police to reassemble and sing Every Breath You Take for the soundtrack. Newspapers would publish illustrations from Grey's Anatomy, while TV anchors would steel themselves to say "superior labral antero posterior tear".

Lara's failures, and there were a few given his cavalier style, evoked some disappointment, but never the sort of viciousness that accompanied a Tendulkar setback. It makes you wonder how many more runs he might have made had he lived in a country that didn't specialise in headlines like Endulkar, and where every other TV debate chaired by some stiff didn't ask the profound question: Is he past his best?

What might he have done outside of a culture so obsessed with the individual? Even the landmarks appeared to become troublesome chores rather than milestones to be bypassed as a matter of course. And even as he remained an intensely private person, an entire parallel universe was constructed around him, full of inane trivia such as a fondness for milk laced with turmeric at breakfast.

The career graph dipped, as it inevitably does even with the all-time greats, but he was still good enough to score 494 runs in Australia last winter. And until Siddle summoned up a fine delivery with the second new ball, he was on course for a tenth century against the team that have set the standards for most of his 19 years at the top.

Perhaps now, with all the records behind him, he can enjoy a second childhood and bat with something of the insouciance that made Lara so captivating to watch. Such comparisons are unfair though. If Lara's career was It's a Wonderful Life, Tendulkar's has been a Kieslowski, shot painstakingly and sometimes weighed down by the cares of the world. We're fortunate to have watched them both.

Tendulkar breaks Lara's record

India v Australia, 2nd Test, Mohali, 1st day

October 17, 2008

	Sachin Tendulkar went past Brian Lara's tally of 11,953 Test runs © AFP

At 2.31pm on a hot Mohali Friday, Sachin Tendulkar steered Peter Siddle towards the third-man boundary for three runs to break Brian Lara's record for most Test runs. The record stood for nearly two years after Lara played his final Test and it was inevitable that Tendulkar would eventually break it. As the day progressed Tendulkar scored his 50th half-century and became the first player to cross the 12,000-run mark.

The disappointingly small crowd, built largely of school kids, immediately got on its feet to salute the feat, and fireworks, which continued for three minutes, went off at the PCA Stadium. Tendulkar raised his bat in the air, took his helmet off, and looked up at the sky, as is his routine when he gets to a hundred. The Australian fielders rushed immediately towards him to congratulate him. Ricky Ponting, the man most likely to challenge his status of being the top run-getter, was the first man to shake his hand.

This also brought an end to the soap-opera-type frenzied anticipation for the record. Tendulkar was expected to overtake Lara in Sri Lanka recently, but he endured a poor series with the bat, scoring just 95 runs in three Tests. Then in the series-opener in Bangalore, during a fine match-saving effort in the second innings, it seemed he would get to the record, but he gifted his wicket when 15 short.

Even today the anxiety around was palpable. During the time he got to 15, India lost two wickets in moving from 146 to 179 in 10.2 overs. While he scored at a fair rate, he didn't get nearly as much strike during the period as he would have wanted. While he played 23 balls, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly faced 19 each. It was fitting, in a way, that he achieved the record against Australia, a team he has tormented several times in the past.

Coincidentally, Lara too achieved the world record against Australia, when he went past Allan Border's tally of 11,174 runs during the Adelaide Test in 2005. They remain the only three players to cross the 11,000-run mark in Tests. Though it is uncertain how long Tendulkar will prolong his Test career - which has lasted 19 years - the two players who stand the best chance of beating his eventual tally are Rahul Dravid (10,302) and Ponting (10,239).

Sachin to appear in film on Lord Ganesha

Mumbai: Ending the speculation on his entry into Bollywood, batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar on Saturday said he will appear in a documentary film on Lord Ganesha and not in a Bollywood feature film as widely reported earlier.

"I will not feature in a Bollywood film but like others will share my views on Lord Ganesha in a documentary. There were misunderstandings about my role in the film, but now they are cleared," Tendulkar said.

Media reports had claimed that Tendulkar would feature in a Bollywood film based on Lord Ganesha titled "Vighnaharta Shri Siddhivinayak".

"One really feels peaceful while visiting a temple and I would share my views on Siddhivinayak," said the champion batsman, who is an ardent devotee of the elephant god and visits the famous Siddhivinayak temple in Prabhadevi whenever he gets an opportunity.

