Sachin Tendulkar: 2 (records, factoids, tributes)
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The Indpaedia entry Sachin Tendulkar 1: A timeline has year-wise information about the maestro's career
Records in International Cricket
13 Records that Sachin Tendulkar Holds in International Cricket
By Sarang Bhalerao, IndiaTimes | November 16, 2013
1 15,921 Test Runs
1 Tendulkar needed 153 runs in the final innings to score 16,000 Test runs but he missed the mark by 79 runs. Tendulkar has 15,921 runs.
2 18,426 ODI Runs
2 Tendulkar has scored 18,426 ODI runs which is 4,722 runs clear of Ricky Ponting who is second in the list.
3 463 ODI Appearances
3 Tendulkar’s 23-year ODI career comprised 463 ODI games. Sanath Jayasuriya with 445 ODIs is second in the list.
4 200 Test Match Appearances
4 Tendulkar comfortably heads this list with Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh being the joint-second having played 168 matches each.
5 49 ODI Hundreds
5 Sachin Tendulkar took five years to score his first ODI hundred. The moment he got his first ton against Australia at Colombo in 1994, the little master’s career took off and he never looked back. His last ODI ton was his hundredth international hundred scored against Bangladesh at Dhaka in 2012.
6 51 Test Hundreds
6 Sachin Tendulkar has scored 51 Test centuries in his 24-year Test career. He hit his first century against England at Manchester in August 1990 and his last ton was against South Africa at Cape Town in January 2011.
7 15 Man of the Series Awards in ODIs
7 Tendulkar is leading in this category as well. Jayasuriya is second on the list.
8 62 Man of the Match Awards in ODIs
8 Tendulkar leads the list in ODI cricket. Sanath Jayasuriya with 48 is second. The third on the list is South Africa’s Jacques Kallis with 32 awards.
9 989 International cricketers
9 Tendulkar has played with and against 989 international cricketers. That includes 141 Indian cricketers and 848 opponents.
10 2,560 World Cup Runs
10 In the six World Cup appearances (1992 to 2011), Tendulkar has amassed 2,560 runs at an average of 56.95 – the most by any player in the history of the event.
11 1,894 ODI Runs in 1998. These are most runs scored by a batsman in any season in ODI cricket. Tendulkar scored 9 centuries that year.
12 150 Wickets and 15,000 Runs in ODIs
12 Tendulkar remains the only cricketer to take more than 150 wickets (154) and score more than 15,000 runs (18,426) in ODIs.
13 In 24 years, Tendulkar has played in 90 different venues which is a record.
Batting and fielding averages
|
Mat ches |
Inni ngs |
Not out |
Runs |
High est score |
Ave Rag e |
BF |
SR |
100 |
50 |
4s |
6s |
Ct |
St |
|
|
Tests |
200 |
329 |
33 |
15921 |
248* |
53.78 |
51 |
68 |
69 |
115 |
0 |
|||
|
ODIs |
463 |
452 |
41 |
18426 |
200* |
44.83 |
21367 |
86.23 |
49 |
96 |
2016 |
195 |
140 |
0 |
|
T20Is |
1 |
1 |
0 |
10 |
10 |
10.00 |
12 |
83.33 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
First-class |
310 |
490 |
51 |
25396 |
248* |
57.84 |
81 |
116 |
186 |
0 |
||||
|
List A |
551 |
538 |
55 |
21999 |
200* |
45.54 |
60 |
114 |
175 |
0 |
||||
|
Twenty20 |
96 |
96 |
11 |
2797 |
100* |
32.90 |
2310 |
121.08 |
1 |
16 |
359 |
38 |
28 |
0 |
Vs. South Africa
From [ The Times of India ]
See graphic, ' Tendulkar’s Centuries in South Africa '
Bowling averages
FirstPost writes, ‘We have all heard the stories about Tendulkar bowling in the nets. How he could just amble up to the crease and bowl inswingers and outswingers, offspin and legspin. Javagal Srinath once said he had to explain to Tendulkar that bowling outswingers did not come naturally to him, as they did for Tendulkar.’
|
Mat |
Inns |
Balls |
Runs |
Wkts |
BBI |
BBM |
Ave |
Econ |
SR |
4w |
5w |
10 |
|
|
Tests |
200 |
145 |
4240 |
2492 |
46 |
3/10 |
3/14 |
54.17 |
3.52 |
92.1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
ODIs |
463 |
270 |
8054 |
6850 |
154 |
5/32 |
5/32 |
44.48 |
5.10 |
52.2 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
|
T20Is |
1 |
1 |
15 |
12 |
1 |
1/12 |
1/12 |
12.00 |
4.80 |
15.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
First-class |
310 |
7605 |
4384 |
71 |
3/10 |
61.74 |
3.45 |
107.1 |
0 |
0 |
|||
|
List A |
551 |
10230 |
8478 |
201 |
5/32 |
5/32 |
42.17 |
4.97 |
50.8 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
|
|
Twenty20 |
96 |
8 |
93 |
123 |
2 |
1/12 |
1/12 |
61.50 |
7.93 |
46.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
TENDULKAR IN TESTS
Most centuries (51).
Highest run-aggregate - 15,837 at an average of 53.86 in 198 matches.
Most centuries on foreign soil (29 in 106 Tests).
Most international centuries (100; 51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs), 29 more than Ricky Ponting (71).
Scored 150-plus more than 20 times, a world record.
World record of 11 scores of 150-plus runs overseas.
Most runs overseas — 8705 (ave.54.74) — in 106 Tests.
Six innings of 200 or more, sharing an Indian record with Virender Sehwag.
70 Tests in a winning cause - the most by a player from the subcontinent. Averaged 62.36 in those Tests.
Completed a hundred with a six 6 times - another world record.
