Sachin Tendulkar - ‘man for all seasons’ turns 50

 

 

TO THE Indians, Sachin Tendulkar is the man for “all seasons”. It has been 10 years since he bid farewell to international cricket, leaving the nation full of moist eyes. As India’s favourite son completes his 50th birthday, PTI chronicles his life and times. It could be people, places and events related to the great man, which have dominated our lives for a better part of three-and-a-half decades.Anjali: As Sachin Tendulkar maintains, better-half Anjali is the “best partnership” of his life. Son Arjun is carrying forward the Tendulkar legacy on the cricket pitch. And, had it not been for brother Ajit’s efforts, who knows we would have been deprived of the batting wizardry of the man from Bandra.

Bristol: The venue will always have an emotional connect with Tendulkar. It was here that he scored 140 against Kenya but, more importantly, it came less than a week after the death of his father, Professor Ramesh Tendulkar.

Centurion: The venue in South Africa where Tendulkar perhaps played one of his greatest ODI knocks -- 98 versus Pakistan during the 2003 World Cup. The six off pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar over point will always be remembered by fans. ‘The Don’: Sir Don Bradman will forever remain the ‘Greatest’ with his average of 99.94. But when ‘The Don’ said the “little fella’s” batting style resembled his, the debate on contemporary cricket’s best batter ended there.

Eden Gardens: Wankhede, where Tendulkar played his 200th Test, might be his soul but Eden Gardens, where he played his 199th game, remains one of his favourite grounds. Tendulkar the bowler attained superstardom when he bowled the epic last over in the Hero Cup semi-final against South Africa in 1993. India managed to defend 195 by restricting the Proteas to 193/9, with Tendulkar conceding just three runs in the 50th over.

Ferrari: Tendulkar’s favourite car and also his favourite Formula One team. He was the proud owner of a gleaming red Ferrari back in the day when the company decided to present him one in 2002 for equalling the record of 29 Test centuries by Sir Don. Gujranwala: Tendulkar ended his ODI career with 49 hundreds but the first of his 463 games was played in this Pakistani city. How much did he score on debut? Well, he didn’t trouble the scorers. Harris Shield: The famous Mumbai Inter-school cricket tournament, where the world first came to know about Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar after his 664-run stand with Vinod Kambli.

Old Trafford: No cricket venue in the world is more dear to Tendulkar’s heart than Old Trafford in Manchester. This is the ground where he scored the first of his 100 international hundreds. The unbeaten 119 enabled India to save the second Test of the 1990 series against England. Peshawar: It was the venue where world cricket first took note of the teenage Indian prodigy who hit 53 off just 18 balls. It was an exhibition match curtailed due to rain, but Sachin played a T20-style innings to regale the spectators and make a lasting impression on them. Abdul Qadir: When we talk about that Peshawar game, can Abdul Qadir be far behind? On several occasions, Tendulkar has recounted the instance where Qadir tried to sledge him after he had launched into Mushtaq Ahmed. “Bacche ko kya marte ho, humein maar ke dikhao? The rest is history as Tendulkar clobbered Qadir for 28 runs in an over. Shivaji Park Gymkhana: This is where it all started. Under the watchful eyes of Ramakant Achrekar, Tendulkar learnt the ropes of the game at this very ground, considered to be the cradle of Mumbai cricket.

Toronto: The Skating and Curling Club ground at Toronto will always be special for Tendulkar. It was here that he got his first ‘Man of the Match’ award as captain after scoring an unbeaten 89 off 89 balls in a winning cause against Pakistan. Virat Kohli: The day Tendulkar retired, Virat Kohli gifted his chain, which was his father’s memory, to Tendulkar and sang “Tujh Mein Rabh Dikhtar Hai” inside the Wankhede dressing room.