"It was not necessary that one visits or remembers 'Ganapati Bappa' only during the 10-day Ganesh festival as the Lord resides in every heart.

"When we are on field we also pray, but the atmosphere during the festival is different," he added.

Tendulkar to play in Irani Trophy tie against Delhi

Mumbai: Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar will play in the five-day Irani Trophy match against Ranji Trophy champions Delhi at Baroda from September 24 to 28.

The master blaster, who did not play in the just concluded One-Day series in Sri Lanka due to the elbow injury during the third Test in the Emerald Isle, confirmed about his participation during a media conference here on Saturday.

"I have recovered totally and am feeling fine. I will play in the Irani Trophy match against the Ranji Trophy champions Delhi," Tendulkar said.

He returned home and was replaced in the ODI squad by S Badrinath.

The champion batsman could muster only 95 runs at a very dismal average of 15.83 per innings with 31 in the second innings of the second Test at Galle, won by India, as his highest score in the three-match Test rubber.

Before the series, the ace batsman, who appeared in his 150th Test in Colombo, was only 172 runs adrift of overtaking West Indian great Brian Lara as the highest run getter in Tests, but fell way short of that target.

Irani Trophy will be the criteria to select the Indian team for the four-match Test series against Australia starting on October nine.

Meanwhile, Aviva Life Insurance announced the finale of its marketing initiative 'Tension chodo cricket khelo' (TCCK) with a fun-filled cricket match between 15 lucky parent-kid teams and ace batsman Sachin and his son, at the Bombay Exhibition Center in Goregaon.

TCCK, a unique mass activation campaign was conceptualized by Aviva based on the insight that parents are so busy securing their children's future that they miss out on enjoying their childhood. The campaign, which commenced in July, received more than 100,000 responses from over 40 cities across India.

Speaking on the occasion Tendulkar said, "It's a great idea conceptualized by Aviva and something every parent will identify with. I am looking forward to enjoying the cricket match with my son Arjun and the other parent-child teams present here from different parts of the country."

Aviva received more than 100,000 entries which were short listed down to 15 through a process module validated by KPMG.

Bert Paterson, MD & CEO, Aviva India said, "It gives us immense pleasure to welcome Sachin Tendulkar to take part in a fun game with the 15 lucky parent-kid winner duos today. The 'Tension Chhodo Cricket Khelo' brand activation campaign with Sachin Tendulkar is the first of its kind in the insurance industry.

"It has helped prospective customers experience Aviva's brand promise, built awareness and preference for the Aviva brand and, more importantly, created interest in the need for financial planning for a child's future via child plans."

Tendulkar set to return against Chennai

Indian Premier League

Tendulkar set to return against Chennai

May 12, 2008

	He's back: Sachin Tendulkar returns to the Mumbai side after missing the first seven games because of injury © Getty Images

Sachin Tendulkar has confirmed he is fit and will lead the Mumbai Indians in their next game on Wednesday against the Chennai Super Kings. The news is a shot in the arm for Mumbai who played the first half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the absence of Tendulkar, forced to sit out due to groin injury.

But Tendulkar announced today that the rehabilitation process had been successful and there was no "discomfort" and that he would open Mumbai's innings along with Sanath Jayasuriya.

"I will be playing on May 14. It's looking very good and I'm feeling very positive," Tendulkar said after a two-hour long batting session at the Wankhede Stadium. He said it was really "tough" for him to sit out but acknowledged the support of the fitness staff who had "really worked hard, especially the physio and the masseur".

Tendulkar first picked up the injury during the CB Series in Australia and it got worse after the first Test against South Africa in Chennai, forcing him to miss the next final two matches of the series. He was unable to recover for the start of the IPL, missing Mumbai's first seven games.

Though Mumbai lost their first four games, Tendulkar was careful not to return before he was completely fit. "It was disappointing to miss the two Tests against South African and then seven IPL games. But during the first half of the rehabilitation I had to completely rest and followed it by strengthening of the muscles and working out a bit. With the help of the fitness staff all the things went fine and I'm feeling strong now and there is no discomfort."

In his absence Harbhajan Singh led Mumbai for the first three games and after he was banned for an on-field row with Sreesanth, Shaun Pollock came in as the stand-in captain. Asked if it would be difficult for the side to have another new captain especially when Pollock was proving to be successful, Tendulkar said the players had supported each other through it all and they understood each other well.

