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India

Full name Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Born April 24, 1973, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra

Current age 36 years 73 days

Major teams India, Asia XI, Mumbai, Mumbai Indians, Yorkshire

Nickname Tendlya, Little Master

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak, Legbreak googly

Height 5 ft 5 in

Education Sharadashram Vidyamandir School

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar
Batting and fielding averages
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
Tests 159 261 27 12773 248* 54.58 42 53 51 102 0
ODIs 425 415 39 16684 186* 44.37 19477 85.66 43 91 1818 176 129 0
T20Is 1 1 0 10 10 10.00 12 83.33 0 0 2 0 1 0
First-class 261 412 43 21662 248* 58.70 69 99 170 0
List A 512 500 53 20236 186* 45.27 54 109 164 0
Twenty20 25 25 3 750 69 34.09 599 125.20 0 5 95 17 14 0
Bowling averages
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10
Tests 159 127 3934 2272 44 3/10 3/14 51.63 3.46 89.4 0 0 0
ODIs 425 266 8015 6806 154 5/32 5/32 44.19 5.09 52.0 4 2 0
T20Is 1 1 15 12 1 1/12 1/12 12.00 4.80 15.0 0 0 0
First-class 261 7299 4164 69 3/10 60.34 3.42 105.7 0 0
List A 512 10191 8434 201 5/32 5/32 41.96 4.96 50.7 4 2 0
Twenty20 25 8 93 123 2 1/12 1/12 61.50 7.93 46.5 0 0 0
Career statistics
Test debut Pakistan v India at Karachi, Nov 15-20, 1989 scorecard
Last Test New Zealand v India at Wellington, Apr 3-7, 2009 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut Pakistan v India at Gujranwala, Dec 18, 1989 scorecard
Last ODI New Zealand v India at Christchurch, Mar 8, 2009 scorecard
ODI statistics
Only T20I South Africa v India at Johannesburg, Dec 1, 2006 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut 1988/89
Last First-class New Zealand v India at Wellington, Apr 3-7, 2009 scorecard
List A debut 1989/90
Last List A New Zealand v India at Christchurch, Mar 8, 2009 scorecard
Twenty20 debut South Africa v India at Johannesburg, Dec 1, 2006 scorecard
Last Twenty20 Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians at Centurion, May 21, 2009 scorecard
Profile

Sachin Tendulkar has been the most complete batsman of his time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon as well. His batting is based on the purest principles: perfect balance, economy of movement, precision in stroke-making, and that intangible quality given only to geniuses, anticipation. If he doesn't have a signature stroke - the upright, back-foot punch comes close - it is because he is equally proficient in each of the full range of orthodox shots (and plenty of improvised ones as well) and can pull them out at will.

Though he has adopted a noticeably conservative approach in the last quarter of his career, there are no apparent weaknesses in Tendulkar's game. He can score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back, and has made runs in all parts of the world in all conditions.

Some of his finest performances have come against Australia, the overwhelmingly dominant team of his era. His century as a 19-year old on a lightning fast pitch at the WACA is considered one of the best innings ever to have been played in Australia. A few years later he received the ultimate compliment from the ultimate batsman when Don Bradman confided to his wife that Tendulkar reminded him of himself.

Blessed with the keenest of cricket minds, and armed with a loathing for losing, Tendulkar set about doing what it took to become one of the best batsmen in the world. This was after he was turned away from a fast-bowling camp in Chennai by Dennis Lillee.

Tendulkar's greatness was established early: he was only 16 when he made his Test debut. He was hit on the mouth by Waqar Younis but continued to bat, in a blood-soaked shirt. His first Test hundred, a match-saving one at Old Trafford, came when he was 17, and he had 16 Test hundreds before he turned 25. In 2000 he became the first batsman to have scored 50 international hundreds, and in 2008 he passed Brian Lara as the leading Test run-scorer and the first to 12,000 runs. He currently holds the record for most hundreds in both Tests and ODIs - remarkable, considering he didn't score his first ODI hundred till his 79th match.