Registered 7 hundreds in a calendar year (2010), an Indian record.
Completed 1000 runs in a calendar year 6 times - a record.
Recorded 11 hundreds against Australia, the most by a player from the subcontinent.
Shares 20 century stands with Rahul Dravid, a world record for most century partnerships with one player.
Shares 18 double century stands - an Indian record and the second highest overall, next only to Kallis (20).
14 Man of the Match awards is the most by an Indian record.
With 5 Man of the Series awards, he shares an Indian record with Virender Sehwag.
Shares a record with Brian Lara and Kumar Sangakkara for reaching 10,000 runs in least number of innings (195).
Shares a record for reaching 12,000 runs in least number of innings (247) with Ricky Ponting.
Holds a record for reaching 13,000 runs in least number of innings (266).
Has appeared in 198 Tests, the most in Test annals.
Only player to have recorded 2000 fours (2044), apart from 69 sixes.
Managed 1,000 runs or more against seven opponents, sharing a world record with Rahul Dravid.
40 facts you didn't know about Sachin Tendulkar
TNN | Oct 11, 2013
NEW DELHI: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has announced his retirement from Test cricket, leaving his millions of fans disappointed. His 200th Test, to be played against the West Indies, will be his last. TOI presents to you 40 facts you didn't know about this living legend.
1: Named after legendary music director Sachin Dev Burman by his father
2: Grew his hair and tied a band around it to copy idol John McEnroe. Was even called 'McEnroe' by his friends. Admires Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Diego Maradona.
3: Wanted to be a fast bowler and even went to the MRF Pace Academy but head coach Dennis Lillee asked him to concentrate on batting.
4: Has scored big runs on Indian festivals like Gokulashtmi, Raksha Bandhan, Holi and Diwali
5: Loved to have 'I-can-eat-more-vada-pavs-than-you' competitions with cricket buddies Vinod Kambli and Salil Ankola
6: Loves sea food. Owned a restaurant.
7: Loves playing at Sydney Cricket Ground.
8: Loves Kishore Kumar and rock group Dire Straits. Was extremely possessive about his personal stereo.
9: A devout worshipper of Lord Ganesha, he often visits Siddhivinayak temple in the early hours of the morning.
10: Wears his left pad first. Has the Tri-colour pasted inside his kit bag.
11: Remembers every dismissal and even the bowler who dismissed him.
12: Likes to dunk his glucose biscuits into his tea and have them with a spoon.
13: He is ambidextrous. Bats with his right hand but autographs and eats with his left.
14: Used to sleep with his cricket gear on during his junior days.
15: Refused to shoot for a soft-drink ad that showed him smashing cricket balls with a fly swatter. He reportedly told film-maker Prahlad Kakkar, "That would make me greater than the game." The ad was modified: he hit the balls with a stump.
16: Loves to zoom across Mumbai in his swanky cars in the wee hours.
17: Fell from a tree one Sunday evening during his summer vacations, when the movie 'Guide' was showing on national TV. It infuriated brother (and mentor) Ajit, who packed him off to cricket coaching class as a punishment!
18: Came back from the four-month tour of Australia after the 1992 World Cup and turned up to play for Kirti College in April 1992.
19: Was without a bat contract during the 1996 World Cup in which he emerged highest run-getter. A famous tyre company promptly signed him on soon after.
20: His coach at Shardashram, Ramakant Achrekar, used to offer a one rupee coin as prize to any bowler who dismissed him. If he remained not out, the coin belonged to Sachin. Still has a good bunch of those coins.
21: Fielded for Pakistan as a substitute during a one-day practice match against India at the Brabourne in 1988.
22: Was a ball boy during the 1987 World Cup match between India and Zimbabwe at Wankhede.
23: The first ad he shot was for sticking plaster.
24: In school, he was once mistaken for a girl by good friend Atul Ranade because of his long curls
25: After watching Deewar and Zanjeer, he became a fan of Amitabh Bachchan
26: Played tennis-ball cricket and darts during rainbreaks
27: Sang and whistled with Vinod Kambli during their 664-run record stand in the Harris Shield in 1988 to avoid eye contact with the coach's assistant, who wanted to declare while the duo wanted to bat on.
28: Teammate Praveen Amre bought him his first pair of international quality cricket shoes.
29: Was a bully at school but was kind to cats and dogs. His first captain, Sunil Harshe, said that he loved to pick a fight. Every time he was introduced to someone, his first reaction was, 'Will I be able to beat him?'
30: Used to go fishing for tadpoles and guppy fishes in the stream that ran through the compound of Sahitya Sahwas, his apartment in Bandra East.
31: Once made his mother look for a frog bhaji recipe.
32: The nanny who looked after him is now universally called Sachuchi bai
33: Colony watchman's son Ramesh Pardhe, who was his playmate, said Sachin would ask him to dip a rubber ball in water and hurl it at him. He wanted to see the wet marks left on the bat to find out whether he had middled the ball correctly
34: An incorrigble prankster, he once put a hose pipe in Sourav Ganguly's room and turned on the tap. Ganguly awoke to find his gear floating. Calls Ganguly 'Babu Moshai'. Sourav calls him 'Chhota Babu'.
35: Great spinner of yarns. If he had a cut on his finger it was because it had been chopped by a helicopter flying low!
36: Sachin Tendulkar's debut Test also was legendary allrounder Kapil Dev's 100th.
37: Sachin faced his first ball in Tests from legendary Pak pacer Waqar Younis, who was also making his debut.
38: Sachin scored the first-ever double hundred in ODIs on February 24, 2010, 22 years to the day that Kambli and Sachin had put on 664.
39: He equalled Sunil Gavaskar's record of 34 Test hundreds and went past the record on the same date, December 10. His 34th ton came against Bangladesh in Dhaka on 2004 and the 35th was against Sri Lanka at the Kotla in 2005.
