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No ton, but Sachin’s swan song was one to cherish

16th November, 2013
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Sachin Tendulkar stamped himself into the world's consciousness in the 1996 World Cup. (AP Photo, File)
Expert
16th November, 2013
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After the emotion-filled Mumbai Test yesterday, crowd favourite and record-wrecker Sachin Tendulkar received India’s highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna.

After all the pre-Test hype on his 200th and last Test, a century would have pleased his billion admirers.

Unbeaten on 38 at stumps on the opening day of the Mumbai Test, a century appeared possible.

He was reaching the target with sweet timing; cover drives and straight drives dominating, but was caught in the slips, 26 runs short of his 52nd Test and 101st international hundred.

His fans’ expectation is a burden Tendulkar has carried lightly on his shoulders for over 20 years. It was beyond belief in his final Test; like Atlas holding the celestial sphere on his shoulders.

How can he retain his cool as spectators chant “Sachiiiin, Sachin” every time he touches the ball?

But it reached a crescendo as he came out to bat.

With centuries from Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma, as well as 74 from the old master, and 10 for 89 in the match from spinner Pragyan Ojha, India won the second and final Test by an innings and 126 runs in two and half days.

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Last week they had also trounced the Windies in Kolkata by an innings and 51 runs in two and half days.

India won the series 2-0.

The Mumbai Test was virtually a ‘Sayonara Sachin’ Test, with attention focussed only on him as Pujara and Sharma were treated by the commentators and crowd as also-rans, despite their match-winning hundreds.

Man of the series Sharma has played only two Tests and has hit tons in both, his Test average being an incredible 288.00.

But the on-field performances paled in comparison to the post-Test presentation. Sachin did not have enough hands to receive Trophies, medals and memorabilia galore.

Then he gave a stirring, emotion-charged speech.

He thanked his parents, wife Anjali, his two diamonds (daughter Sara, aged 16, and son Arjun, 14), his brother who still gives him tips to bat better, coach Ramakant Achrekar, whom he regularly visits and addresses as ‘sir’, his doctors and physios, media and photographers and finally the crowd, who went “Sachiiiiin, Sachin” for the final time.

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As Anjali had earlier said wiping tears, you can have cricket without Sachin but cannot imagine Sachin without cricket.

With that humble and sincere address, the scorer of most runs and centuries in Test and one-day internationals and many other records moved away from the spotlight but not without touching the soil which made him a legend.

Who will break his record of 15,921 runs in 200 Tests (next best is Australia’s Ricky Ponting 13,378 runs in 168) and 51 centuries (next best South Africa’s Jacques Kallis, 44 centuries in 164)?

Ponting is retired, but 38 year-old Kallis is still playing.

As Kallis has scored 13,140 runs, he needs to score 2,782 runs and eight centuries to go past Tendulkar. It is possible but unlikely.

Also, Tendulkar’s 18,426 runs and 49 centuries in 463 ODIs is way ahead of next best – Ponting’s 13,704 runs and 30 hundreds in 375 matches.

Among cricketers still playing, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, aged 36, is closest, with 11,798 runs and 16 centuries in 354 ODIs.

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Not far behind is Kallis, having scored 11,498 runs and 22 centuries in 321 ODIs.

Tendulkar’s ODI records will stand for many, many years to come.

Happy retirement Sachin. You have earned the Order of Australia, Bharat Ratna and affection of a billion cricket lovers from all over the world.

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