"I will be the captain. Shaun was a makeshift captain and he did a terrific job and the other senior players have also contributed well. It's not about who the captain is but it's about helping each other and that's what Mumbai Indians have been doing and will continue to do."

Despite his minimal exposure to the Twenty20 format - he has played only five games so far - Tendulkar was looking ahead to the challenge ahead. "I always try hard and I've always given my best." Mumbai are currently placed sixth in the points table, just above the Deccan Chargers and the Bangalore Royal Challengers.

Batting legend Tendulkar turns 35

Sachin Tendulkar made his international debut in 1989

NEW DELHI (AFP) — The longest-serving current international cricketer Sachin Tendulkar turned 35 on Thursday, feeling as excited and enthusiastic about the game as he did on debut 19 years ago.

The record-breaking batsman, considered an icon in his native India and around the world, dismissed any suggestions of calling it a day despite being dogged by injuries in recent years.

"I am enjoying my cricket at the moment and don't want to think too much about the future," Tendulkar, recovering from a groin injury, said in a recent television interview.

"I have been playing almost non-stop for 20 years and want to focus only on the present. I prefer to take it series by series."

Tendulkar, who made his international debut in 1989 in Pakistan, needs just 172 more runs to overtake retired West Indian Brian Lara as Test cricket's leading run-scorer.

The star batsman, with 11,782 runs from 147 Tests, will get the chance to surpass Lara when India tour Sri Lanka in July for a three-Test series.

Tendulkar is already the world's top one-day batsman with 16,361 runs and holds the world records of 39 Test and 42 one-day centuries.

Rich tributes poured in from contemporaries like Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting, and India's one-day and Twenty20 captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as Tendulkar celebrated the day with his Mumbai team-mates and family.

"We may have to wait for many, many years to have another player like him," said Warne, the retired Australian leg-spin genius whose on-field duels with Tendulkar were legendary.

"I feel Lara and Sachin are the best batsmen of recent times, but I rate Sachin the best, not only because of his amazing cricketing ability, but also because of the exemplary manner in which he conducts himself on and off the field.

"He is a wonderful guy. Naturally and exceptionally talented, affectionate and always smiling. I feel Sachin is truly great because he is disciplined, co-operative, naturally talented and a dedicated player.

"He should be allowed to continue till he wants to."

Dhoni said Tendulkar was "the special guy made by God to play cricket at its best."

"The challenges Sachin has faced over the past 19 years have been huge," said Dhoni. "It is not only about on-field performance, but also about being able to compete with the fittest individuals in the team.

"I think to be consistent throughout is phenomenal. He is a very special guy who has been made by God to play cricket at its best."

India may have found talented young batsmen in Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh, but still rely on veteran Tendulkar to deliver in crisis.

Tendulkar was the only senior batsman to retain a place in the recent one-day series in Australia, scoring an unbeaten 117 and 91 to help his team clinch the best-of-three-finals against the hosts.

He may have curbed a few strokes of late, but remains one of the most innovative batsmen of his era. Such is his charisma that he hogs the limelight as much with his failures as with his successes.

Australia skipper Ponting recently said his bowlers had to put in an extra effort to get rid of Tendulkar because the Indian had always looked solid.

"He is in the same league as Lara, but I've always felt Sachin has a tighter technique. Because he's so solid, our bowlers have had to work hard to get him out," said Ponting.

"At different times, we've worked out different plans, but Sachin comes up with something to combat them ... the sign of a truly class player."

Tendulkar celebrates birthday with teammates

Tendulkar celebrates 35th birthday with teammates

Chennai (PTI): A quiet but warm celebration marked Sachin Tendulkar's 35th birthday as the master batsman cut the cake surrounded by his cheerful Mumbai Indians team-mates at a city hotel here on Thursday.

As Tendulkar cut the rectangular-shaped cake which had the logo of Mumbai Indians, he was joined by two other Mumbai Indians players, Luke Ronchi and Vikrant Yeligati, who had a delayed celebration after their birthday clashed with the team's match against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday.

New Zealander Ronchi turned 27, while Yeligati celebrated his 23rd birthday.