40: During an under-15 tour in Indore, he couldn't sleep and woke up in the middle of the night to shadow practise. As the flooring was wood-based, the noise that emanated from the bat hitting the flooring disturbed the other tenants. As the hotel manager went to complain to coach Vasu Paranjpe, he was ticked off by the coach and told to 'Go and bowl to him'.
The Sachin Tendulkar you didn't know
Reuters HindustanTimes October 10, 2013
Little-known facts about Sachin Tendulkar, who announced on Thursday he was retiring from all forms of cricket after playing his 200th test against West Indies next month.
- Tendulkar has 13 coins from his coach Ramakant Achrekar. He would win a coin if he got through an entire net session without being dismissed.
- Holds the unique distinction of scoring a century on debut in Ranji Trophy, Irani Trophy and Duleep Trophy.
- Tendulkar was a ball boy during the 1987 World Cup semi-final between India and England.
- There are two wards in New Delhi's Tihar Jail, one named after Tendulkar and another after Vinod Kambli. The duo shared a 664-run unbroken partnership in a school match.
- Tendulkar was the first player to be given out by the third umpire in an international game.
- Everyone remembers Vangipurappu Laxman (281) and Rahul Dravid's (180) 376-run partnership against Australia in a Kolkata test in 2001 after being asked to follow on. But many have forgotten Tendulkar's three wickets in the second innings, including those of Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, to trigger the collapse.
- Tendulkar was the first individual without an aviation background to be awarded the honorary rank of Group Captain by the Indian Air
Technique
Batting order
Tendulkar unhappy when asked to bat at No 4 in ODIs in 2002-03: Sourav Ganguly
PTI | Feb 28, 2014
Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar was not too happy when he was asked by his then captain Sourav Ganguly to bat at number four in ODIs in 2002-03, according to a book.
Ganguly, who captained the recently-retired Tendulkar in 143 of the 341 international matches they played together, recalled that the Mumbaikar was brought back as opener during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.
"You say, please, do it for a short while; of course you'll be back up, let's see how long it goes. Once he settled down to the idea and saw it work, it was fine. When things went a bit wobbly at the 2003 World Cup, he was back up straight away," Ganguly said.
The first ball of the innings
Ganguly narrated how he once asked Sachin to face the first ball of the innings as he was going through a rough patch and thought it might change his luck. Sachin declined, saying he never took first strike. So Ganguly walked straight to the non-striker's position, leaving Sachin with no choice but to take guard.
Sachin hit back by mentioning how he was once struggling with an injury, which later turned out to be a broken rib.
“I wasn’t even being able to put bat to ball and Sourav strolled down the pitch and told me, ‘Tu champion hain re’ (Come on, you’re a champion).”
Flick to the leg side
Former teammate Rahul Dravid, who made a record 6920 Test runs with Tendulkar, said, "One sure indicator that (Tendulkar) was in good touch was when he played the flick to the leg side. Cricket is a game where you naturally have more fielders on the off side, and especially in limited-overs cricket, bowlers like to bowl tight lines.
"(Tendulkar) would be on his toes, on top of the bounce, and would often beat midwicket to the fielder's right. Sometimes he even beat square leg to his right with that flick, not to the full ball but the ones pitched short of a length. That made you marvel from the other end."
Judgement of length, evenness of temper
PTI, August 5, 2014 | REVEALED: Secret behind Sachin Tendulkar's runs galore in 2003 WC
"It (his preparation) changes from time to time. In the 2003 World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar didn't bat a single ball in the nets, right through the tournament. He only got throw-downs. He just received hundreds of throw-downs through the whole tournament," Dravid said.
"All of us were wondering 'Why is he doing that?' When I asked him, he said, 'I'm feeling good. I don't want to go into the nets and waste the touch. I want to feel good about my batting. If I have that sort of feeling, I will score runs when I go in."
Dravid said, while speaking on ESPNcricinfo's 'Modern Masters,' "He's changed the landscape, both on and off the field.’ Dravid said Tendulkar could not lead India to victory on a few occasions in Tests because of a weak bowling attack.
"Especially through Sachin's golden period (1998-2002,2003), and especially away from home when he got a lot of runs, maybe we didn't have the bowling attack to back him up in those games. I can remember, even as recently as Centurion, his last Test hundred was a brilliant Test hundred against Steyn and Morkel. But we couldn't get South Africa out in the fourth innings. The context of those hundreds changes completely if you have the bowling attack to get people out. If there's one thing he'd like to better about his numbers, though, it'll probably be his fourth innings in overseas Test series."
Dravid felt Tendulkar's greatest biggest strength has been his temperament.
"For me, Sachin's greatest strength really is his temperament, his ability to handle the pressures that have surrounded him. He's been the focus of attention since he was a 16-year old kid. And for so many years to be able to handle all of that and still to be able to perform and not get frustrated by it and not get disillusioned by it shows an incredible mind."
Speaking about Tendulkar's technique, Dravid said: "One of the things that has always stood out for me for Sachin has been balance. It's that ability to judge length and to be in that right position for nearly every ball. It's very rare that I've seen Sachin struggle for any particular ball. His judgment of length was marvellous."
'A batsman who frustrated bowlers:’ Allan Donald
Avijit Ghosh,TNN | Feb 24, 2014
High praise comes from Allan Donald, who took the wicket of Tendulkar 10 times in the five Tests and five ODIs where both figured, it perhaps means a little more.
In the article headlined, The man who made you plan for weeks, the South Africa speedster writes, "You didn't work Tendulkar out in days. You had to plan for him weeks in advance. Otherwise, he could frustrate bowlers. When Hansie Cronje was the captain, our thinking was that the first 20 balls we had to make Tendulkar play every single one, even if we leaked runs. We also decided that we were not going to test him with the short ball early on: it was an easy way for him to get himself into his innings. We wanted to make him sweat as much as we could.
