Revision as of 10:15, 11 October 2013

Photographs: Including those credited to AFP are from the archives of The Times of India

Sachin Tendulkar: As a 5-year-old

15-year-old Sachin cuts an image of poise and confidence at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium ahead of his debut in Pakistan in November 1989

Sachin Tendulkar 1989

Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara

Sachin Tendulkar: South African President Nelson Mandela is introduced to Mohammad Azharudin by Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar during the lunch break on the third day of the Second Test between South Africa and India at Newlands, 4 January, 1997. (AFP Photo)

Sachin Tendulkar: Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar lifts the Sahara Cup after after winning the series against Pakistan in Toronto, Canada on September 21, 1997.

Sachin Tendulkar: Sachin Tendulkar shakes hands with Shane Warne after guiding India to victory against Australia in Sharjah on April 24, 1998, his 25th birthday. (AFP Photo)

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar: Sachin Tendulkar stands next to a replica of a gold medallion which was launched on March 26, 1999 to commemorate the World Cup in England.

Sachin Tendulkar: Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar lifts the Pepsi Challange trophy November 2, 1999 after winning the series against New Zealand at the Sardar Patel stadium in Ahmedabad. (AFP Photo)

Sachin Tendulkar: Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar acknowledges the applause after scoring a century against Australia on the third day of the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 28, 1999. (AFP Photo)

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar: Sachin Tendulkar acknowledges the crowd after scoring a double century on the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe on November 26, 2000 in Nagpur. (AFP Photo)

Team of 89

Meeting the Don on his 90th birthday in Adelaide after being specially flown in on Bradman’s request

Timeline

IANS | Oct 10, 2013

The Times of India

Timeline of Sachin Tendulkar's cricketing achievements

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar made his Test debut in Karachi against Pakistan at the age of 16.

A timeline of Sachin Tendulkar's 24-year-old illustrious career:

Feb 23-25, 1988: Tendulkar (14) and Vinod Kambli (16) compile a 664-run unbroken partnership for Shardashram Vidya Mandir against St Xavier's at Azad Maidan, Mumbai. Kambli remains unbeaten on 349 not out and Tendulkar scores 326 not out. It remains the highest partnership recorded in any form of cricket, until in November 2006.

Dec 11, 1988: Makes first-class debut at the age of 15 and scores an unbeaten century against Gujarat at the Wankhede Stadium. Becomes Youngest Indian to make a hundred on first-class debut.

Nov 15, 1989: Makes his Test debut in Karachi against Pakistan at the age of 16. Makes 15 on debut.

Dec 14, 1989: Suffers a bloody nose in the last Test in Sialkot after being hit by Waqar Younis. Makes 57 in the innings.

August 14, 1990: At the age of 17 years and 112 days, becomes the then second-youngest to score a Test century. He scores 119 not out against England at Old Trafford which helped India to get a draw.

April, 1992: Signs up for Yorkshire and becomes the first overseas signing for the English county.

Nov 27-28, 1992: Becomes the youngest player to score 1000 Test runs at the age of 19 years and 217 days after he scores 111 in India's 227 in Johannesburg.

Feb 11-12, 1993: Gets his first Test century (165) at home against England.

Nov 24, 1993: The world saw the first glimpse of Tendulkar as a match-winning bowler. Bowls India to sensational last-ball win against South Africa in the Hero Cup semi-final. South Africa needing six runs to win off the last over, Tendulkar gave them just three, and India a victory.

March 27, 1994: Opens the innings for the first time in an ODI against the New Zealand. Scores 82 off 49 balls.

October 1995: Becomes the richest cricketer in the world after he signs up a five-year contract worth Rs.31.5 crore with WorldTel.

Feb-March, 1996: Plays his first World Cup at home and scores 523 runs at an average 87.16 and becomes the highest scorer.

Aug 8, 1996: Becomes the Indian captain at the age of 23.

