The legend who goes by the name of Sachin Tendulkar has completed twenty years in international cricket and the whole of India and most of the rest of the cricketing world rose to applaud the effort. Tendulkar played his first ever international game – a test match – against Pakistan on the 15th of November, 1989, and scored 15 in his first effort. Later, in the same series, and against an attack which had been much more fiery than most attacks around the world – consisting of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis – he had gone on to smash a couple of half centuries.
Tendulkar also has achieved most of the records in international cricket, as one would have expected him to, given the longevity of his career. He has the most number of runs in test matches and ODIs, most centuries in both formats of the game, most number of man of the match awards and the man of the series awards as well.
Some of his best centuries in international cricket have been the ones against Pakistan in Chennai in 1999, where he battled back spasms and the Chennai heat to almost single-handedly win it for his side, but ended up on the losing side then. There was that knock of 134 in the finals of the Sharjah tri-series against Australia, and another against the same side in Hyderabad in 2009 – only a week or so back – when he smashed a 175 in ODIs. Incidentally, this was his fourth 150 overall, and his second for the year.
Tendulkar also rates his century against Australia at WACA in Australia as the best ever ton he has ever hit. No other Indian got to even a fifty in that test match as India lost the match by 300 runs!
Tendulkar has one regret though. He has always wished to be a part of a World Cup winning side – a feat that the side hasn’t performed so far. 2011 looks to be his last chance, as India will host the World Cup, and the final of the tournament will be played in his hometown in Mumbai!
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