He goes on to say, "When a great batsman is in form, that is when you get really challenged as a fast bowler. Tendulkar turned that bowler's ego to his advantage. We saw it dozens of times, when he counerpunched really well. He had that ability, when the bowler was at his best and in fantastic rhythm and bowling at his optimum pace, to come in and change the state of the game, to hit you off your line, get you out of the attack. He was careful, but if you offered him half a chance he would make you pay. With Tendulkar you were always working with fine, fine margins."
As a captain
Avijit Ghosh,TNN | Feb 24, 2014 The Times of India
As a captain, Tendulkar was seen as a failure. Under his captaincy, India won four Tests and lost nine. But Ganguly provides a justification of sorts for the poor record even as he takes an indirect dig at the current skipper MS Dhoni.
"Sachin was a better captain than his results show and better than people make him out to be. He led on some very tough tours - South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Australia - and it must be said he didn't lose eight in a row. This when he didn't have a very good team around him. The older players were fading and the newcomers were too raw," he explains.
Sourav-Ganguly’s view
In an article featured in ESPNcricinfo's new anthology 'Sachin Tendulkar: The Man Cricket Loved Back', Ganguly said that Tendulkar's record as captain was better than people made out to be.
"He led on some very tough tours - South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Australia - and it must be said he didn't lose eight in a row. This when he didn't have a very good team around him. The older players were fading and the newcomers were too raw."
"When it came to being Sachin's captain, it was about giving him due respect: treating him like a team-mate but also as the special player he was. He was central to the side doing well. He had to feel relaxed and comfortable."
Who was THE Cricketer of Sachin’s Generation?
Versus the best bowler and best all-rounder of the generation
Sachin Tendulkar in line to be voted cricketer of the generation
PTI | Mar 13, 2014
Sachin Tendulkar, Australian spin legend Shane Warne and the recently-retired South African great Jacques Kallis are among the three greats in ESPNcricinfo's Cricketer of the Generation final three.
the other two cricketers to feature in the final list.
Tendulkar
While Tendulkar has been the most successful batsman of his generation, having set innumerable records in both Tests and ODIs, no other bowler mesmerised world cricket the way Warne did, besides playing a role in reviving the art of leg-spin bowling.
Tendulkar ended his glorious 24-year international career last November, signing off with an elegant 74 against the West Indies in his final Test innings.
He rewrote some of the most coveted batting records, including those for most Test runs and Test hundreds, and for most ODI runs and ODI hundreds. The Mumbaikar is the only cricketer to score hundred international centuries.
Kallis
As far as all-rounders are concerned, Kallis, for his exploits over the past two decades, often drew comparison with the greatest of them all, Gary Sobers. Kallis was without doubt the best all-rounder of his generation, having amassed over 10,000 runs each in Tests and ODIs. In addition, he took 577 international wickets with his pace bowling.
Warne
Adored by fans across the cricketing world, the flamboyant Warne was the first bowler to [take] 700 Test wickets.
Lara and Muralitharan
Lara, who still holds the record for the best individual score in Test cricket, and Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, the highest wicket-taker in the traditional format, received nominations from a 50-member jury, comprising leading players, cricket writers and commentators, but didn't make the cut for a place in the final three.
Versus Brian Lara
Ricky Ponting: 'Brian Lara a bigger match-winner'
In Ricky Ponting's view West Indian legend Brian Lara was a bigger match-winner than India's Sachin Tendulkar but contrary to his belief, statistics of the two batting greats tell a totally different story. Let's have a look.
Tendulkar, who has played 198 Tests, is far ahead of his once contemporary West Indian (131) when statistics of the two are compared.
Tests statistics show that West Indies, in Lara's presence, have won 24.42 per cent matches while with Tendulkar in the side, India have tasted victory in 35.35 per cent of their games.
If the performance in these matches is considered, Lara's contribution to his side's victories have been 24.50 per cent of his total Test runs (11953) while Tendulkar's 37.01 per cent career runs (15837) have benefited India.
Out of the hundred tons Tendulkar has scored in his international career so far, 53 of them have come in matches that India won. 20 of his 51 Test centuries have helped India triumph, which comes to 39.01 per cent.
In Lara's case, only eight of his 34 Test hundreds (23.52 per cent) have guided the West Indies to victory.
It is argued that Lara's effort was often not complimented by his teammates, which resulted in his side's defeat in 63 Tests (48.01 per cent) out of the 131 matches he played. Lara's contribution in these matches was 44.47 per cent of his total runs. Interestingly, 14 hundreds from the Caribbean southpaw have come in losing cause.
When compared to Tendulkar, India have faced defeat in 56 Tests which is just 28.28 per cent of his total matches. Tendulkar has made 4088 runs, including 11 hundreds, in these encounters.
In the 72 matches that have ended in a draw for India in Tendulkar's presence, the little master has scored 5887 runs with 20 centuries to his credit, while West Indies drew 36 matches with Lara getting 3708 runs including 12 scores of hundred and above.
Lara scored 751 runs with three hundreds in the eight matches won by West Indies against Australia in his presence. Against England, his team won nine games with just a hundred to his name while playing India he featured in four wins, two each versus South Africa and Sri Lanka, but all without centuries.
In Tendulkar's case, India have witnessed 16 wins over Australia accumulating 1407 runs with four centuries. Tendulkar has scored three centuries each in the 11 and nine victories against Sri Lanka and England respectively. Tendulkar has scored a century against every country on a winning occasion.
West Indies have won four matches in Australia with Lara making 211 runs at an average of 35.16, while in Tendulkar's presence India have emerged victorious Down Under in two matches, with the right-hander contributing just 122 runs.