Jan 2, 1998: Sacked from captaincy after a 15-month stint during which India won just three of 17 Tests.

Feb-March, 1998: In the best of his form against Australia in a home Test series and also gets his maiden double hundred. He also scored two hundreds and a fifty in the three-Test series that India won 2-1.

July 28, 1999: Gets back his captaincy after Mohammad Azharuddin is sacked for India's failure to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in England.

March 20, 2001: Scores a thrilling century in the deciding Test in Chennai and denies Australia the "final frontier".

March 31, 2001: Becomes the first payer to score 10,000 runs in ODIs en route to his 139 against Australia in Indore.

Nov 19, 2001: Fined by match referee Mike Denness for ball tampering. The decision was later overturned after an outcry by the Indian cricket board.

Aug 22-23, 2002: Surpassed Don Bradman's tally of 29 Test centuries. Misses double-century by seven at Headingley, but India win by an innings and 46 runs.

February-March, 2003: Scores 673 runs at 61.18 in the World Cup and also takes India to sniffing distance of winning the crown. His 98 against Pakistan was one of the best knocks played by Indians at World Cup. Australia are the champions, but Tendulkar is named the Man of the Series.

Aug, 2003: Is presented with a Ferrari 360 Modena for going past Bradman's 29 Test centuries.

Jan 2-4, 2004: Scores 241 in Sydney, one of his best, even as Australia manage to hold on for a draw, and the series ends 1-1.

Aug, 2004: Suffers from tennis elbow during the Videocon Cup in Holland. Misses the Champions Trophy in England, and then the first two home Tests against Australia.

March 16, 2005: Scores 52 against Pakistan and becomes the fifth man to score 10,000 Test runs.

May, 2005: Goes for the surgery for the tennis elbow.

Dec 10, 2005: Becomes the highest centurion in Test cricket as he overtakes Sunil Gavaskar's 34 en route to his 109 against Sri Lanka in Delhi.

March 19, 2006: Is booed at the Wankhede Stadium after he was dismissed for duck in 33 minutes against England in Mumbai.

March, 2006: Again goes under the knife. This time for surgery on his right shoulder in England.

May, 2007: For the first time in his career, Tendulkar is rested for the three-ODI series in Bangladesh.

Jan 4, 2008: Scores an unbeaten 154, against a major Test playing nation in two years and 19 Tests, against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

March 2, 2008: Sachin scores his first ODI century in Australia, in first of the CB Series final.

Oct 17, 2008: Surpasses Brian Lara's record of most Test runs against Australia at Mohali.

Nov 5, 2009: Gets to 17,000 runs during his 175 off 141 balls in a 351-run chase against Australia in Hyderabad. India fell short by 19 runs.

Feb 24, 2010: Becomes the first player in the history of the game to score 200 in a single innings in a one-day international. He took 147 deliveries to power India to 401 and a 153-run win against South Africa.

Oct 2010: Tendulkar bags his first ICC award, the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.

Dec 19, 2010: Gets his 50th Test hundred against a difficult South African attack in Centurion.

April 2, 2011: Realises his childhood dream of winning the World Cup that too at his home town of Mumbai and at the Wankhede. India beat Sri Lanka to win the World Cup for the second time.

March 16, 2012: Gets the 100th international century, scoring 114 in an Asia Cup match against Bangladesh in Mirpur. But India lost the match. The century came after 34 innings and more than a year after scoring his 99th international hundred.

Dec 23, 2012: Just minutes before the selectors were set to name the squad for the ODI series against Pakistan, Tendulkar announces his retirement from the format. Tendulkar finished with 18,426 ODI runs and 49 hundreds, well clear of any other batsman.

Oct 10, 2013: Tendulkar announces his retirement from Test cricket.