Tendulkar admitted missing his family on the occasion and said, "I wish I could celebrate my birthday with my wife and children, but that is not so. They are joining me at Mohali tomorrow."

Asked what was the best gift he got today, Tendulkar said, "The wishes of my fans and teammates is the best gift I have received today. I hope I will perform better this year."

After cutting the cake, Tendulkar gave the first piece to Ronchi and then offered a piece to cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, who is also part of the Mumbai Indians think-tank.

On Tendulkar's insistence, the cake was distributed to every person present at the party, including the media members.

Sachin retains second spot in ODI ranking

Dubai: Sachin Tendulkar retained his second spot among batsmen while India were closed in by Pakistan for the fourth place in the championship table of the latest ICC rankings list Sunday.

Tendulkar has 777 rating points behind leader Graeme Smith of South Africa who is on 792 points while Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is at third with 770.

Pakistani Mohd. Yousuf is at fourth with 763 points while West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul jumped five places to return to top five after his memorable performances against Sri Lanka at home.

India ODI skipper M S Dhoni is at 10th with 728 rating points.

Meanwhile, after their 5-0 whitewash against Bangladesh, Pakistan narrowed the gap with fourth-placed India to three ratings points.

South Africa (127), Australia (127) and New Zealand (113) are ahead of India (113).

The most significant change of the rankings was Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan slipping out of the top 10 bowlers in the Reliance Mobile ICC Rankings for the first time in over a decade.

Muralitharan, who was last out of the top 10 ODI bowlers in July 1997, skipped the ODI series which the West Indies won 2-0 and has now slipped to 11th below Pakistan's Shahid Afridi who climbed 11 places to enter the top 10 for the first time in his career after a successful series against Bangladesh in which he bagged 12 wickets.

No Indian is in the top 10 of the bowlers' list headed by New Zealand's Daniel Vettori, while Harbhajan is at 18th spot.

ODI action will resume in June when England takes on New Zealand in a five-match series from June 15.

Tendulkar very keen to play first IPL tie

Mumbai: Batting maestro and skipper of Mumbai Indians Sachin Tendulkar, who is down with a groin injury, is very keen to play the first match of the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament against Bangalore Royal Challengers at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

"Everyone connected with cricket knows how passionate Sachin is about the game. After watching the Team Kolkata and Team Bangalore match yesterday, he is bent upon playing tomorrow’s match even if he is 90 per cent fit. He is scheduled to have a fitness test later today with our team physio and we will take a final decision on him just before the match," Mumbai coach Lalchand Rajput said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Rajput also confirmed that apart from Tendulkar there were no injury scares in the Mumbai camp.

"Former Indian seamer Ashish Nehra is declared fully fit. In fact Ashish played in all the practice matches so far and we have no other injury scares and all the players are looking forward to the first match," Rajput, who successfully managed the Indian team to its Twenty20 World Cup victory last year, said.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai team has added more former Indian cricketers to their support staff.

"We have summoned former Indian paceman Subroto Bannerjee, who is a level III coach and still plays grade cricket in Australia, to be our bowling coach while we have appointed Rahul Sanghvi as the team manager," the former Indian opening batsman said.

"(Former India stumper) Sameer Dighe, who is still fit as a fiddle, is our new fielding coach while Atul Bedade is our travel and logistics manager," he added.

Mumbai confident on Sachin

Sachin Tendulkar has been ruled out of the third Test with South Africa, but Mumbai Indians are hopeful he will be fit for the start of the Indian Premier League.

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A groin injury has forced the Little Master out of the home series with South Africa and there had been fears he would not be fit for the start of the IPL on April 18.

However, he has been placed on a tailored rehabilitation programme and Mumbai expect him to be fit.

"Sachin is a player who does not like to miss any games. I am sure the physio will take care of him and he will be all right in time for the IPL," Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput said on Monday.

Tendulkar is closing in on Brian Lara’s record of 11953 career runs in Test cricket and it would appear he has aims to complete before heading into retirement.

The 34-year-old is disappointed to have so far failed to win the World Cup and has hinted he would look to play on to 2011.

''I am enjoying my cricket at the moment, but don't want to think too much into the future,'' Tendulkar told IBN Lokmat.

''Winning the World Cup is certainly still an unfulfilled dream and I would love to play in it.

''But 2011 is still some way away, and I don't want to look that far and commit myself to anything."