Tendulkar's considerable achievements seem greater still when looked at in the light of the burden of expectations he has had to bear from his adoring but somewhat unreasonable followers, who have been prone to regard anything less than a hundred as a failure. The aura may have dimmed, if only slightly, as the years on the international circuit have taken their toll on the body, but Tendulkar remains, by a distance, the most worshipped cricketer in the world.
Sambit Bal October 2008

Notes

Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1997

Timeline
  • February 23-25, 1988
    Monster in the making
    • Sachin Tendulkar, 14, and Vinod Kambli, 16 compile a 664-run unbroken partnership for Shardashram Vidyamandir against St Xavier's at Azad Maidan. Kambli makes 349 not out, Tendulkar 326 not out. It remains the highest partnership recorded in any form of cricket, until in November 2006 two schoolboys from Hyderabad - Manoj Kumar and Mohammad Shaibaz - overtake the record with an unbeaten 721-run partnership.
  • December 11, 1988
    Truly first-class debut
    • At 15, scores an unbeaten century against Gujarat at the Wankhede Stadium to become the youngest Indian to make a hundred on first-class debut. Was picked after Bombay captain Dilip Vengsarkar watched him negotiate Kapil Dev in the nets.
  • December 14, 1989
    Bloody-minded to start with
    • On the last day of the last Test of his first Test series, in Sialkot, gets hit on the nose by Waqar Younis - also in his first series. Falls down, gets up, and wipes away the gushing blood. Medical assistance is declined. Is eventually out for 57.
  • Showing 1 of 14 Next
Best Performances
  • 119 not out v England, Old Trafford, 1990
    • England pile up 519 on a benign pitch, and India reply with 432. England stretch the lead to 407, and though the pitch is still good and the bowling (Malcolm, Fraser, Lewis, Hemmings) not terribly menacing, India find themselves in deep water at 127 for 5 with only one recognised batsman left. And he's only 17 years old. Tendulkar battles for nearly four hours, grimly but never dourly, and ends the day with 119. India lose only one more wicket, ending up with 343. With one more session, they might even have won.
  • 114 v Australia, Perth, 1991-92
    • The fastest pitch in Australia has been reserved for the last Test. India have been beaten already, only humiliation awaits. Batting first, Australia score 346. Tendulkar enters at a relatively comfortable 100 for 3, but watches the next five wickets go down for 59. Tendulkar is the next man out... at 240. He has scored 118 of the 140 runs added while he is at the crease, and has made them in such an awe-inspiring manner that commentators are asking themselves when they last saw an innings as good.
  • 169 v South Africa, Cape Town, 1996-97
    • Batting first, South Africa make a matchwinning 529.
      Playing only for honour, India find themselves groveling before Donald, Pollock, McMillan and Klusener. Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin get together at 58 for 5, and start spanking the bowling as if they were playing a club game in the park. They add 222 for the sixth wicket in less than two sessions, and Tendulkar has 26 boundaries in his score of 169. Even Donald says that he felt like clapping.
  • Showing 1 of 4 Next
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Jun 11, 2009

Sachin Tendulkar looks on during the launch of

Sachin Tendulkar looks on during the launch of "Tendulkar Opus"

© AFP

Jun 2009

Sachin Tendulkar has a DNA sample taken for an upcoming book on him

Sachin Tendulkar has a DNA sample taken

© Cricinfo Ltd

May 30, 2009

Sachin Tendulkar bats during a promotional event, Singapore, May 30, 2009

Sachin Tendulkar bats during a promotional event

© Associated Press

Country Fixtures Country Results
Middlesex v Rajasthan at Lord's - Jul 6
Rajasthan won by 46 runs
Mumbai v Rest of Ind in India (venue TBA)
Oct 1-5 (04:00 GMT)
India Blue v India Red in India (venue TBA)
Oct 8 (09:00 GMT)
India Green v India Red in India (venue TBA)
Oct 9 (09:00 GMT)
India Blue v India Green in India (venue TBA)
Oct 10 (09:00 GMT)
Complete fixtures »
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