The Making Of A Master

The Times of India

BOY WONDER (1989)

Stories about his phenomenal talent and ability to play the best of strokes even before he turned 15 had already reached every cricket lover in the country, thanks to Mumbai's cricketing grapevine. So when he showed the typical teenage bravado while carting Pakistan leg-spinners Abdul Qadir and Mushtaq Ahmed in a 20-over friendly one-dayer in Peshawar and showed amazing power for a young boy while lofting the cricket ball, the world finally saw why Sachin Tendulkar was the most talked about 16-year-old in the world. While Peshawar saw the aggressive side of Tendulkar, the Test series saw his defensive side. His fifties in Faisalabad and Sialkot on greenish tracks were illustrative of his grit and temperament. That greatness was going to descend on him became obvious after he scored his maiden Test century in Old Trafford, Manchester, in what was a match-saving effort on a difficult fifth-day pitch.

CHARMING THE DON (1992)

Perhaps it was the first time the world saw what a punch off the back foot meant. On the bouncy pitches of Australia, he looked completely at ease and stroked wonderful centuries in Sydney and Perth. The time he got to play his strokes was the talk of the world. Seldom has an 18-year-old batted with such authority in alien conditions and that tour was the start of Tendulkar's love affair with the Australian bowling and pitches.

ONE-DAY SUPERSTAR (1994)

While he was a reasonably successful player in ODIs, he didn't quite get the big scores regularly as a result of batting too low in the line-up. An injury to Navjot Sidhu just before the second ODI in Auckland meant that Tendulkar went out to open and his 82 in 49 balls started another chapter. The field restrictions and his ability to clear the ball with ease, thanks to his incredible power and ability to pick up length early, meant that Tendulkar's address in the batting lineup in ODIs had permanently changed. The one stroke that regularly comes to mind is the pick up shot over mid-wicket where he cleared his front leg and used his wrists to send the ball to the fence.

PRESSURES OF CAPTAINCY (1996-1997)

After being named captain, he felt the pressure of carrying the team on his shoulders and cut out some of the strokes from his game. The strokes that went away were the lofted inside out shot over extra cover which he played regularly against the left-arm-spinners. He seldom stepped out to the spinners and that is why he often was perturbed by the left-arm-over spin angle.

GLORIOUS YEAR (1998)

The moment the captaincy was taken away from him, he got the freedom to play all the strokes again. Out came the lofted stroke, the slog sweep from the rough against Shane Warne, the lofted stroke over the bowler's head which he played almost entirely with the top hand. It was his most productive year in cricket. The free approach saw him slam four Test hundreds and nine ODI tons, earning him praise even from the great Don Bradman.

MILESTONES & HEARTBREAKS (1999-2007)

The most tumultuous phase of his career was also, in parts, the most enervating. A heartbreaking 136, played with an injured back against Pakistan in Chennai in a Test which India lost by 13 runs, was followed by another unremarkable stint as captain before he finally found himself part of a team with the talent and gumption to take on stronger opposition. As India blossomed under Sourav Ganguly, Sachin became the first player to score 10,000 runs in ODIs, sizzled in the 2003 World Cup only to see India lose in the final, overcame a career-threatening tennis elbow injury and scored a gritty 241* in Sydney in 2003-04. Also had a shoulder operation in 2006.

CONSISTENCY PERSONIFIED (2008-2012)

Refashioned himself into a less flamboyant but hugely consistent run-machine following India's disastrous 2007 World Cup sojourn and the exit of coach Greg Chappell. Scored an unbeaten, masterful 154 in Sydney, his first century in more than two years and 19 Tests against opposition other Bangladesh. Followed it up by his first ODI century in Australia in the CB Series before breaking Brian Lara's record of most Test runs in Mohali, all in 2008. Scored the first ODI double century in 2010 before realizing his dream of being part of a World Cup-winning squad in 2011.

Sachin's 20 glorious years

The Times of India

Sachin was picked by Mumbai captain Dilip Vengsarkar after seeing him negotiate Kapil Dev in the nets and was selected for the tour of Pakistan next year.