In one-day internationals, Lara's hundreds have contributed more to his team's success. He has 19 centuries against his name of which West Indies have tasted victories in 16 matches. On the other hand, out of 49 ODIs in which Tendulkar has scored a century, India won 33 clashes.
In Tendulkar's presence, India won 50.53 per cent of their ODIs, while in Lara's case the figure goes down to 46.48 per cent.
Out of Tendulkar's whopping 18426 runs in 463 ODIs, 11157 (60.55 per cent) of them have helped India register victories while Lara is little ahead with 62.97 per cent (6553) of his runs getting his side home. Lara made 10405 runs in 299 ODIs he played for the West Indies.
Brett Lee rates Tendulkar above Lara
PTI | Mar 4, 2014
Retired Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, who has waged many a stirring battle against Sachin Tendulkar, today rated the Indian legend a notch above West Indies great Brian Lara, thus singing a different tune to that of veteran South Africa all-rounder Jaques Kallis.
Asked to compare the two great batsmen, Lee said, "I have to say Sachin, because he has that aura when he comes out to bat."
"I have waged many a battle against him and was lucky enough to get him out more number of times than anyone else in the world. But I was also on the receiving end of many hundreds -- like the hundred (116) he got at Melbourne in 1999 and the many hundreds he has scored against us all around the world. When you play against Sachin you somehow (have to) find a way to give that little bit extra," said Lee.
"When I played my first Test at Melbourne as a 23-year-old fresh faced kid from the bush, I am looking at this guy resembling Sachin Tendulkar. He was tiny, his bat was this big," said the 37-year-old former pace bowler, who grabbed 690 wickets in Tests and ODIs combined.
"I thought to myself 'this is the guy I want to play against'. I was pinching myself it was not a dream. I thought I can ask him for an autograph rather than bowl to him. It's strange when you get to play against someone who was the hero as you were growing up.
"It's a huge opportunity and I had a lot of opportunities to play against him," added Lee.
Lee's assessment of Tendulkar was at variance with that of Kallis, who two days ago, was quoted as saying that Lara was the best batsman he has ever played against.
Kallis, one of the greatest all-rounders to have graced the game, however, described Tendulkar's achievements as incredible.
Sachin's achievements incredible, but Lara best: Kallis
PTI | Mar 3, 2014
Retired South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis would not rate Sachin Tendulkar as the best batsman he has played against but said the Indian legend has "tremendously" helped in taking the game forward by playing with the right spirit throughout his illustrious career.
"He (Tendulkar) has done a tremendous amount for world cricket and for taking it forward. He played the game hard but always in the right spirit," Kallis said in the question and answer session as part of the Newlands 10th annual New Year's address here yesterday.
"To achieve what he (Tendulkar) achieved is incredible. I enjoyed my battles against him. I always said I will play this game hard but in the right spirit, that I can (leave aside) the game when I am in a country and have a beer with them. That's the way he played it (too)," Kallis, who retired from Test cricket last December, was quoted as saying in 'ESPNcricinfo'.
Kallis, one of the greatest all-rounders to have graced the game, however, picked West Indian Brian Lara as the best batsman he has ever played against.
Asked who are his toughest opponents, Kallis said, "Seamer: Wasim Akram. He had the ability to swing the ball both ways. Spinner: Shane Warne. He controlled the game, he attacked, defended. Batsman: Brian Lara."
The 39-year-old Kallis, who scored 13,289 runs and took 292 wickets from 166 Test matches, was also not unduly worried about the BCCI exercising most of the administrative and financial control in world cricket, saying the Indian Board had been doing so for some time.
"I don't think anyone really knows if it's a good or a bad thing. We are going to have to wait and see. If we are brutally honest, the BCCI has had a lot of power over the game for some time, so I don't think it is really going to change much.
"My only concern is that they make decision in the best interests of cricket and not only in the best interests of own cricket, and I think they will do that," said Kallis who plays for Kolkata Knight Riders in the cash-rich IPL.
Chepauk and Sachin
The Chepauk stays special
Prasad Ramasubramanian | TNN
Chennai: One can’t help but wonder at the role MA Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk here has played in Sachin Tendulkar’s glittering career. Out of his 10 Tests here, he has amassed 970 runs at an average of 88.18.
However, what stands out is the fact that Sachin has essayed some of his career’s most memorable knocks at this ground. Sachin’s first century at Chepauk, 165 against England in 1993, set the stage for his romance with the ground. Five years later, Sachin decimated Shane Warne & Co. in an exhibition of strokeplay that continues to reverberate at the ground.
Veteran curator PR Viswanathan vividly recalled that innings. “Before that game, Sachin asked former India leg-spinner L Sivaramakrishnan to bowl at him on the rough outside the leg stump. That session gave Sachin enough confidence. When the time came to face Warne, he was more than ready and the shots he essayed on the leg side were out of the world,” Viswanathan told TOI.
What makes Chepauk Sachin’s favorite hunting ground? “Chepauk offers true bounce. Once a player gets used to it, he begins to score freely. I guess that’s what happened with Sachin at the MAC. He has played some fantastic innings here,” Viswanathan said.
In 1999, Sachin’s monumental 136 against Pakistan saw him battle a back injury, cramps and some high-quality bowling as he took India to the doorstep of victory, before his dismissal saw his side fall short of what could have been a great win. Sachin’s next century (126) here came against Oz that saw India complete a 2-1 series win.
In Dec 2008, in the backdrop of the horrific Mumbai attacks, Sachin delivered yet another stunning show here, an unconquered 103, helping India to overhaul England’s target of 387.
Tributes and fond memories
Brian Lara
NEW DELHI: Former West Indies batsman Brian Lara said that Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten 241-run knock against Australia was the most disciplined and determined innings of his Test career.
