45 reasons why we love Sachin: part one

HIS INSTANT SUCCESS

Fifteen years, 230 days – Tendulkar’s age when he scored a hundred on debut for Bombay (now Mumbai) against Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy, making him the youngest Indian to do so on first-class debut, a record that still stands today.

HE MASTERED WARNE LIKE NO OTHER

“The best batsman of my generation,” according to Shane Warne. The legendary Australian leg-spinner had some titanic tussles with Tendulkar, who he described as “easily the best in all conditions against all types of bowling”. Warne had Tendulkar’s number on three occasions in 12 Tests, but the Little Master scored five centuries in those matches, averaging 60. Tendulkar was even more dominant in ODIs, being dismissed by Warne just once in 17 matches and averaging an even 100 against his bowling.

HE SCHOOLED THE OPPOSITION

If Test attacks struggled to contain Tendulkar, spare a thought for the poor souls who were unfortunate enough to come up against him in schoolboy cricket. In 1988, at the age of 15, he shared a monumental partnership of 664 with future India international Vinod Kambli while playing for Shardashram Vidya Mandir School against St Xavier’s. At the time it was a record stand for any form of cricket, alerting the world to a genius in the making.

HE SQUARE-CUT SHOAIB FOR SIX

Whatever the speed of bowling he faced, Tendulkar very rarely looked hurried. In the 2003 World Cup encounter against Pakistan in Centurion, Shoaib Akhtar – the fastest bowler of the modern era – was working up a head of steam and sent down a 150.9kph thunderbolt. Rather than ducking for cover Tendulkar took the shot on, rolling his wrists on a square cut and depositing the ball into the stands for six. He was eventually dismissed by the same bowler for a sublime 98 from 75 balls but by then the match was India’s for the taking.

HE WON THE SOBERS TROPHY AGED 37

As he reached the twilight of his career, Tendulkar may have been wondering if his opportunity to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy – the most prestigious gong at the ICC’s annual awards – had passed him by. However, in 2010, after a stellar run of form in which he scored 1,000 Test runs for the year and became the first batsman to score an ODI double century, he became the second Indian, after Rahul Dravid, to win the trophy. “Better late than never,” said the 37-year-old as he collected his award.
HIS LONG GOODBYE

Even after being dismissed for the last time in professional cricket, Sachin had one last treat left for the fans as he strode back to the middle to deliver a heartfelt speech. “All my friends,” he began. “Settle down, let me talk, I will get more and more emotional. My life, between 22 yards for 24 years, it is hard to believe that that wonderful journey has come to an end, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank people who have played an important role in my life.”

By the time he finished – more than 20 minutes later amid roars of 'Sachin, Sachin' – there was barely a dry eye in the house.

HE TURNED ROGER FEDERER INTO A CRICKET FAN

Tendulkar has been a regular visitor to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships over the years and there is no one he enjoys watching more than Roger Federer. The respect is mutual with the Swiss star admitting that, “Whenever I play cricket video games, I always pick Sachin as my batsman”. The two have remained friends since first meeting in 2011, with Federer personally inviting Tendulkar to watch him at a tennis tournament in New Delhi in 2015.

HIS REDEFINING INNINGS

Considering the unparalleled ODI career he had, it is odd to consider that for a time Tendulkar was a talent unfulfilled in the format; after 69 games, he had an average a touch below 31 with no hundreds. In his 70th match, against New Zealand, he was promoted to open and blazed away to 82 from just 49 balls. He would average 47 in the remainder of his career, redefining the opening slot in one-day cricket.
HE PRODUCED PERHAPS THE GREATEST ODI INNINGS IN A LOSING CAUSE

In 2009 Hyderabad witnessed one of the great ODIs, as Tendulkar almost single-handedly hauled India within a whisker of chasing down a target of 351 against the all-powerful Australians. There were seven single-figure scores, and Suresh Raina’s 59 was the only half-century as Sachin reigned supreme. He fell when India were 19 runs short having made an imperious 175, but with three wickets in hand and almost three overs left, his side were still in with a chance. However, Praveen Kumar’s dismissal from the third-to-last ball of the innings confirmed the heartbreak as India fell three runs short.

HE'S A MAN OF MANY TALENTS – AND TASTES

Surprisingly for a man who made 98 in a Cricket World Cup game against Pakistan having only had ice cream for lunch, Sachin Tendulkar is quite the foodie, even cooking baingan ka bharta for the entire India team on occasion. Delicious!

HIS FLAIR FOR A COMEBACK

First in October 2005, after having surgery for tennis elbow, when he scythed 93 off 96 balls against Sri Lanka to set up an ODI total of 350/6, then in September 2006 after surgery on his shoulder, when he batted through a full 50 overs to finish unbeaten on 141 against West Indies, and then again in May 2007, after being rested – perhaps to his displeasure – for the first time in his career, when he made hundreds in each his first two Tests following his return, Tendulkar showed time and again that he wouldn’t be kept down for long.