Sachin played his first Test match against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989 aged just 16.

Sachin Tendulkar made his maiden Test century, an unbeaten 119, against England at Old Trafford in 1990. He was the second youngest cricketer to do so at the age of 17 years 112 days. (

TENDULKAR IN TESTS

The Times of India

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.

Memorable matches

Thank you for the memories, Master

While Sachin Tendulkar has provided some glorious moments for Indian cricket, there are some that are unforgettable. Ehtesham Hasan and K Shriniwas Rao hit the rewind button

The Times of India

AGAINST PAK, WC 2003

In an electrifying atmosphere at the Centurion, Tendulkar left the Pakistanis shellshocked with an innings which he rates as one of his best. Pakistan had a lethal bowling attack in Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar and they had their tails up after their batsmen rattled up 274. Tendulkar braved cramps to score 98 off 75 deliveries. The upper cut off Akhtar that sailed over point, is still remembered.

CHENNAI WIN POST 26/11

After losing to India badly in the ODIS, England flew back home because of the November 26 terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008. They returned to play the Test series later in December, only to lose the Chennai Test to Tendulkar’s clinical fourth-innings ton at Chepauk. Chasing 386 for victory, India were three down for 183 when Tendulkar walked in. A short 41-run stand with VVS Laxman, followed by a massive 162-run partnership with Yuvraj Singh for the fifth wicket gave India a six-wicket win.

SYDNEY SHOW

Tendulkar calls the Sydney Cricket Ground a home away from home. His effort of 241 in 2004 was a lesson in self-restraint. He didn’t score a boundary on the off side, didn’t hit a cover drive. He waited for the ball to come to him, picked it off and clipped it to midwicket all the way not just to three figures, but a double hundred. In 2008 Tendulkar had forgotten how an international hundred tastes like after getting out seven times in the 90s. His undefeated innings of 154 had driven India ahead in the Test but for umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson.

HERO CUP SEMIFINAL 1993

Kolkata’s historic venue the Eden Gardens was packed to the rafters. South Africa needed six runs off the last over. Captain Mohammad Azharuddin didn’t know whom to throw the bowl to even as coach Ajit Wadekar dispatched the 12th man with water and a message “bowl Kapil.” The great all-rounder however was a bit reluctant given that there was hardly anything to defend. That is when Tendulkar did the impossible. He grabbed the ball from Azhar and pulled the choke on South Africa.

WARNE-BASHING 1998

The series was build as Tendulkar vs Warne and it lived up to the hype with the master blaster taking on the legendary legspinner who was in his pomp. Tendulkar, known for his attention to detail, trained hard for the series asking former India leg-spinner and L Shivaramakrishnan and Sairaj Bahutule to bowl in the rough outside the leg-stump. As it turned out, in the first match of the tour against Mumbai, Tendulkar hit a double hundred - his first-ever in first class cricket - and in the process sent Warne to the cleaners. It set the tone for the series.

OPERATION DESERT STORM: 1997-98

India stood to qualify for the final against Australia in the Coca Cola Cup Triseries in Sharjah only if they bettered New Zealand’s run-rate. The target was reduced from 285 in 50 overs to 276 in 46 because of a sand storm. India, though, needed 237 — even in case of a defeat — to oust the Kiwis. In walked Tendulkar, to play an innings that is now etched in the memories forever. Smashing nine fours and five sixes, Tendulkar belted 143 off 131 balls to singlehandedly steer India through. In the final, he belted another hundred.

Chepauk and Sachin

The Chepauk stays special

Prasad Ramasubramanian | TNN

The Times of India

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.

40 facts you didn't know about Sachin Tendulkar

TNN | Oct 11, 2013

The Times of India

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'.

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

The Times of India

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

Versus Brian Lara

The Times of India

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.

Tributes

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 Times of India

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

The Times of India

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)

Fitness routine

His fitness routine has no room for error

Ramji Srinivasan

The Times of India

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.