Tendulkar, who made his debut in the longest format of the game as a 16-year-old, finished his 24-year-long career as Test cricket's highest-run scorer. "Can you imagine playing Test cricket at the age of 16 until the next 24 years. That is just unbelievable. Sachin has played some amazing innings throughout his career but none with more discipline and determination like his 241* against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)," Lara said in an Instagram post.
Citing the example of Tendulkar's innings, Lara asked everyone to show discipline as the world battles COVID-19.
In 2004, Tendulkar scored 241* off 436 balls against Australia and this enabled India to post a mammoth score of 705/7 in their first innings.
The match ended in a draw but the concentration and dedication Tendulkar showed will remain alive in the minds of the cricketing fans.
In that series, Tendulkar was struggling for form, and he decided to not play cover drive in the final Test of the series. Despite that the Master Blaster went on to score a double ton.
Tendulkar played 200 Test matches and scored 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78. In 463 ODIs, he amassed 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83. He has scored 100 tons and 164 fifties across formats.
Clarke
Tendulkar hardest batsman to get out: Clarke
MELBOURNE: Former Australian captain Michael Clarke feels Virat Kohli's fetish for big hundreds is similar to the iconic Sachin Tendulkar, who was the "hardest to get out" with a technique which "didn't have a weakness".
Clarke said he can't recall a batsman as complete as Tendulkar during his playing days.
"Probably technically the best batsman (Tendulkar) I ever saw. The hardest batsman to get out. I think Sachin, technically, didn't have a weakness. Part of you hoped that he made a mistake," Clarke told the 'Big sports Breakfast' radio show.
He then went on heap praise on Kohli, calling him the best batsman across all formats among the current lot.
"I think right now the best batsman across all three formats. His one day and twenty-twenty records are phenomenal and he's also found a way to dominate Test cricket.
"What Kohli and Tendulkar have in common is they love making big hundreds," he said.
Tendulkar is the only cricketer to have played 200 Test matches and scored 100 international centuries.
He smashed 51 centuries in Tests and 49 in ODIs and holds the record for most runs in both formats – 15,921 runs in 200 Tests and 18,426 in 463 ODIs.
He retired in 2013 after an emotional home Test series against the West Indies.
Clarke scored 8643 runs in 115 Test matches and 28 hundreds to his name. In ODIs, he managed 7981 runs in 245 matches.
The 39-year-old led Australia to the 2015 World Cup title.
Steve Waugh
He was the Don Bradman of our times
Sachin was always a favourite with Australian crowds and cricketers because he was fiercely competitive, never backed off from a contest and never gave up
Steve Waugh
The first time I saw Sachin Tendulkar play in February 1992, I had all the time in the world to study him and analyze his technique. I had been dropped from the Australian side, and was watching him on television as he was on his way to scoring a remarkable century in Perth. The schoolboy with an unruly mop announced himself as a special talent, on one of the fastest pitches, against a very good pace attack.
One of the many innings of Sachin that I remember was in November 2009, when he was on his way to a spectacular 175, and once again I felt that I was watching a player who comes but once in a century. It can be said that he was the Bradman of our times, and I do feel privileged to have played a lot of cricket against him.
Sachin always brought with him an amazing sporting presence. It was a captain’s nightmare to set a field when he was in full flow. It was akin to getting stuck in a tornado — the noise made it impossible to communicate with the fielders, the bowlers looked demoralised and could sense that Sachin himself was delighted at the disarray he created in the opposition. Whether in India or elsewhere, there were always enough fans to create a deafening din whenever he was at his best.
On his day, Sachin could take a game away from under your nose very quickly. His uncanny ability to find gaps, his running between the wickets and his sheer presence at the wicket were unsettling for the opposition. Sachin rarely got into verbal duels, and soon we too realised that sledging him only helped strengthen his concentration and resolve. No wonder then that some of the most talkative Australians went quiet when Sachin was in the middle. There have been occasions when he did indulge in some chat himself, but on the whole he was quiet, focused and seriously tough.
Like many cricketers who were involved in that tournament, my favourite Sachin knock came in Sharjah 1998, in what is now known as the ‘sandstorm innings’. Not only did he single-handedly get his team into the finals, he then went on to try and win the game from an impossible situation. Allan Border was stand-in coach for that series, and I remember him saying that that knock was one of the best he had witnessed.
The final was on Sachin’s birthday, and he scored 140-odd and won the tournament for his team. Those two knocks were gems — works of pure genius.
Sachin was always a favourite with Australian crowds and had the unreserved respect of Australian cricketers because he possesses many traits that we respect and value among sportsmen. He was fiercely competitive, never backed off from a contest, never gave up but was always fair. His innate decency had always shone through his ruthlessness on the field. Mostly, he’s wanted to dominate the bowler and stamp his supremacy on the opposition.
Sachin is at the summit of a monumental career, in terms of runs, years and milestones. However, none of this would have captured the imagination of a billion Indians if it were not for the personality of Sachin. I will not claim to know him well, but in our limited interactions, he comes across as a shy, decent, humble person. I know that Sachin has learnt to embrace the pressure and expectations that 1.2 billion fans place on him. He seemed to thrive on their goodwill, and has rarely mentioned it as a burden.
(This article first appeared in the Times of India ‘Crest’ edition dated Nov 14, 2009)
Imran Khan
SACHIN’S PASSION SET HIM APART
If there was one area in which Tendulkar was ahead of his contemporaries, it was focus. His concentration, discipline and unquestioned ability all made him one of the best players of his generation…
Imran Khan
When I first bowled to Sachin Tendulkar, I almost felt sorry for this small-built 16-year-old, who looked 14. It was an India-Pakistan encounter and we were playing hard, yet it almost seemed unfair when we saw young Sachin and I for one was tempted to go easy on him.
