For Indians, Sachin Tendulkar has been the ‘all-around’ performer. It’s been 10 years since the legendary batsman bid goodbye to international cricket and as the legend approaches his 50th birthday, ‘PTI-Bhasha’ brings to you a timeline of his life including people, places and events related to him. Who have dominated our lives for three and a half decades. A (Anjali, Arjun, Ajit) As Sachin Tendulkar says, his better half Anjali is the ‘best partnership’ of his life.
Son Arjun is carrying forward Tendulkar’s legacy on the cricket pitch and if it weren’t for brother Ajit’s efforts, who knows we would have missed out on the batting wizardry of the man from Bandra. B (Bristol) This venue will always have an emotional association 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. C (Centurion) The venue in South Africa where Tendulkar played perhaps one of his greatest ODI innings – 98 against Pakistan during the 2003 World Cup.
Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar’s six over point in the over will always be remembered by the fans. D (The Don) Sir Don Bradman will always remain ‘the greatest’ with his average of 99.94 but the debate over the best batsman in contemporary cricket ended when ‘The Don’ said that Tendulkar’s batting style was similar to his. E (Eden Gardens) The Wankhede where Tendulkar played his 200th Test may be his soul but Eden Gardens where he played his 199th match is one of his favorite grounds. As a bowler, Tendulkar achieved ‘stardom’ by bowling the last over of the Hero Cup semi-final against South Africa in 1993.
India managed to defend 195 by restricting South Africa to 193 for nine. Tendulkar conceded just three runs in the 50th over. F (Ferrari) Tendulkar’s favorite car and also his favorite Formula One team. He became the owner of a gleaming red Ferrari in 2002 when the company decided to give him the car to equal Sir Don Bradman’s record of 29 Test hundreds in 2002. G (Gujranwala) Tendulkar ended his ODI career with 49 centuries but the first of his 463 matches was played in this Pakistani city. How many runs did he score in his debut match? He had returned without opening the account.
H (Harris Shield) Mumbai’s famous inter-school cricket tournament where the world first came to know about Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar after his 664-run partnership with Vinod Kambli. I (Inzamam-ul-Haq) the former Pakistan captain had an interesting story to tell. His son was a big fan of Ibtisam Tendulkar. During the historic tour of Pakistan in 2004, Inzamam had brought his school-going son during the Indian practice session to introduce him to Tendulkar. J (John McEnroe) Tendulkar is fond of tennis and during his teenage years he used to be a big fan of American John McEnroe.
Like McEnroe in the early 80s, say elders, the curly-haired Tendulkar could be seen walking around his ‘housing society’ wearing a red headband. K (Vinod Kambli) Tendulkar’s childhood friend Kambli was his partner in the Harris Shield world record partnership of 664 runs. The two also played international cricket together but Tendulkar went on to excel while Kambli lost his way despite a good start. L (Brian Lara) The debate on who was the greater cricketer of the two will never end but Brian Lara has to be commended for enjoying the level of Tendulkar. The duo lit up the 90s like never before and the mutual respect was there for all to see.
M (Glenn McGrath) Tendulkar vs McGrath was the rivalry that brought Test cricket to life. Both the legends gave it their all when they competed against each other. In the 1990s and 2000s, neither side was willing to budge an inch and their rivalry is one of the most fascinating of all time. N (Narsingh Deonarine) Narsingh Deonarine’s international career has been nothing to write about but the West Indies bowler will always be remembered as the last bowler to dismiss Tendulkar in international cricket.
The off-spinner dismissed Tendulkar after scoring 74 during the second Test at the Wankhede Stadium in 2013. India won the match by an innings and 126 runs. O (Old Trafford) No cricket venue in the world is closer to Tendulkar’s heart than Manchester’s Old Trafford. This is the ground where he scored the first of his 100 international centuries. His unbeaten 119 helped India draw the second Test of the 1990 series against England. P (Peshawar) This was where world cricket first noticed the prodigy of this teenage Indian.
Tendulkar scored 53 off just 18 balls. It was an exhibition match affected by rain but Tendulkar played a T20-style innings to enthrall the spectators and leave a lasting impression on them. Q (Abdul Qadir) When we talk about that Peshawar match, can Abdul Qadir be far behind? On several occasions, Tendulkar recalled the incident where Qadir tried to snip at Mushtaq Ahmed after playing big shots. Qadir had said “Bachche ko kya marte ho, hume mar ke dikhao (You kill the child, show us by killing him).” The rest is history as Tendulkar hit 28 runs in one over from Qadir. R (Rahul Dravid) A batsman in his own right, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar are the most successful Test batting pair with over 20 century partnerships and 6,920 runs in the partnership.
S (Shivaji Park Gymkhana) This is the place from where it all started. Under the watchful eye of Ramakant Achrekar, Tendulkar learned the tricks of the game at this ground, considered the cradle of Mumbai cricket. The T (Toronto) Skating and Curling Club grounds in Toronto will always be special to Tendulkar. It was here that he got his first ‘Man of the Match’ as captain after scoring an unbeaten 89 off 89 balls during the victory against Pakistan. U (U2) Tendulkar is a devotee of Lata Mangeshkar but when it comes to English songs, he is a big fan of the world famous Irish rock band U2.
His favorite song is ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ by U2. V (Virat Kohli) On the day Tendulkar retired, Virat Kohli gifted Tendulkar a chain he got from his father and sang ‘Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai’ inside the Wankhede dressing room. W (Wimbledon) A tournament that Tendulkar rarely misses out on. This legend can be seen every year at Wimbledon sitting in the VIP stands watching the match on the center court. X (St. Xavier’s School) It was this school against which Tendulkar and Kambli shared a 664-run partnership in the Harris Shield while playing for Shardashram Vidyamandir.
Y (Yorkshire) The Yorkshire team of the English county is facing many allegations of racism but in 1990 they welcomed Tendulkar with open arms. The Indian legend was the first overseas player to join the club. Jade (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwean bowler Henry Olonga dismissed Tendulkar on a bouncer during a league match of the 1998 Champions Trophy in Sharjah. However, the veteran batsman scored 124 in the final as India won by 10 wickets with 120 balls to spare.
