45 reasons why we love Sachin: part four

HE STARTED YOUNG – REALLY YOUNG
A little boy with long, curly hair, holding a small cricket bat, wearing nothing but his pants and the biggest grin. The adorable childhood photo is one of Tendulkar’s most iconic. There really was no other way his life would turn out.

THAT FIRST INTERVIEW
Tendulkar was just 15 when he gave his first TV interview to journalist and actor Tom Alter. Alter did most of the talking. The young star was awkward, but his lack of airs was refreshing. Yes, it was the right time to go to West Indies. No, he wasn’t too young. And no, he wasn’t tired of interviews – “I think this is just the start".

HE DID A WARNE ON WARNE
The epic 2001 Eden Gardens Test against Australia had several heroes: Harbhajan Singh for his match haul of 13, VVS Laxman for his remarkable second-innings 281, Rahul Dravid for keeping Laxman company with 180. Also doing his bit was Tendulkar. His three victims included Shane Warne, the spin master himself, foxed by a perfectly disguised googly.

HE WHIPPED UP A DESERT STORMA sandstorm in Sharjah and a formidable Australian side of the late 90s. Neither would stop Tendulkar in 1998. He struck five towering sixes and nine boundaries on his way to a remarkable 143. Two days later, on his 25th birthday, his 134 led India to the title.

THE CENTURY OF CENTURIES

A nudge behind square leg, against Bangladesh in Dhaka, to bring up the milestone. Thirty-four innings after his 99th century across formats, he became the first player ever to make 100 centuries. It was the toughest of them all, he said after the innings.

TAKING ON THE ORIGINAL LITTLE MASTER'S MANTLE
Century No.35 came against Sri Lanka in Delhi in 2005. And with it, he surpassed Sunil Gavaskar’s record for most Test hundreds. The original Little Master was not surprised: "I have said it before that Tendulkar is the closest thing to batting perfection."

ONE-MAN SHOW IN WORLD CUP 1996In the 1996 World Cup, Tendulkar was close to invincible. As host nation, the hype in India was already massive, and it helped that their favourite batsman was in brilliant form. He made 523 runs from seven matches at an average of 87.16. Unfortunately, the team couldn’t keep up with him.****

HIS FIRST IPL HUNDRED
Tendulkar was already a veteran by the time IPL and T20 cricket came along. But he adjusted well to the format, being the highest scorer of the IPL in 2010. His only century in the tournament came for Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium against Kochi Tuskers Kerala in 2011, when he made 100* off 66 balls.

HE’S A GOOD STUDENT
Ramakant Achrekar, Tendulkar's childhood coach, was a taskmaster. He was hard, but fair, and Sachin never fails to acknowledge the role of his coach in his success. When he was given India’s highest civilian honour, his coach finally told him what he had always wanted to hear: “Well done!”

HE GIVES A GOOD PEP TALKWhen the Indian team made it to the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 knockouts, they got tips from one of the best about how to deal with the pressure of the big stage. It was an interaction they won’t easily forget.

WHEN IN NEED…
Two weeks before his last Test, Tendulkar played his final Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai against Haryana in Rohtak. He signed off from domestic cricket on a high, as his fighting 79 not out on a tricky pitch helped his team chase down 240.

‘HE CARRIED THE BURDEN OF A NATION’
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 win was for Tendulkar. One of the most poignant moments after India’s victory was when Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni carried him on their shoulders for a victory lap around the Wankhede Stadium. "Sachin Tendulkar has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It was time we carried him," said Kohli. Nobody would disagree.