The wickets were tailormade for us, and they remained green for two full days. Batting against quality pace bowling was really hard in that series. But it's hard to say how I would have bowled to him at my peak, because when he made his debut against us 20 years ago, I was at the end of my career. However, both Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis — who too made his debut in the same Test as Sachin — were bowling at a fiery pace.
My memories of that 1989 series are that we virtually played four-day Tests because of the light, which is why a very strong Pakistan side had to be content with a draw against a relatively weaker, inexperienced Indian side.
As far as Sachin was concerned, there was one shot he played right through that series that has stayed in my mind. It was off the backfoot between point and cover. The pitches were green, the ball was moving and it struck me that it was remarkable how he was timing this drive and getting it right so often.
More evidence that he was special came during a practice game in Peshawar. Abdul Qadir was at the peak of his bowling then. Sachin hit him for one six, after which I teased Qadir that a schoolboy was launching into him. The wily leg-spinner gave me a wink to suggest it was a trap. Sachin went on to hit another one over the boundary and I gave Qadir the look. After the fourth six, the smile was gone from Qadir's face, and later that evening he told me that this boy was an extraordinary talent.
However, it was only over the years that I began to realize that Sachin was a special talent. This has nothing to do with the fact that his entry into international cricket was relatively quiet. It’s because I need to be convinced of a player’s temperament and technique before I rate him. I have seen many talented cricketers not achieve what they could because they lacked the other key ingredients that transform talent into success.
Fortunately for India, Sachin’s passion was what set him apart from the rest. When one is passionate about one’s game, hard work becomes fun, and those long hours at the nets seem interesting and challenging rather than routine and monotonous. This passion helped Sachin tighten his technique and gave him the temperament to manage his innings well. Sachin's concentration, his discipline and his unquestioned ability, all made him one of the best players of his generation. He had the gift of timing when he played the quicker bowlers, but he was also exceptional against spin, proof of which lies in his famous battles with Shane Warne.
Over the years, Sachin remained remarkably consistent and acquired more records than anybody I can remember. His talent and versatility were unquestioned, which is why the only question that rankles is why he did not win enough games for his team. Very often, he took his team to the brink of a famous win before getting out.
I have two explanations for this. The first one is that Sachin often took the whole burden of team responsibility and expectation squarely on his shoulders. This often reflected itself as worry on his face, and his body language betrayed a sense of anxiety. A good bowler is a predator and once he senses this pressure in the batsman, he goes in for the kill. Perhaps if Sachin had developed the tunnel vision, which made him focus on one ball at a time, he might have been able to convert more games into wins for his side.
The other major problem was that for the better part of his career, India did not have a bowling attack that could take 20 wickets, especially outside India. If he had match-winning bowlers to back up his own excellence, many of his knocks would have become match-winning ones.
Sachin has had the misfortune of seeing some of his best efforts come in a losing cause. Perhaps that is the one aspect of his career that he might look back at with some regret. Maybe he would feel that for a player of his ability and stature, he should have been able to pull off a few more victories in his long, illustrious career.
If there was one area in which Sachin was ahead of his contemporaries, it was focus. Inzamam-ul Haq was possibly even more gifted, but Sachin was more successful due to his commitment and focus. Inzamam had an exceptional ability to play off both feet and on both sides of the wicket — something Ricky Ponting also did so well. However, despite the long and distinguished career that he had, I still feel Inzamam could have done even more. Besides, Sachin never backed away from responsibilities, while Inzamam was always reluctant to bat up the order in ODIs.
Sachin did fill in a space that had been vacated by Gavaskar’s retirement. It’s hard to compare the two because both were the products of their respective generations, and their circumstances were different. Gavaskar came in at a time when cricketers from the subcontinent were not rated very highly.
Gavaskar changed all that thanks to his unwavering temperament, an area where I would rate him higher not only than Sachin but also many of his own great contemporaries. He had an incredible ability to soak pressure, and the only other player who comes close to him in this regard is Ian Chappell. Therefore, while Sachin was certainly the more versatile, freeflowing and talented batsman, I would still choose Gavaskar as the man I would want in a crisis situation.
In the end, Tendulkar was too proud a cricketer to hang around if he was not meeting the high standards he had set himself over these last two decades. GAMEPLAN (This article first appeared in the Times of India Crest edition on Nov 14, 2009)
Commemorative postage stamps
See also Bharat Ratna
From: IndiaTV, citing Arvind Jain, a deputy Principal in a girls college in Bhilwada, informs us that:
Nine countries had issued postal stamps on Sachin before India did.
2008: Scotland issued the stamp shown on this page when Tendulkar became the highest run getter in test cricket.
2009: England issued a postal stamp on Sachin for scoring 12,429 runs in test cricket. 2009: Congo issued a postal Stamp on Sachin.
2011: Saint Vincent issued a three stamp souvenir sheet on Sachin during the 2011 world cup.
2011: Guinea-Bissau issued two stamps after India won the world cup though the stamps had the pictures of other cricketers also.
Togo republic issued a souvenir which had the pictures of Sachin and Saurav Ganguly.
Fitness routine
Nick Hoult, The Telegraph, UK informs us, ‘Sachin worked out his own method of improving his reflexes as a child, adapting the young Don’s method of hitting a golf ball against a water tank. Tendulkar “bought a couple of golf balls” and cut them in to an oval shape and asked his aunt to throw them at him while using the living room as a net. “The ball would change direction after pitching, either coming in or going away. I would learn to play with soft hands without damaging things in our living room.” The perfect nephew.’
His fitness routine has no room for error
Ramji Srinivasan
It really is a different ball game when it comes to Sachin’s physical and mental abilities.
The special quality about Sachin is his ability to adapt, assimilate and apply the things he has learnt. He has truly remarkable control over his body. His fitness routines are precise and well-organized, with no room for error. He has constantly defied pundits on sports medicine, physios and even fitness experts. He has made huge comebacks every time he has been written off. That explains a lot about him.
His fitness schedule is very specific to his needs. A lot of things are out of the box. His understanding of the biodynamics of exercise and the kinematics involved is astounding. His spatial awareness while doing a particular regime has in fact made youngsters look at him in awe. His training methodologies vary according to the format of the game.
Apart from his sessions in the gym, his speed, agility and core strength is amazing. He is always innovative and full of ideas. His discipline is impeccable, like a Navy Seal when it comes to fitness and eating patterns during a tour or off it. He is a complete athlete.
Ramji Srinivasan is a fitness trainer closely associated with Team India. He helped Tendulkar recover from a major shoulder surgery in 2006.
Brand value
The century man who scored first Rs 100cr deal
Sachin Tendulkar struck a never-heard-before Rs 100-crore deal with Mark Mascarenhas’s sports management firm WorldTel in 2001, which was the beginning of the phenomenon of brand Sachin.
Samidha Sharma, TNN | Oct 11, 2013
MUMBAI: He has, arguably, been one the biggest Indian sports celebrities and an intensely sought after brand ambassador for almost two decades now. It all goes back to the time when Sachin Tendulkar struck a never-heard-before Rs 100-crore deal with Mark Mascarenhas's sports management firm WorldTel in 2001, which was the beginning of the phenomenon of brand Sachin. Since then, the master blaster has been a top endorser for marquee brands including Pepsi, Boost, Adidas and MRF, among many others.
However, things are bound to change for the 40-year-old as he retires from all formats of the game soon and enters a new phase off the field. From charging anywhere between Rs 6 crore and Rs 8 crore annually as endorsement fee, his asking price after retirement is likely to plummet to Rs 2-3 crore, say industry experts. Brand marketers and sports agents say Sachin can live on as a brand to be reckoned with if he reinvents himself and cashes in on his fearless attitude instead of portraying himself as only an athlete.
Over the past two years, due to the uncertainty around his retirement, a few brands like Canon and Castrol pulled the plug on him. Besides, he has not signed any mega deals in the recent past. The last major announcement came in 2011 when Coca-Cola signed him for Rs 12-15 crore. The Coke deal is up for renewal in the first quarter of next year. The cricketer is now managed by the World Sport Group and has 13 brands in his kitty.
"Sachin has a compelling brand value since he is the first Indian sportsperson in the post-cable television era to have achieved unparalleled greatness. He embodies a certain kind of nostalgia for everyone who has grown up seeing him on TV in the '90s. He will have opportunities going forward if he reinvents himself and leverages his iconic status," says Anirban Das Blah, managing partner at celebrity management firm CAA Kwan.
Many of Sachin's existing contracts are ending over the next year and one of the brands that he endorses says his contract would be renewed if he slashes his fee. "The kind of brands he will endorse and his involvement and engagement with them will change going ahead," says Bunty Sajdeh, CEO, Cornerstone Sport & Entertainment, the agency which manages younger crickets like Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan.
Recently, the German sports goods maker signed on 24-year-old Kohli for a record-breaking Rs 10 crore-per-year deal, a sign of how some of the brands that Sachin endorses are looking at younger stars. However, Tushar Goculdas, brand director, Adidas India, says the brand's association with Sachin will continue. "We will celebrate his final cricketing landmark with a campaign — #SRTforever. While he will play his final test match in the three-stripes, he will continue to guide and mentor team Adidas forever."
Toshiba, which went ahead and renewed Sachin's contract this year, is looking to use the cricketing great to co-create its products. Says Abhishek Mehta, head of marketing at the Japanese electronics major, "We want to be seen doing big things with him as his association goes beyond just endorsing the brand for us."
LITTLE MASTER’S BIG BUSINESS
OCT 1995 | WorldTel signs Sachin Tendulkar — marketing agent Mark Mascarenhas is eventually credited with building the master blaster into a multi-million dollar brand
2001 | Mascarenhas’s sport management firm WorldTel signs Tendulkar for a record 5-year contract worth 100cr
2006 | Sachin signs on with the World Sport Group
ENDORSEMENTS as in 2013
Adidas
Toshiba
Aviva
Kaspersky Labs
Audemars
Valuemart
Piguet
Musafir.com
Amit Luminous Enterprises
Livepure
Boost
Royal Bank of Scotland
Coca-Cola
According to Forbes magazine, Tendulkar’s earnings from brand endorsements stood at $18m as of June 2013 and is ranked 51st on the highest paid athletes’ list in the world
Tendulkar charges 5-8cr annually per brand
Member of Parliament
Gives ₹40L to dilapidated J&K school
Saleem Pandit, Sachin gives ₹40L to neglected J&K school, March 31, 2018: The Times of India
Kashmiris were full of praise for cricket icon and nominated Rajya Sabha member Sachin Tendulkar for sanctioning Rs 40 lakh from his local area development funds to reconstruct a dilapidated school building at Drugmulla, in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, too, tweeted her appreciation: “Thankful to @sachin_rt for using his MPLAD funds for the construction of a school building in Kashmir. Even off the field, he continues to inspire us all.”
Sachin Tendulkar, in a letter to the district magistrate, mentioned that the Imperial Educational Institute at Drugmulla, established in 2007, had requested funds and the request must be scrutinized.
An elected Lok Sabha MP can spend Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLAD) funds only in his or her constituency and an elected RS MP anywhere in the state from which elected. But a nominated RS MP can spend MPLAD funds anywhere across India.
The institute is the only school in Drugmulla, is coed, and currently has 1,000 students across Classes 1 to 10 and about 50 teachers. The girls outnumber the boys at the school. The description of work requested included construction of a school building with 10 classrooms, four laboratories, an administrative block, six toilets and an assembly/prayer hall.
