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Sachin Tendulkar becomes the highest run-scorer in the fourth innings of Tests Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar keeps scoring runs at a pace wherein it looks like the record books are running out of pages listing the ones created by the master blaster. The ‘run machine’ has not yet reached the much-awaited milestone of 100 international centuries, a territory no other cricketer has not yet conquered. But he treated the spectators with yet another feather on his cap by becoming the highest run-getter in fourth innings of Test matches. He went past Rahul Dravid's tally of 1507 runs during the first Test against West Indies recently at an average of 39.86. The wait for the 100th century stretches back to the World Cup in April, but Sachin fell short of the feat once again by making 76 in the second innings of the Kotla Test. Meanwhile, he completed 15000 runs in Test cricket. Sachin has scored 51 centuries in Tests and 48 in one-dayers. Also, he created a record for aggregating most runs in the fourth innings in Tests at an average of 39.86, going past Rahul Dravid's tally of 1507 runs during the first Test against West Indies recently. Other active members on the list include Rahul Dravid, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith. Tendulkar also became the highest run-getter at the Feroz Shah Kotla, going past Dilip Vengsarkar. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook NOV 8, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar hits 15,000 Test runs Sachin Tendulkar of India on Tuesday became the first batsman in history to score 15,000 Test runs. Tendulkar, 38, achieved the feat when he reached 28 on the third day of the first Test against the West Indies at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground in New Delhi. Tendulkar was unbeaten on 33 and Rahul Dravid was on 30 as India - set a victory target of 276 - reached 152-2 by stumps. The Mumbai batsman, playing his 182nd Test match, already holds the world record for most runs and centuries in both Test and one-day cricket. Tendulkar needs one more three-figure knock to become the first batsman to score 100 international hundreds. He has 51 Test and 48 one-day centuries so far. Dravid is second in the Test scorers list with 12,859 runs, ahead of Ricky Ponting of Australia (12,487) and West Indian Brian Lara (11,953). Top run-getters in Test cricket (minimum 10,000 runs) 1. 15,005 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND) 2. 12,859 - Rahul Dravid (IND) 3. 12,487 - Ricky Ponting (AUS) 4. 11,953 - Brian Lara (WIS) 5. 11,947 - Jacques Kallis (RSA) 6. 11,174 - Allan Border (AUS) 7. 10,927 - Steve Waugh (AUS) 8. 10,122 - Sunil Gavaskar (IND) Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook OCT 30, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar waves chequered flag at Indian GP Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, a self-confessed Formula One fan, waved the chequered flag at the end of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, which newly-crowned world champion Sebastian Vettel won at the Buddh International Circuit on Sunday. Tendulkar, who witnessed the race along with wife Anjali and daughter Sara, did the honours at the end of the race. Starting from the pole position, Red Bull's Vettel dominated the proceedings and scorched his way to victory with a timing of 1.27:249. McLaren Mercedes' Jenson Button (1.27:967s) came second while Ferrari's Fernando Alonso (1.28:298) completed the podium standings. Tendulkar's long-time friend and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, with whom the Indian batsman met before the start of the race, finished fifth. Force India's Adrian Sutil managed to secure points, finishing ninth after starting from the eighth position on the grid, while his teammate Paul di Resta was 13th. The lone Indian driver in the fray, Narain Karthikeyan of Hispania finished 17th after starting from the rear of the grid. Earlier, batting maestro Sachin showed his passion for motorsports by being the first of the high-profile guests to arrive at the circuit in Greater Noida. "His love for motorsports is well known and I was not surprised to see him three hours before the race time. I went to the gate to welcome him," Sameer Gaur, managing director of Jaypee Sports International, told IANS. Tendulkar spent a lot of time at the paddocks before going to the VIP lounge area. His meeting with Schumacher was widely anticipated and that was one of the first things he did after arriving. Tendulkar went to the Mercedes GP team garage and chatted extensively with Schumacher and fellow driver Nico Rosberg. He also introduced his wife Anjali and daughter Sara to Schumacher. It was Tendulkar's second meeting with seven-time champion Schumacher after 2002, when the German gifted the Indian the keys of a Ferrari. The Mumbaikar then went ahead to meet F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone in the Formula One Management team building where they were joined by Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover and legendary three-time former champion Jackie Stewart. Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was the second cricketer to reach the venue. Besides Tendulkar and Harbhajan, Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone were also spotted. Jammu and Kasmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was spotted in the paddock for the second consecutive day. Robert Vadra was also seen chatting with the organisers. Earlier in the day, 24 drivers took part in a vintage car rally and waved to the fans to kick off the celebrations. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Sachin Tendulkar arrives at Buddh circuit, meets Schumacher A self-confessed Formula One fan, Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday met seven-time world champion and ‘dear friend’ Michael Schumacher at the Mercedes team building ahead of this afternoon’s inaugural Indian Grand Prix here. Tendulkar, who is expected to flag off India’s maiden F1 race, arrived at the newly-constructed Buddh International Circuit with his wife Anjali and daughter Sara. However, his son Arjun was absent. The star Indian cricketer was received at the circuit by promoters of the race, Jaypee Sports International’s Managing Director Sameer Gaur. Soon after arriving at the circuit, Tendulkar met F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone at the lounge area for a half hour interaction. The duo was later joined by legendary racing driver Jackie Stewart and Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover. Tendulkar also obliged the waiting photographers along with Ecclestone, Gaur and Grover but refused to make any comments, saying, “I will talk to everyone later.” The cricketing icon then headed straight to the Mercedes team building where he exchanged pleasantries with Mercedes team principal Ross brawn before meeting his long-time friend Schumacher. Tendulkar also introduced his wife and daughter to the German driver and met the other Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg before heading to the VIP area. Apart from Tendulkar, a host of other celebrities from the sporting world and Bollywood are also expected to attend the country’s maiden F1 race later this afternoon. Cricketers who are expected during the race include India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, V.V.S. Laxman and England’s Kevin Pietersen. Tennis star Sania Mirza will also attend. Bollywood will be represented by Shah Rukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Hrithik Roshan, and Abhishek Bachchan among others. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook OCT 22, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar invited for the inaugural Indian GP‎ Sachin Tendulkar is excited that the high-profile Formula One race is coming to the country with the inaugural Indian Grand Prix next week and said that he will support the Sahara Force India team. Invited for the Indian GP by formula one boss Bernie Ecclestone, Sachin Tendulkar is mighty thrilled to witness yet another race day. "I am excited about Indian Grand Prix F1 race. I will support the Force India team. I have friends like Michael Schumacher but I will support Force India because that is the Indian team and country comes first," Tendulkar said. Tendulkar, who is passionate about fast cars, has been invited by Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone himself to grace the Indian Grand Prix at Greater Noida on October 30. "I was passionate about cars from a young age. As I grew up, my passion for fast cars has grown," he said. On which car fascinated him as a child, he said "when I was young I saw these Fiat, Ambassador, at the most Contessa or Standard 2000. But my brother and others would discuss about Pala car." "So, the car I love to drive was Pala," When Sachin Tendulkar was asked in 2004 about the possibility of India hosting a Formula One race in a few years' time, he said, "I hope that it happens because there are plenty of Formula One fans in India. It's a new sport that is picking up very quickly and the new generation is hooked". Formula One has been one of Tendulkar's best-loved sports for a while, watching it since 2000. He is delighted for his country's sports-loving public that they now have an opportunity to witness the exhilaration which Formula One lends itself to. "What you see on television is far different from what one sees at the venue," said Tendulkar, who has been to quite a few races. "The noise and speed levels are 15 to 20 per cent greater that what one can imagine... it's great," he said. He witnessed his first Grand Prix at Silverstone while he was on the 2002 tour to England and met German legend Michael Schumacher the evening before Race Day. In fact, it was Schumacher, who presented him with the keys of the Ferrari car, which is now owned by a businessman from Surat. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook OCT 11, 2011 “The Making of a cricketer” Sachin Tendulkar can unquestionably be called the 'face of modern cricket'. He follows Don Bradman and Viv Richards as his generation's most successful batsman. By the turn of the century, watching Tendulkar as India's lone warrior staging single-handed fights, - while carrying the hopes of a billion hearts, - was cricket's grandest spectacle. Tendulkar is undoubtedly India’s most loved and worshiped cricketer. But behind every legend there is a guiding force which leads him to greatness. A support which saw him through tribulations. Someone who was responsible to show him/her the path to success. In Sachin’s case it was his elder brother Ajit Tendulkar. The cricketer often credits his brother as the one who spotted his talent and encouraged him to pursue the sport. “Ajit has always been my guiding light in cricket. He was the one who spotted my natural ability and honed that. With his help and coaching I have developed into the cricketer that I am. I am still improving and it is still Ajit that I look to for that help," once quoted Sachin while talking about his brother. Reportedly, the elder brother was interested in cricket himself and also played the sport during his student years. However, he left playing to mentor Sachin’s cricket career. It is said that Ajit originally channelized Sachin’s attention to cricket to keep him away for mischief. ‘In the early 1980s, on a quiet Sunday afternoon, the Tendulkars - fans of Dev Anand— had gathered in front of the television to watch Guide. Sachin, eleven years old, saw it as a golden opportunity to raid a mango tree in front of the house with his five friends. A little later, on hearing a deafening crash, the Tendulkars rushed out and found that Sachin had fallen from one of the branches and hurt himself badly. Ajit Tendulkar, exasperated with Sachin’s mischievous ways, took him to a park the next morning and asked an elderly gentleman to take care of his “hyperactive” brother and teach him some cricket. The gentleman’s name was Ramakant Achrekar, and the venue, Shivaji Park. Unknown to Ajit, Ramakant and even Sachin, the meeting marked the beginning of the long and illustrious journey of, arguably, India’s greatest cricketer ever.’ It was elder brother Ajit who accompanied The Little Master on his cricketing tours during his formative years. He’s also helped Sachin look after his various endorsements and business interests. Ajit has also written a book on Sachin’s cricket journey, titled “The Making of a cricketer”. Even after all these years and all the success and accolades Sachin still discusses every aspect of the game with Ajit, who does not watch his matches. "He does not watch my matches. I have been told by friends that he goes on a long drive alone, where there is no radio, there is nothing, and he comes back only after the match is over." "Later, a recording is pulled out and then he and I discuss where improvements can be made in my batting and what mistakes I committed. All this discussion happens then. Because I speak to him every evening and on a daily basis we discuss what sort of preparation should be made for a match and what are the mistakes to be avoided, and this is a habit I have since school cricket and I still use this formula," revealed Sachin in a past interview. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook OCT 10, 2011 We dedicate this win to Sachin Tendulkar: Kieron Pollard Kieron Pollard, Mumbai Indians' biggest impact player, said the team dedicated the Champions League T20 victory to master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who even without playing motivated the team with his sheer presence. “Sachin Tendulkar has been part of the Mumbai Indians since its inception and the team hasn't managed to win any trophy since then. And now although we've won this one without him being on the field his sheer presence has motivated us all. His advice in the team meetings, listening to his experiences, all that was very vital. We dedicate this victory to Sachin. The Caribbean all-rounder was pleased to win a trophy with the Mumbai-based team after ending as runners-up twice. “Yes! finally. We reached the final in IPL 2010 and in the semi-final in the last IPL as well. It feels absolutely fantastic again to reach the final here and go the whole hog. “What makes this even sweeter is the guys really pulled in their weight and came together. Especially the younger guys really went out there and showed tremendous character and we played as a team. “The bowlers did a fantastic job for us right through the tournament whereas the batsmen didn't come to the party. But at the end of the day both batsmen and bowlers are a part of the team and the victory belongs to the team,” Pollard said. Talking about his form in the tournament, Pollard said: “I was pretty inconsistent with the bat, although I did alright with the ball and in the field. There are a certain areas that I need to work on but since the team has won, I cannot complain about my own performance,” he concluded. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook OCT 8, 2011 Sachin: Genius Unplugged A new biography on India's iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was launched in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Entitled 'Sachin: Genius unplugged', the book is edited by Suresh Menon, columnist and author, who has known Tendulkar since he reported the player’s debut match in Pakistan. The essays in the book are by writers who have been reporting and observing Tendulkar’s game, analysing his batting, placing him in context, criticising him over the years. It is a first draft of biography, with the advantage that it is not limited to a single point of view. This extraordinary work is brought to the avid cricket lover in each of us by NMC and UAE Exchange, and is a tribute to one of the greatest cricketers the world has ever seen. Tendulkar has made poets of prose writers even if occasionally his strokeplay has demonstrated the futility of conveying in words the brilliance of his batsmanship. Sachin: Genius Unplugged, brings together writers and contemporaries whose perspectives on the player are unique. Their insights are strained through experience. Like writers and artists, sportsmen are subject to revisionism, with fresh appraisals adding to the known portrait. A good place to start is the contemporary report. Every writer has a personal story as well as a measured, professional one, and part of the joy of the book is to read the admission of veteran writers like Mike Coward on how the player figures in his bank accounts, for example. Harsha Bhogle’s first interview with Sachin, Osman Samiuddin’s discussion with his mathematician father, Barney Ronay’s air-cricket, Peter Roebuck’s comparisons with Viv Richards, Mike Marqusee’s deeply felt personal essay, Gideon Haigh’s take on the commercial value of Tendulkar’s bodily fluids, and personal insights by Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Bishan Bedi, throw light on Tendulkar, on the writers, and on the art of sportswriting itself. The foreword on the most successful batsman of all time is by the most successful bowler of all times, Muttiah Muralitharan. It is a treat both for those who read cover-to-cover at one go and readers who love to dip in now and then, savouring the individual essays at leisure. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook SEP 29, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar's new home Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar and his family on Wednesday moved to their new house in Mumbai's Bandra area. The star cricketer was spotted entering his five-storey mansion on Wednesday afternoon. Sources said that he was keen to shift to his new house during the Navratri festival. Confirming the news Sachin said, "I have moved to new place. We are happy as a family to have moved to this place." "Lemar apartment, where I used to stay was under sports quota. Many deserving sportsmen needed place to stay, so I decided to leave," he added. The bungalow, built in Bandra West's Perry Cross Road area, was bought by Sachin for a whopping Rs 39 crore. While it might look like a triple-storey house from outside, the structure is actually spread across five floors as one-and-a-half floors are underground. The new house Sachin's mansion has been designed keeping the batting maestro's love for cars. The second basement of the house can hold 45-50 cars at a time. The first basement comprises the kitchen, master surveillance room and servant quarters. These apart the house has three other floors where the master, who is just one short of his 100th international ton, will live along with his wife and kids. The ground floor has a large drawing room with a separate dining space for the Tendulkars. Since Sachin is a devotee of Lord Ganesha, there is a temple on the ground floor. The floor also houses a special display area where Sachin's innumerable medals and trophies would be kept. The first floor has been devoted to the kids, with separate rooms for his son Arjun and daughter Sara, while the top floor has been kept for Mr and Mrs Tendulkar. The house has been made keeping the vastu elements in mind with special emphasis given to the kids' quarters. The plushest part of the house, however, is a swimming pool located on the terrace. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook SEP 21, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar wants change in ODI format Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has written a letter to International Cricket Council (ICC), suggesting future changes in the 50-50 format of the game. In his letter ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat, Master Blaster has urged ICC to bring changes in the ODI format to keep the interest of the game intact. Tendulkar wants that 50-over cricket should become a four innings game-- with 25 overs slots played alternately between the two sides. Tendulkar feels that it will give equal opportunity to both the teams in case of due factor and rain. Sachin said that, in present format, Toss pays major role in deciding the result of the game. But in case of four innings game, it will give equal chance to both sides. He further says, bowler should be allowed to bowl 12 overs each. He also wants fiddle with the Powerplays to give advantage to the fielding side. With this letter, Tendulkar has stirred the ODI format row but it will be interesting to see whether ICC will accept his Idea or not. Tendulkar is the maximum run getter in ODI games. He has the highest number of hundreds in ODI. He is the only cricketer in the world to score a double hundred in ODI. Tendulkar is the most capped player in ODIs. No doubts that he has the tones of experience and his suggestion can be proved vital to add more spices in the game. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook SEP 18, 2011 Straight drive is my favourite shot, says Tendulkar Bowlers never like batsmen hitting them past their follow through and this is exactly what Indian veteran Sachin Tendulkar likes as his favourite stroke is the straight driven boundary. "My favourite shot is the straight drive, opening up the face of the bat...no bowler likes to see the face of the bat," Tendulkar said in reply to a query by a cricket lover during a special programe on a news channel. Answering questions ranging from why he failed to score in the recently-concluded England series to his shot selection, Tendulkar revealed how he avoids reading newspapers to cut out pressure. "I can't do what millions of people have had to say as one should always focus on one's game as ultimately it is you who have to do it," he said replying to a query on how he handled pressure. Tendulkar advised the kids avoid thinking about the past. "If you think of the past, you will tend to think of all negative things. If you think of the future you will worry whether you could score or not. What is important is to focus on the job at hand," said Tendulkar as he appealed to all to contribute in his " Support My School Campaign". "We do 80 per cent positive things and only 20 per cent negative things in the past. Only negative things come to our mind, building up the pressure. Always think positive, sort out the mistakes (made in the past) and don't think of them anymore," Tendulkar said. On why he could not score in the recently concluded India-England Test series, Tendulkar said the game should be seen in its totality. "Sometimes a batsman gets out to a good ball or falls to a mistake," he said. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook SEP 16, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar praise Rahul Dravid Indian cricket greats, including star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, have richly praised Rahul Dravid as he prepares to play the final one-day game of his illustrious career. "He has had a fabulous career as a one-day player and has contributed so much to Indian cricket," Tendulkar told a national daily on Friday. "I have no doubt that he is and will continue to be a role model for all of us." Tendulkar said Dravid's natural game was not suited for the quick scoring of one-dayers, but had worked hard to improve and excelled in his "finishing role." "He may not give you a quick start, but he will surely make his innings count in terms of time spent at the crease. You need such players in the team, and he was the best man for the job," he added. "Rahul also had that ability to finish a game, and I remember he played the same role at No. 5, or for that matter at any other spot in the batting order. And that was one of the main reasons he sustained his role as an important member in the side." Tendulkar also praised Dravid for adjusting according to the team's needs and helping the team gain depth in batting by agreeing to keep wickets. "He is the perfect team man; when he was asked to keep wickets we all knew that he will do well because he was initially a wicketkeeper. It later helped him, and came as a big help to all of us in the Indian team during the 2003 World Cup." Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook AUG 30, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar - Rahul Dravid pair most successful in Tests Most runs partnership in test cricket. Most successful test pair in test cricket. The duo surpassed the previous record of West Indies legendary pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes who have together shared 6482 runs in partnerships in test cricket Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar put on 55 for the third wicket at The Oval (2011) to become test cricket's most prolific partnership Tendulkar-Dravid have amassed 19 centuries in tandem, also the highest for any Test partnership. After Sachin and Darvid here are the most successful pairs in Test 1. G Greenidge and D Haynes (WI) - 6482 runs 2. Matthew Hayden & Justin Langer (AUS) - 6081 runs 3. Mahela Jayawardene & Kumar Sangakkara (SL) - 5261 runs 4. Matthew Hayden & Ricky Ponting (AUS) - 4765 runs 5. Alistair Cook & Andrew Strauss (ENG) - 4635 runs 6. Marvan Atapattu & Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) - 4533 runs 7. Sourav Ganguly & Sachin Tendulkar (IND) - 4173 runs 8. Rahul Dravid & VVS Laxman (IND) - 3902 runs 9. Michael Slater & Mark Taylor (AUS) - 3887 runs Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook AUG 24, 2011 Tendulkar's ton of tons will come in ODIs: Ganguly Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has backed Sachin Tendulkar to complete his elusive hundredth international hundred in the forthcoming five-match ODI series against England. Tendulkar was dismissed lbw by Tim Bresnan for 91 on the final day of the fourth Test on Monday. "His dismissal (by Bresnan) proved that cricket is a one-ball game. It doesn't matter how much you have your eye in, one good ball can get you out," Indeed! Tendulkar had concentrated for 235 minutes in India's pursuit to draw the Test: "I know the entire nation is disappointed. A century from his blade would have at least given some respite to them since it has been a forgettable tour." Ganguly expressed confidence that Tendulkar will score heavily in the ODIs. "I am pretty confident that his hundred will come in the one-dayers. Let's not foget Tendulkar is only human after all. He has reached 99 hundreds, so obviously he will get to the 100 mark. I cannot stop being proud of him," said Ganguly, a close friend of the Little Master. Ganguly got nostalgic while recalling his first meeting with Tendulkar. "When I went to England for the first time with Kailash Gattani's Star Cricket Club as a teenager, Sachin was part of that team too. I observed him and had no doubts that he would blossom into a great player. It's been an incredible journey," said Ganguly, before defending Tendulkar's performance in the four Tests (273 runs from 8 innings). "In fact, he has not had a bad Test series in England. He started batting well at Lord's itself. It's just one those series when things don't click," said Dada admitting he was fortunate to have seen Tendulkar's greatest efforts first hand. "According to me, his best knocks have been Perth (1991-92), Cape Town (1996-97), Chennai (1998-99 & 2008-09) and Headingley (2002). I was fortunate to witness them from close quarters. He still has some great knocks left in him," concluded Ganguly. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook AUG 19, 2011 England PM David Cameron salutes Sachin Tendulkar, terms meeting with the legend as an honour England Prime Minister, David Cameron, recently visited the Oval Cricket Stadium in order to enjoy the ongoing fourth Test between England and India. Despite the fact that Cameron was extremely delighted over a fantastic performance by his side, his meeting with the legendary batsman, Sachin Tendulkar, doubled his joy. Cameron ‘s meeting with the Master Blaster came as a result of PM’s special request, as he disclosed that he is huge of fan of Tendulkar. After embracing the Little Master, Cameron expressed his delight and said that it is an honour to see Tendulkar, who has a number of International records under his belt. “It’s an honour to have met with and spoken to (Sachin) Tendulkar... I’ve been his fan,” said Cameron. Meanwhile, he disclosed that he is huge fan of cricket and has been following the ongoing series keenly. Tendulkar was also grateful to the English Prime Minister and expressed gratitude for the given respect. “The Prime Minister had just come to say hello... He said that I was welcome in the UK anytime,” shared the batting maestro who is just a hundred away from completing his ton of International centuries. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook JUL 18, 2011 Tribute to Sachin Tendulkar: Coca-Cola to roll out 6.5 million 'Sachin' cans as part of 100th century celebrations The world's largest beverages brand plans a grand tribute to Sachin Tendulkar who is one century short of becoming the first batsman to score 100 international centuries: launch some 6.5 million special Coca-Cola cans with pictures of the master batsman. The move will help the cola giant make the most out of its Rs 12-15-crore endorsement deal with Tendulkar signed early this year, and make up for not leveraging the association during the Cricket World Cup that India won. Coca-Cola is printing the cricketing legend's pictures along with statistics of his select 10 centuries on about 6.5 million cans of brand Coke to celebrate Tendulkar's hundredth international century which everyone expects in England, where India will play four tests and five one-day internationals starting July 21. The cans will be rolled out in the market starting next fortnight. This is the first time a celebrity or a brand ambassador will figure on packs of any Coke beverage in India. "We are making an exception for one of India's great legends," says Coca-Cola India VP (Marketing) Anupama Ahluwalia. In some European markets, Coca- Cola has, in the past, printed pictures of celebrities on its beverage packs. Tendulkar has handpicked nine of the 10 centuries that Coca-Cola cans will spot. The tenth will be his hundredth century. Coca-Cola will release about eight lakh cans with the details of Tendulkar's 100th century whenever it comes. A mass media campaign is set to coincide with the cans rollout, created by ad agency McCann Erickson. Industry experts say the idea is big and has scale, but its strategic implementation would be a key for its success. "A Sachin campaign could be a sure-shot winner, but how well the marketer leverages the campaign, makes a consumer connect, and takes it forward is the key," says Mahesh Chauhan, co-founder of advertising and marketing firm Salt Brand Solutions. "But they (Coca- Cola) are probably a bit late in leveraging their association with Sachin, considering they signed him early in the year, though it must be part a planned strategy," he added, referring to the missed opportunity during India's successful world cup campaign. Sachin, who is known to charge about a million dollars per year per deal, endorses close to 13-14 brands including sports footwear and apparel maker Adidas, luxury Swiss watch maker Audemars Piguet, insurance services firm Aviva Life Insurance, bank Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and appliances major Toshiba. These brands too are looking to leverage their association with the cricketer once he cracks his 100th century. Though firms do leverage associations with celebrities through packaging, this is the first time it is being done on a mass scale. PepsiCo, for example, had rolled out PET bottles with blue packaging with Indian team skipper MS Dhoni's body during the World Cup. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook JUN 25, 2011 Tendulkar, Federer discuss cricket at Wimbledon It takes lot to bowl over Sachin Tendulkar as bowlers around the world would confess but tennis ace Roger Federer managed to do it just by his knowledge of cricket when the two legends caught up during the Wimbledon. Tendulkar, a self-confessed Federer fan, met the winner of 16 Grand Slams at the All England Club after the world number three beat David Nalbandian to advance to the fourth round of Wimbledon. Tendulkar chatted for an hour with the Swiss and posed with him for the shutterbugs. "Spent an hour with Roger Federer chatting on the balcony of Wimbledon Royal box. What a humble guy! And by the way he knows a lot about cricket!!" Tendulkar later tweeted. The two reportedly also had dinner together after Federer's match. Federer too talked about his meeting with Tendulkar on his facebook page. "Today was a special day, played a good match and had the chance to catch up with the great indian cricket star Sachin Tendulkar" Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook APR 5, 2011 World Cup dream began after 2007 exit: Tendulkar Sachin Tendulkar has revealed that he started nurturing ambitions of winning the 2011 World Cup right after India's crushing first-round exit in the 2007 edition of the tournament. Talking to Mid-Day after India's victory in the World Cup final, Tendulkar said the prospect of lifting the Cup in front of his home crowd had motivated him through tough times. "That [winning the World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium] was my dream after we lost in 2007," Tendulkar said. "I took up that challenge. I said, the next World Cup is in Mumbai and this is where I would want the trophy. It was a challenge and I started working towards that. "After the 2007 World Cup when we got to know that the next one is in India and the final would be held in Mumbai. That is when I felt that this is the place where we have to lift the trophy." Tendulkar admitted the 2007 exit, which came on the back of a patch of poor personal form was the toughest phase of his career. "Yeah, it was really tough," Tendulkar said. "My family and friends really supported me at that stage. It was probably the toughest phase of my career and I was really demoralised. Talking about the World Cup in India at that time was something which motivated me. The final in Mumbai, that was greater motivation because here is where I grew up playing cricket. I wanted to do something really, really special here in India and Mumbai." Tendulkar said MS Dhoni's winning hit in the final was the most unforgettable moment of the campaign. "The moment the winning runs were scored, I jumped," he said. "Viru [Virender Sehwag] who was next to me, jumped too. We were sitting in the dressing room and praying." India's win included hard-fought victories against each of the former World Cup champions. Tendulkar scored two centuries in losing causes, but rated his chancy 85 against Pakistan as his most important contribution. Tendulkar recalled a couple of critical moments in that game, which India went on to win and extend their unbeaten record against Pakistan in World Cups. "We set a 6-3 field against Pakistan at Mohali," Tendulkar said. "Their opening batsman, Mohammad Hafeez tried to play a sweep shot off Munaf Patel and got caught behind. I thought that was the turning point of the match. "The catch Viru took off Shahid Afridi [was also crucial]. The match was very much alive then because Misbah-ul-Haq and Afridi were batting and we needed two-three big overs at that stage, so that was an important catch. An easy one, but important." Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Sachin's unforgettable 2011 World Cup moments Sachin Tendulkar talks about his finest memories of the 2011 World Cup where he finally fulfilled his lifetime dream of lifting the coveted trophy. Unforgettable dressing room moment: The moment the winning runs were scored, I jumped. Viru (Sehwag) who was next to me, jumped too. We were sitting in the dressing room and praying. Unforgettable part of the celebrations: When we got the trophy in our hands and the popping of champagne. Also, when the team lifted me with the tri-colour in my hand. That was the ultimate feeling. Unforgettable innings that you played: I was batting really well against South Africa, but in terms of importance, it's got to be the one against Pakistan. Unforgettable innings from your teammates: There were many! The one Viru played in the first game against Bangladesh, Yuvraj Singh played many, Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli... all the guys chipped in. Unforgettable bowling spell: Zaheer Khan bowled some very important spells. In the semi-final, Ashish Nehra bowled well. Munaf got some important wickets too. Harbhajan Singh and R Ashwin bowled well too. Everyone has chipped in. That is why I call it a thorough team performance. Everyone did their job and somewhere they made an impact. Unforgettable captaincy move: We set a 6-3 field against Pakistan at Mohali. Their opening batsman, Mohammad Hafeez tried to play a sweep shot off Munaf Patel and got caught behind. I thought that was the turning point of the match. Unforgettable catch: The one Viru caught off Shahid Afridi. The match was very much alive then because Misbah & Afridi were batting and we needed two-three big overs at that stage, so that was an important catch. An easy one, but important. Unforgettable tense moment: There were many moments when we were really tense especially in the last three matches....we knew there would be no second chance. There were many moments like that. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook APR 4, 2011 Sachin didn't see the winning shot Sachin didn't see the winning shot Sachin Tendulkar didn't watch Mahendra Singh Dhoni's winning shot, a six over long on off Nuwan Kulasekara, that clinched India the World Cup final against Sri Lanka on Saturday night. The batting maestro was inside the dressing room, his hands clasped, eyes shut and prayers on his lips. It was the deafening roar of the capacity crowd that shook him and made him realise that his life-long dream had been realised. "I was not listening to anything at that time. I was not watching too. I was just praying to God. I realised that we have won the Cup when the entire stadium went up in a cheer" He played in five World Cups before without success. His dream was fulfilled on his home ground , the Wankhede Stadium. Then, in a matter of a few moments, he moved from being immersed in himself to being lost in the frenzy of celebration. "I am really speechless. I don't know what to say! It's a feeling which I can't explain in any language," he said. "It is a different kind of feeling. I am on a high. I believe now I am living in a different planet. It feels as if I am flying high." As he hugged his teammates one by one, tears rolled down his cheeks. Then, as he has done on every occasion of reaching a milestone, he remembered his late father. "Khushi ke aansu bhi hote hain. Yeah, if he were here, he would have been the happiest person. He is always in my mind," Tendulkar said. True heroes Tendulkar was touched when the group of NSG commandos tasked with protecting him requested to be photographed with him and his family. Tendulkar immediately went into the dressing room and returned with son Arjun. Father and son posed with the commandos for the picture. "They are the real heroes. They defend our nation," the premier batsman said. The members of the Indian team might disagree, though. For them, he was God, the reason they played and won the coveted title. "I am not at all a special person. It was a nice gesture by the teammates. If you are talking about special, our nation is special. The people of our nation are special. We won the World Cup for them," Tendulkar said. Tendulkar praised man of the tournament, Yuvraj Singh: He has been absolutely wonderful," he said. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Dhoni the best captain I have played under - Sachin Tendulkar Two days after India were crowned World Champions, Sachin Tendulkar has rated MS Dhoni as the best captain he has played under during his 22-year cricket career. "Dhoni is the best captain I have played under," Tendulkar said in Mumbai. "He is very sharp and always alert. He reads the situation well and is open to sharing ideas. He always has discussions with bowlers, batsmen and senior players separately." Tendulkar, who has played under six captains, including Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, praised Dhoni's ability to maintain his composure whatever the match situation. "He is always calm and never shows his frustration. These are some of the human qualities which have made him such a good captain. He is a fantastic captain." India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final in Mumbai after coming through the knockout stages with hard-fought wins over Australia and Pakistan and a patchy performance in the group matches. Tendulkar said that India had "peaked" when it mattered the most. "In the knockout stage we peaked at the right time; it was most important. We knew either the batting was clicking, or bowling, or fielding but everything was not clicking together, but [apart from] in the last three games. Everybody contributed, right from seniors to the juniors in the team. No one can guarantee results but efforts can be [guaranteed]." After India's victory in the final, Dhoni had said the team had felt the pressure of expectations right through the tournament. Tendulkar said the key to handling that pressure lay in focussing on individual performances. "Pressure and expectation are always there, we were thinking that as individuals we should perform our best. We were not thinking that if a bowler fails, others will take wickets like that; we wanted to do our individual best and perform as a team. "The responsibility is on all the team members equally. Like me, it was the dream of all the team members to get this World Cup." Tendulkar said that while lifting the trophy was on the players' minds, the focus was on restricting Sri Lanka to a gettable target and "go through the process and finish the game". He said the pre-World Cup preparatory camp the team had in Bangalore also played a key role in the team's preparation. Tendulkar paid tribute to the efforts of outgoing coach Gary Kirsten, saying that while he would like Kirsten to continue, he respected his decision to leave, and that the team would "miss" him. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Winning World Cup is my biggest achievement He had to wait for 22 long years. And seemed it would be an endless one, the only regret in an otherwise glittering career. However, on a fateful Saturday evening it was realized. Three weeks short of what would be his 38th birthday, Sachin Tendulkar, without doubt India's best cricketer ever, got possibly his best birthday present ever. And it was his teammates who ensured this will be a birthday to remember by winning the ICC World Cup. The Master Blaster had won the trophy that had eluded him for long. It took him six attempts. But India's six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankhede made Tendulkar part of a World Cup-winning squad. It was an honour he probably deserved earlier in his career; an honour that probably justified his greatness. And, definitely, something that made him emotional. "I lived a dream," said Tendulkar, adding, "Winning the World Cup was my biggest dream. "And today it is my biggest achievement." The Master Blaster admitted that the feeling is yet to sink in completely. "April 2, 2011 was my biggest day in life," he said, adding, "I became extremely emotional, which is rarely the case, and those tears in my eyes were happy tears. "The moment had never happened before. We had to pinch one another to make sure that it was actually happening in our life." Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook APR 3, 2011 I wanted to win World Cup for Sachin: Yuvi Yuvraj had said after guiding the team to a great victory over defending champions Australia at Ahmedabad in the quarter finals that he wanted to win the trophy for a "special person" and added the identity of the person would be revealed by him after the final. Yuvraj specially thanked former India captain Sourav Ganguly and Dhoni for keeping faith in him when he was going through tough times. "When I started my career, Sourav was the captain and he supported me a lot. When I went through ups and downs Mahi (Dhoni) supported me. Mahi has been a great captain. Whatever he touches turns into gold. Sourav and MS have been very helpful for my career." Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook World Cup dream comes true for SachinTendulkar Sachin Tendulkar failed with the bat but still ended a World Cup-winner for the first time on Saturday as India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final. Many fans in a capacity 33,000 crowd had piled into the Wankhede Stadium hoping to see the 37-year-old Tendulkar, on his home ground, score his hundredth international hundred. But instead the star batsman, bidding to fulfil a lifelong ambition by winning the World Cup at his sixth — and in all likelihood last — attempt, was dismissed for just 18. Tendulkar walked off to the kind of standing ovation usually reserved for batsmen who've scored far more than 18, in what was a recognition of his previous great deeds rather than this innings. Tendulkar later said he could not hold back his tears. “I couldn't have asked for more,” said Tendulkar, as his teammates carried him on their shoulders for a victory lap before adoring fans at the Wankhede Satdium. “Winning the World Cup is the ultimate thing. It is the proudest moment of my life. It shows it is never too late,” he said referrring to India's wait for 28 years for the coveted crown. “I thank my teammates who were fabulous. I could not really hold back my tears. These are happy tears so I don't mind crying.” India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Tendulkar was “made by God just to play cricket”. “When God made Tendulkar, he made him just to play cricket,” Dhoni said. “From the very first ball he ever faced on the international scene, he has looked at giving his 100 per cent. Players have come and players have gone, but Tendulkar has just grown from strength to strength.” Asked what set Tendulkar apart, Dhoni replied: “It definitely has to be his level of dedication towards the game and the intensity with which he has played for the last 21 years. “Even today, he takes every training session seriously. He would much rather not turn up for training than joke around once on the ground. He doesn't leave anything for tomorrow.” The captain jokingly added: “We are blessed that he is a genius. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Tendulkar won't stop - Kirsten After winning the World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar said he had achieved the one thing he had dreamt about when he started playing cricket. But he may not hang up his boots just yet. When asked about his retirement, Tendulkar deflected the question initially, before saying he saw no reason to change things as he was still enjoying the game. "This is a moment to celebrate, not one to think about my future," Tendulkar told the ICC. "This is the reason I started playing cricket; to do something for the country. The process has been a long one, and I am still enjoying my game, so I don't see the reason to change anything." Gary Kirsten, for whom the World Cup final was his last game as coach of India, also said he didn't think Tendulkar would stop here. "Sachin is the greatest sporting role model I've met in my life," Kirsten said. "He's had an incredible last three or four years, and he's enjoying his cricket even more. I don't think he is going to stop." Tendulkar has had to wait till his sixth World Cup campaign to win the trophy, and when asked whether this was the final accolade he needed to complete his closet-full of achievements, he said it was in fact the first thing he wanted to achieve. "As a young boy I dreamt of winning this trophy; that's where it all started. This is by far the best moment and it's the one I've been waiting for for 24 years. There have been heart-breaking losses; in past campaigns we lost in the semi-finals and finals. I never gave up because this was my dream and now the team has managed to win this cup for the nation." After their victory on Saturday, the Indian team spent the night celebrating with their families and friends before going to Raj Bhavan on Sunday to meet the Indian president. But what Tendulkar is looking forward to is sharing the experience with the Indian public. "The victory hasn't sunk in yet because I haven't faced the general crowd outside. I've just mingled around with my friends and family. We've been in a close unit behind a wall of security. We haven't had a chance to experience or share our joy with everyone else. That's a reaction I'm really looking forward to because I can imagine what it would be like. All I've seen is their reactions on the news channels and it's absolutely fascinating." Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook MAR 31, 2011 Never got five 'lives' in one innings: Sachin Sachin Tendulkar was honest in admitting that never in his 21-year career has he got reprieve as many as five times in one innings. "Five lives! God has been kind to me. It is not something which has happened to me earlier," Tendulkar said during a post match interview. About the upcoming final against Sri Lanka, Tendulkar said, "Hopefully, we will put our best performance in all three departments. Sri Lanka are a great team. They play well and know the conditions well. It will be a wonderful occasion to play the final in Mumbai. All we would like is to remain calm and focussed and get the job done." For someone who has been a member of the side that has won all its five World Cup matches against Pakistan, the legendary batsman was quick to admit that it would be a "memory that he would always cherish." Someone who has always put the team before individual performance, Tendulkar lavished praise on young Suresh Raina whose unbeaten 36 provided necessary impetus during the death overs. "Raina played a special knock. When we started batting, I felt that 310-315 was par-score. But as the spinners came on the ball was stopping and coming. Then I thought that 265-270 will be a good score to defend," Tendulkar stated. For him Virender Sehwag's blitzkrieg at the onset gave him and others that extra bit of time to check out on how to proceed with the innings. "Viru got us off to a flier but then we needed to assess the situation. It was a difficult wicket to bat on and we needed to put up a good score. Full credit to our bowlers as they put up a fabulous show." Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook MAR 23, 2011 I walked because I was out: Tendulkar Sachin Tendulkar explained what prompted him to walk in the Group 'B' game against the West Indies on Sunday; He was out. The Little Master is surprised by the debate on his walking, after faintly nicking a delivery from seamer Ravi Rampaul in the first over of the match, has triggered. Tendulkar didn't wait for a decision by umpire Steve Davis who actually turned down the appeal. "You think I am mad (to walk if he was not out)? Yes, I was out. That's why I walked to the pavilion. Of course, I was out," Tendulkar told. "The ball first kissed my bat. That was like a feather touch, and then it kissed my gloves and went to the 'keeper. It was a genuine dismissal," the batting superstar described his dismissal. Tendulkar's walk came a day after Australian captain Ricky Ponting stood his crease despite clearly edging offie Mohammad Hafeez in the tie against Pakistan in Colombo. But the world's leading run-getter was untouched by all the talk about his walk. Tendulkar has told people close to him that there was no point in standing his crease because the Decision Review System would have revealed the nick. And that's what happened in Ponting's case! The early dismissal meant that Tendulkar had to wait another day to get to the milestone of 100 international centuries. However, the 37-year-old Mumbaikar reached another landmark in his more than 21-year-long career: The match was against the West Indies was his 450th ODI appearance. "I was not aware of that figure. Later on, I came to know that I had played in 450 one-day matches. It feels good," Tendulkar said. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook MAR 15, 2011 Learn from Tendulkar: Akram tells Pak openers Former captain Wasim Akram has called on the Pakistani openers to seek inspiration and learn from the exploits of Indian senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar. Wasim, who is in Sri Lanka commentating on the World Cup matches, also expressed his frustration over Pakistan's performance against Zimbabwe on Monday. The former fast bowler called on openers, Muhammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shahzad to learn the art of batting and building an innings from Tendulkar. The two openers have failed to provide a single decent start to the Pakistan team in five matches of the World Cup and Wasim felt both needed to rethink their approach to batting. "They should learn from Tendulkar, look at him he is 38 plus and yet he is still going strong. He just plays normal cricket in the first ten overs and does not gift his wicket," Akram said. "Tendulkar is a role model for many others and the Pakistani openers should learn from him how to build an innings and how to tackle dicey conditions. Look at Shahzad he is immensely talented but the moment the ball does a little movement he either starts shuffling across the line or moving in his crease and is gifting his wicket. Hafeez is also getting out constantly shuffling across," he explained. Wasim said the Pakistani openers need to learn from Tendulkar that even in one-day cricket one needs to build an innings. "Even if you have scored 50 odds runs in the first 12 or 15 overs and have wickets in hand you are in a good position. And Pakistan's strength is that if they have wickets in hand they can go for quick runs in the final overs," he said. He pointed out that Tendulkar was still going strong as he stuck to the basics well and didn't try anything extraordinary. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook FEB 27, 2011 Tendulkar scores record fifth World Cup hundred Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday reached another milestone as he became the highest century-maker in World Cup history by scoring his fifth hundred in the prestigious event. The 37-year-old Tendulkar reached the landmark during the group B clash against England when he glanced burly paceman Tim Bresnan for a boundary towards the fine leg region in the first ball of the 35th over. It was his 47th ODI century and his 98th overall. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, current Australia captain Ricky Ponting and his former teammate Mark Waugh have all scored four World Cup hundreds. With Ganguly and Waugh retired, it is only Ponting who has a chance to match or surpass Tendulkar. Tendulkar scored 120 runs from 115 balls and the knock was adorned with five sixes and 10 fours. Tendulkar, playing his sixth World Cup, also holds the records for most runs and most half-centuries in the flagship event of the ICC. He has accumulated 1944 runs in 38 matches and has scored 13 fifties so far, followed by Ponting with 1577 runs in 41 matches. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook FEB 9, 2011 Unplugging the genius called Sachin So much has been written about Sachin Tendulkar the cricketer and Sachin Tendulkar the human being that it’s almost impossible to come up with a novel venture. Distinguished sportswriter Suresh Menon has found a way out, putting together a series of essays on the Little Master -- the editor himself has penned one of them -- by distinguished sportswriters and two of his former skippers. ‘Sachin -- Genius Unplugged’, a work of art and passion, was launched in the City on Wednesday afternoon, Rahul Dravid releasing the first copy and handing it over to Anil Kumble. It was in the fitness of things that the two Karnataka gentlemen, who have both played under and led Tendulkar, should be so initimately involved, not only because both have eulogised the Mumbaikar in print but also because each of them has played more than 100 Tests alongside Tendulkar. “I haven’t had the time to read this book fully, but the wide range of writers who have contributed is a reflection of the respect Suresh has among his writing colleagues,” Dravid remarked. “It is not easy to write about Sachin, about whom so much is already written. I am sure this book will inspire a lot of youngsters, especially young cricketers.” Including Menon and the two former Indian skippers, 16 writers have given expression to their impressions of the 37-year-old, among them Bishan Singh Bedi, Sanjay Manjrekar, Peter Roebuck and Mike Marqusee of ‘War Minus The Shooting’ fame, with the foreword coming from Muttiah Muralitharan. “I was fortunate to be at Old Trafford when Sachin scored his first Test century,” Kumble said of his great mate, with whom he has a wonderful relationship based on mutual respect and admiration. “Superstition is rife in cricket. I was on the dressing room balcony and Kiran More told me, `Sachin is batting well, so you better keep standing’. I stood all the while, getting a small break for tea, and I stood all along till he scored his century and the match was saved! “I was a bit envious of Sachin -- he would just roll his arm over and bowl a perfect leg-break or a googly while I was struggling to turn the ball! It was an honour to play alongside Sachin for more than 100 Tests. For 21 years, he has played with the same passion and intensity because he still enjoys the game. That’s a good lesson for youngsters.” Priced at Rs 599, the book will hit retail stores on February 14. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook FEB 8, 2011 When Sachin played under Imran Not many know, but India's batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar had played under Pakistan captain Imran Khan in 1988 - a year before he made his international debut in Pakistan. In a book titled 'SACH,' by Gautam Bhattacharya, Tendulkar revealed that he played under Imran but as a substitute fielder during a festival match at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai. Imran asked him to field in the deep and Tendulkar couldn't complete a catch and going back home, in the local train, constantly grumbled about the captain's field placements. "Absolutely true. I went in as a substitute. Imran was the Pakistan captain. No words were exchanged with him. But yes, I may've got the catch if I was kept slightly ahead (laughs)," Sachin said. The book also revealed that a year before in 1987, Sachin was selected as a promising fast bowler to train at legendary Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee's MRF Pace Academy in Chennai, but was rejected. "I was okay with it. In any case I was not aspiring to become a fast bowler. I thought of myself as a fast bowling all-rounder. That is precisely the reason I had carried my batting kit to Chennai. I didn't get an opportunity to bat. I did bowl for one or two sessions," Sachin said. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was also part of the camp, but Sachin doesn't remember meeting him. "As for Sourav, I don't remember meeting him there. Later on at the national camp, I caught up with him," said Sachin. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook FEB 6, 2011 Thank my countrymen for showing faith in my integrity: Sachin Sachin Tendulkar feels that he can't thank his countrymen enough for the amount of faith they have showed in his integrity during his 21 illustrious years in international cricket. In the recently released book "Sach" written by notedscribe Gautam Bhattacharya, one gets to know the rareemotional side of the maestro as he spoke on a host of issues including how the entire country supported him during the ball-tampering episode in 2001 tour of South Africa. He also spoke about how he dealt with the ugly match-fixing episode, and the tragic 26/11 terror attack onMumbai. Referring to episode of ball-tampering when match-referee Mike Denness handed him a one match ban on alleagtions of trying to lift the seam during a Test match at Port Elizabeth,Sachin has been quoted as saying, "But despite the incident, I was so happy for the trust and faith that the entire country expressed in me. "At times, it has been written that a nation walked with me every time I went out to bat. Here there was no bat. Yet they showed such faith in my integrity that I was touched. Till date I can''t forget that." Tendulkar, who has been a picture of dignity during his long international career did admit being "shattered" with allegations levelled by Denness. "You know, I was completely shocked and shattered when he said the charge against me was for ball tampering. I tried telling him what the truth was. That I was just cleaning the grass on the ball. I was not picking the seam. At no stage did I do that. "If someone is trying to remove grass, how can you levyball-tampering charges against him? But the match referee would hear none of it. Since then, when ever I clean the ball,I keep the umpires posted." When the murky episode of match-fixing rocked the nation,Tendulkar was like a picture of resilience. When asked about his feelings during the entire fixing-saga, the holder of a world record 97 international centuries, said,"I was just doing what every Indian was supposed to do. I was just doing my duty and did not think it was any different from what I had done in the past. I was just following the same routine.... "Around that time, I received a certificate from IncomeTax department for paying my taxes honestly. That gives me alot of satisfaction. I was just hoping that my father had been alive to see it," said the man who still looks heavenwards and utters a silent prayer in the memory of his father Ramesh Tendulkar, every time he completes a ton. Talking about the tragic 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai,Tendulkar also spoke about the pain he went through as innocent Indians lost their lives. "We were playing at Cuttack (against England). At night we came to know about the attack. Of course, first you call home and enquire about the safety of your near and dear ones. "Then keep glued to TV to try and find out what exactly is going on. What was happening to the nation was difficult to digest. "I felt very sad and couldn't come to terms with it. Iwas almost numb and didn't know what had hit me. It took a while to get myself back on track. That must surely rank as one of the most disappointing days of my life," he said. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook JAN 27, 2011 Madhya Pradesh CM inaugurates road named after Tendulkar A new 3.55 km long road, named after iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar, has been inaugurated by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here. The four-lane road constructed at a cost of Rs 2.89 crore from the Madhya Pradesh high court's Gwalior bench to Huravli village was named after Tendulkar to mark his historic double century feat in the one-day international. Tendulkar became the first ever cricketer to score a double century in history of ODI cricket after his amazing innings against South Africa in the second ODI played on February 24 last year in the city. Chouhan inaugurated the road yesterday on the occasion of Republic Day. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook JAN 1, 2011 Sachin's Milestones 35th Test century beating both Lara & Gavaskar: 198 innings, 16 yrs (10 Dec, 2005) 18th ODI century to overtake Desmond Haynes' record: 191 innings, 9 yrs (26 Sep, 1998) Longest break between his Test 100s: 14 innings 1st Test century: 16 innings, 9 months 1st 150: 36 innings, 3 yrs & 3 months 1st ODI 100: 76 innings, 4 yrs 1st double 100: 109 innings, 10 yrs Consecutive Test 100s: 2 90s in ODIs: 18 Consecutive ODI 100s: 1 90s in Tests: 9

Sachin Tendulkar becomes the highest run-scorer in the fourth innings of Tests Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar keeps scoring runs at a pace wherein it looks like the record books are running out of pages listing the ones created by the master blaster. The ‘run machine’ has not yet reached the much-awaited milestone of 100 international centuries, a territory no other cricketer has not yet conquered. But he treated the spectators with yet another feather on his cap by becoming the highest run-getter in fourth innings of Test matches. He went past Rahul Dravid's tally of 1507 runs during the first Test against West Indies recently at an average of 39.86. The wait for the 100th century stretches back to the World Cup in April, but Sachin fell short of the feat once again by making 76 in the second innings of the Kotla Test. Meanwhile, he completed 15000 runs in Test cricket. Sachin has scored 51 centuries in Tests and 48 in one-dayers. Also, he created a record for aggregating most runs in the fourth innings in Tests at an average of 39.86, going past Rahul Dravid's tally of 1507 runs during the first Test against West Indies recently. Other active members on the list include Rahul Dravid, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith. Tendulkar also became the highest run-getter at the Feroz Shah Kotla, going past Dilip Vengsarkar. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook NOV 8, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar hits 15,000 Test runs Sachin Tendulkar of India on Tuesday became the first batsman in history to score 15,000 Test runs. Tendulkar, 38, achieved the feat when he reached 28 on the third day of the first Test against the West Indies at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground in New Delhi. Tendulkar was unbeaten on 33 and Rahul Dravid was on 30 as India - set a victory target of 276 - reached 152-2 by stumps. The Mumbai batsman, playing his 182nd Test match, already holds the world record for most runs and centuries in both Test and one-day cricket. Tendulkar needs one more three-figure knock to become the first batsman to score 100 international hundreds. He has 51 Test and 48 one-day centuries so far. Dravid is second in the Test scorers list with 12,859 runs, ahead of Ricky Ponting of Australia (12,487) and West Indian Brian Lara (11,953). Top run-getters in Test cricket (minimum 10,000 runs) 1. 15,005 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND) 2. 12,859 - Rahul Dravid (IND) 3. 12,487 - Ricky Ponting (AUS) 4. 11,953 - Brian Lara (WIS) 5. 11,947 - Jacques Kallis (RSA) 6. 11,174 - Allan Border (AUS) 7. 10,927 - Steve Waugh (AUS) 8. 10,122 - Sunil Gavaskar (IND) Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook OCT 30, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar waves chequered flag at Indian GP Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, a self-confessed Formula One fan, waved the chequered flag at the end of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, which newly-crowned world champion Sebastian Vettel won at the Buddh International Circuit on Sunday. Tendulkar, who witnessed the race along with wife Anjali and daughter Sara, did the honours at the end of the race. Starting from the pole position, Red Bull's Vettel dominated the proceedings and scorched his way to victory with a timing of 1.27:249. McLaren Mercedes' Jenson Button (1.27:967s) came second while Ferrari's Fernando Alonso (1.28:298) completed the podium standings. Tendulkar's long-time friend and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, with whom the Indian batsman met before the start of the race, finished fifth. Force India's Adrian Sutil managed to secure points, finishing ninth after starting from the eighth position on the grid, while his teammate Paul di Resta was 13th. The lone Indian driver in the fray, Narain Karthikeyan of Hispania finished 17th after starting from the rear of the grid. Earlier, batting maestro Sachin showed his passion for motorsports by being the first of the high-profile guests to arrive at the circuit in Greater Noida. "His love for motorsports is well known and I was not surprised to see him three hours before the race time. I went to the gate to welcome him," Sameer Gaur, managing director of Jaypee Sports International, told IANS. Tendulkar spent a lot of time at the paddocks before going to the VIP lounge area. His meeting with Schumacher was widely anticipated and that was one of the first things he did after arriving. Tendulkar went to the Mercedes GP team garage and chatted extensively with Schumacher and fellow driver Nico Rosberg. He also introduced his wife Anjali and daughter Sara to Schumacher. It was Tendulkar's second meeting with seven-time champion Schumacher after 2002, when the German gifted the Indian the keys of a Ferrari. The Mumbaikar then went ahead to meet F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone in the Formula One Management team building where they were joined by Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover and legendary three-time former champion Jackie Stewart. Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was the second cricketer to reach the venue. Besides Tendulkar and Harbhajan, Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone were also spotted. Jammu and Kasmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was spotted in the paddock for the second consecutive day. Robert Vadra was also seen chatting with the organisers. Earlier in the day, 24 drivers took part in a vintage car rally and waved to the fans to kick off the celebrations. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Sachin Tendulkar arrives at Buddh circuit, meets Schumacher A self-confessed Formula One fan, Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday met seven-time world champion and ‘dear friend’ Michael Schumacher at the Mercedes team building ahead of this afternoon’s inaugural Indian Grand Prix here. Tendulkar, who is expected to flag off India’s maiden F1 race, arrived at the newly-constructed Buddh International Circuit with his wife Anjali and daughter Sara. However, his son Arjun was absent. The star Indian cricketer was received at the circuit by promoters of the race, Jaypee Sports International’s Managing Director Sameer Gaur. Soon after arriving at the circuit, Tendulkar met F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone at the lounge area for a half hour interaction. The duo was later joined by legendary racing driver Jackie Stewart and Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover. Tendulkar also obliged the waiting photographers along with Ecclestone, Gaur and Grover but refused to make any comments, saying, “I will talk to everyone later.” The cricketing icon then headed straight to the Mercedes team building where he exchanged pleasantries with Mercedes team principal Ross brawn before meeting his long-time friend Schumacher. Tendulkar also introduced his wife and daughter to the German driver and met the other Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg before heading to the VIP area. Apart from Tendulkar, a host of other celebrities from the sporting world and Bollywood are also expected to attend the country’s maiden F1 race later this afternoon. Cricketers who are expected during the race include India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, V.V.S. Laxman and England’s Kevin Pietersen. Tennis star Sania Mirza will also attend. Bollywood will be represented by Shah Rukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Hrithik Roshan, and Abhishek Bachchan among others. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook OCT 22, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar invited for the inaugural Indian GP‎ Sachin Tendulkar is excited that the high-profile Formula One race is coming to the country with the inaugural Indian Grand Prix next week and said that he will support the Sahara Force India team. Invited for the Indian GP by formula one boss Bernie Ecclestone, Sachin Tendulkar is mighty thrilled to witness yet another race day. "I am excited about Indian Grand Prix F1 race. I will support the Force India team. I have friends like Michael Schumacher but I will support Force India because that is the Indian team and country comes first," Tendulkar said. Tendulkar, who is passionate about fast cars, has been invited by Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone himself to grace the Indian Grand Prix at Greater Noida on October 30. "I was passionate about cars from a young age. As I grew up, my passion for fast cars has grown," he said. On which car fascinated him as a child, he said "when I was young I saw these Fiat, Ambassador, at the most Contessa or Standard 2000. But my brother and others would discuss about Pala car." "So, the car I love to drive was Pala," When Sachin Tendulkar was asked in 2004 about the possibility of India hosting a Formula One race in a few years' time, he said, "I hope that it happens because there are plenty of Formula One fans in India. It's a new sport that is picking up very quickly and the new generation is hooked". Formula One has been one of Tendulkar's best-loved sports for a while, watching it since 2000. He is delighted for his country's sports-loving public that they now have an opportunity to witness the exhilaration which Formula One lends itself to. "What you see on television is far different from what one sees at the venue," said Tendulkar, who has been to quite a few races. "The noise and speed levels are 15 to 20 per cent greater that what one can imagine... it's great," he said. He witnessed his first Grand Prix at Silverstone while he was on the 2002 tour to England and met German legend Michael Schumacher the evening before Race Day. In fact, it was Schumacher, who presented him with the keys of the Ferrari car, which is now owned by a businessman from Surat. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook OCT 11, 2011 “The Making of a cricketer” Sachin Tendulkar can unquestionably be called the 'face of modern cricket'. He follows Don Bradman and Viv Richards as his generation's most successful batsman. By the turn of the century, watching Tendulkar as India's lone warrior staging single-handed fights, - while carrying the hopes of a billion hearts, - was cricket's grandest spectacle. Tendulkar is undoubtedly India’s most loved and worshiped cricketer. But behind every legend there is a guiding force which leads him to greatness. A support which saw him through tribulations. Someone who was responsible to show him/her the path to success. In Sachin’s case it was his elder brother Ajit Tendulkar. The cricketer often credits his brother as the one who spotted his talent and encouraged him to pursue the sport. “Ajit has always been my guiding light in cricket. He was the one who spotted my natural ability and honed that. With his help and coaching I have developed into the cricketer that I am. I am still improving and it is still Ajit that I look to for that help," once quoted Sachin while talking about his brother. Reportedly, the elder brother was interested in cricket himself and also played the sport during his student years. However, he left playing to mentor Sachin’s cricket career. It is said that Ajit originally channelized Sachin’s attention to cricket to keep him away for mischief. ‘In the early 1980s, on a quiet Sunday afternoon, the Tendulkars - fans of Dev Anand— had gathered in front of the television to watch Guide. Sachin, eleven years old, saw it as a golden opportunity to raid a mango tree in front of the house with his five friends. A little later, on hearing a deafening crash, the Tendulkars rushed out and found that Sachin had fallen from one of the branches and hurt himself badly. Ajit Tendulkar, exasperated with Sachin’s mischievous ways, took him to a park the next morning and asked an elderly gentleman to take care of his “hyperactive” brother and teach him some cricket. The gentleman’s name was Ramakant Achrekar, and the venue, Shivaji Park. Unknown to Ajit, Ramakant and even Sachin, the meeting marked the beginning of the long and illustrious journey of, arguably, India’s greatest cricketer ever.’ It was elder brother Ajit who accompanied The Little Master on his cricketing tours during his formative years. He’s also helped Sachin look after his various endorsements and business interests. Ajit has also written a book on Sachin’s cricket journey, titled “The Making of a cricketer”. Even after all these years and all the success and accolades Sachin still discusses every aspect of the game with Ajit, who does not watch his matches. "He does not watch my matches. I have been told by friends that he goes on a long drive alone, where there is no radio, there is nothing, and he comes back only after the match is over." "Later, a recording is pulled out and then he and I discuss where improvements can be made in my batting and what mistakes I committed. All this discussion happens then. Because I speak to him every evening and on a daily basis we discuss what sort of preparation should be made for a match and what are the mistakes to be avoided, and this is a habit I have since school cricket and I still use this formula," revealed Sachin in a past interview. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook OCT 10, 2011 We dedicate this win to Sachin Tendulkar: Kieron Pollard Kieron Pollard, Mumbai Indians' biggest impact player, said the team dedicated the Champions League T20 victory to master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who even without playing motivated the team with his sheer presence. “Sachin Tendulkar has been part of the Mumbai Indians since its inception and the team hasn't managed to win any trophy since then. And now although we've won this one without him being on the field his sheer presence has motivated us all. His advice in the team meetings, listening to his experiences, all that was very vital. We dedicate this victory to Sachin. The Caribbean all-rounder was pleased to win a trophy with the Mumbai-based team after ending as runners-up twice. “Yes! finally. We reached the final in IPL 2010 and in the semi-final in the last IPL as well. It feels absolutely fantastic again to reach the final here and go the whole hog. “What makes this even sweeter is the guys really pulled in their weight and came together. Especially the younger guys really went out there and showed tremendous character and we played as a team. “The bowlers did a fantastic job for us right through the tournament whereas the batsmen didn't come to the party. But at the end of the day both batsmen and bowlers are a part of the team and the victory belongs to the team,” Pollard said. Talking about his form in the tournament, Pollard said: “I was pretty inconsistent with the bat, although I did alright with the ball and in the field. There are a certain areas that I need to work on but since the team has won, I cannot complain about my own performance,” he concluded. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook OCT 8, 2011 Sachin: Genius Unplugged A new biography on India's iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was launched in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Entitled 'Sachin: Genius unplugged', the book is edited by Suresh Menon, columnist and author, who has known Tendulkar since he reported the player’s debut match in Pakistan. The essays in the book are by writers who have been reporting and observing Tendulkar’s game, analysing his batting, placing him in context, criticising him over the years. It is a first draft of biography, with the advantage that it is not limited to a single point of view. This extraordinary work is brought to the avid cricket lover in each of us by NMC and UAE Exchange, and is a tribute to one of the greatest cricketers the world has ever seen. Tendulkar has made poets of prose writers even if occasionally his strokeplay has demonstrated the futility of conveying in words the brilliance of his batsmanship. Sachin: Genius Unplugged, brings together writers and contemporaries whose perspectives on the player are unique. Their insights are strained through experience. Like writers and artists, sportsmen are subject to revisionism, with fresh appraisals adding to the known portrait. A good place to start is the contemporary report. Every writer has a personal story as well as a measured, professional one, and part of the joy of the book is to read the admission of veteran writers like Mike Coward on how the player figures in his bank accounts, for example. Harsha Bhogle’s first interview with Sachin, Osman Samiuddin’s discussion with his mathematician father, Barney Ronay’s air-cricket, Peter Roebuck’s comparisons with Viv Richards, Mike Marqusee’s deeply felt personal essay, Gideon Haigh’s take on the commercial value of Tendulkar’s bodily fluids, and personal insights by Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Bishan Bedi, throw light on Tendulkar, on the writers, and on the art of sportswriting itself. The foreword on the most successful batsman of all time is by the most successful bowler of all times, Muttiah Muralitharan. It is a treat both for those who read cover-to-cover at one go and readers who love to dip in now and then, savouring the individual essays at leisure. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook SEP 29, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar's new home Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar and his family on Wednesday moved to their new house in Mumbai's Bandra area. The star cricketer was spotted entering his five-storey mansion on Wednesday afternoon. Sources said that he was keen to shift to his new house during the Navratri festival. Confirming the news Sachin said, "I have moved to new place. We are happy as a family to have moved to this place." "Lemar apartment, where I used to stay was under sports quota. Many deserving sportsmen needed place to stay, so I decided to leave," he added. The bungalow, built in Bandra West's Perry Cross Road area, was bought by Sachin for a whopping Rs 39 crore. While it might look like a triple-storey house from outside, the structure is actually spread across five floors as one-and-a-half floors are underground. The new house Sachin's mansion has been designed keeping the batting maestro's love for cars. The second basement of the house can hold 45-50 cars at a time. The first basement comprises the kitchen, master surveillance room and servant quarters. These apart the house has three other floors where the master, who is just one short of his 100th international ton, will live along with his wife and kids. The ground floor has a large drawing room with a separate dining space for the Tendulkars. Since Sachin is a devotee of Lord Ganesha, there is a temple on the ground floor. The floor also houses a special display area where Sachin's innumerable medals and trophies would be kept. The first floor has been devoted to the kids, with separate rooms for his son Arjun and daughter Sara, while the top floor has been kept for Mr and Mrs Tendulkar. The house has been made keeping the vastu elements in mind with special emphasis given to the kids' quarters. The plushest part of the house, however, is a swimming pool located on the terrace. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook SEP 21, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar wants change in ODI format Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has written a letter to International Cricket Council (ICC), suggesting future changes in the 50-50 format of the game. In his letter ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat, Master Blaster has urged ICC to bring changes in the ODI format to keep the interest of the game intact. Tendulkar wants that 50-over cricket should become a four innings game-- with 25 overs slots played alternately between the two sides. Tendulkar feels that it will give equal opportunity to both the teams in case of due factor and rain. Sachin said that, in present format, Toss pays major role in deciding the result of the game. But in case of four innings game, it will give equal chance to both sides. He further says, bowler should be allowed to bowl 12 overs each. He also wants fiddle with the Powerplays to give advantage to the fielding side. With this letter, Tendulkar has stirred the ODI format row but it will be interesting to see whether ICC will accept his Idea or not. Tendulkar is the maximum run getter in ODI games. He has the highest number of hundreds in ODI. He is the only cricketer in the world to score a double hundred in ODI. Tendulkar is the most capped player in ODIs. No doubts that he has the tones of experience and his suggestion can be proved vital to add more spices in the game. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook SEP 18, 2011 Straight drive is my favourite shot, says Tendulkar Bowlers never like batsmen hitting them past their follow through and this is exactly what Indian veteran Sachin Tendulkar likes as his favourite stroke is the straight driven boundary. "My favourite shot is the straight drive, opening up the face of the bat...no bowler likes to see the face of the bat," Tendulkar said in reply to a query by a cricket lover during a special programe on a news channel. Answering questions ranging from why he failed to score in the recently-concluded England series to his shot selection, Tendulkar revealed how he avoids reading newspapers to cut out pressure. "I can't do what millions of people have had to say as one should always focus on one's game as ultimately it is you who have to do it," he said replying to a query on how he handled pressure. Tendulkar advised the kids avoid thinking about the past. "If you think of the past, you will tend to think of all negative things. If you think of the future you will worry whether you could score or not. What is important is to focus on the job at hand," said Tendulkar as he appealed to all to contribute in his " Support My School Campaign". "We do 80 per cent positive things and only 20 per cent negative things in the past. Only negative things come to our mind, building up the pressure. Always think positive, sort out the mistakes (made in the past) and don't think of them anymore," Tendulkar said. On why he could not score in the recently concluded India-England Test series, Tendulkar said the game should be seen in its totality. "Sometimes a batsman gets out to a good ball or falls to a mistake," he said. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook SEP 16, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar praise Rahul Dravid Indian cricket greats, including star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, have richly praised Rahul Dravid as he prepares to play the final one-day game of his illustrious career. "He has had a fabulous career as a one-day player and has contributed so much to Indian cricket," Tendulkar told a national daily on Friday. "I have no doubt that he is and will continue to be a role model for all of us." Tendulkar said Dravid's natural game was not suited for the quick scoring of one-dayers, but had worked hard to improve and excelled in his "finishing role." "He may not give you a quick start, but he will surely make his innings count in terms of time spent at the crease. You need such players in the team, and he was the best man for the job," he added. "Rahul also had that ability to finish a game, and I remember he played the same role at No. 5, or for that matter at any other spot in the batting order. And that was one of the main reasons he sustained his role as an important member in the side." Tendulkar also praised Dravid for adjusting according to the team's needs and helping the team gain depth in batting by agreeing to keep wickets. "He is the perfect team man; when he was asked to keep wickets we all knew that he will do well because he was initially a wicketkeeper. It later helped him, and came as a big help to all of us in the Indian team during the 2003 World Cup." Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook AUG 30, 2011 Sachin Tendulkar - Rahul Dravid pair most successful in Tests Most runs partnership in test cricket. Most successful test pair in test cricket. The duo surpassed the previous record of West Indies legendary pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes who have together shared 6482 runs in partnerships in test cricket Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar put on 55 for the third wicket at The Oval (2011) to become test cricket's most prolific partnership Tendulkar-Dravid have amassed 19 centuries in tandem, also the highest for any Test partnership. After Sachin and Darvid here are the most successful pairs in Test 1. G Greenidge and D Haynes (WI) - 6482 runs 2. Matthew Hayden & Justin Langer (AUS) - 6081 runs 3. Mahela Jayawardene & Kumar Sangakkara (SL) - 5261 runs 4. Matthew Hayden & Ricky Ponting (AUS) - 4765 runs 5. Alistair Cook & Andrew Strauss (ENG) - 4635 runs 6. Marvan Atapattu & Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) - 4533 runs 7. Sourav Ganguly & Sachin Tendulkar (IND) - 4173 runs 8. Rahul Dravid & VVS Laxman (IND) - 3902 runs 9. Michael Slater & Mark Taylor (AUS) - 3887 runs Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook AUG 24, 2011 Tendulkar's ton of tons will come in ODIs: Ganguly Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has backed Sachin Tendulkar to complete his elusive hundredth international hundred in the forthcoming five-match ODI series against England. Tendulkar was dismissed lbw by Tim Bresnan for 91 on the final day of the fourth Test on Monday. "His dismissal (by Bresnan) proved that cricket is a one-ball game. It doesn't matter how much you have your eye in, one good ball can get you out," Indeed! Tendulkar had concentrated for 235 minutes in India's pursuit to draw the Test: "I know the entire nation is disappointed. A century from his blade would have at least given some respite to them since it has been a forgettable tour." Ganguly expressed confidence that Tendulkar will score heavily in the ODIs. "I am pretty confident that his hundred will come in the one-dayers. Let's not foget Tendulkar is only human after all. He has reached 99 hundreds, so obviously he will get to the 100 mark. I cannot stop being proud of him," said Ganguly, a close friend of the Little Master. Ganguly got nostalgic while recalling his first meeting with Tendulkar. "When I went to England for the first time with Kailash Gattani's Star Cricket Club as a teenager, Sachin was part of that team too. I observed him and had no doubts that he would blossom into a great player. It's been an incredible journey," said Ganguly, before defending Tendulkar's performance in the four Tests (273 runs from 8 innings). "In fact, he has not had a bad Test series in England. He started batting well at Lord's itself. It's just one those series when things don't click," said Dada admitting he was fortunate to have seen Tendulkar's greatest efforts first hand. "According to me, his best knocks have been Perth (1991-92), Cape Town (1996-97), Chennai (1998-99 & 2008-09) and Headingley (2002). I was fortunate to witness them from close quarters. He still has some great knocks left in him," concluded Ganguly. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook AUG 19, 2011 England PM David Cameron salutes Sachin Tendulkar, terms meeting with the legend as an honour England Prime Minister, David Cameron, recently visited the Oval Cricket Stadium in order to enjoy the ongoing fourth Test between England and India. Despite the fact that Cameron was extremely delighted over a fantastic performance by his side, his meeting with the legendary batsman, Sachin Tendulkar, doubled his joy. Cameron ‘s meeting with the Master Blaster came as a result of PM’s special request, as he disclosed that he is huge of fan of Tendulkar. After embracing the Little Master, Cameron expressed his delight and said that it is an honour to see Tendulkar, who has a number of International records under his belt. “It’s an honour to have met with and spoken to (Sachin) Tendulkar... I’ve been his fan,” said Cameron. Meanwhile, he disclosed that he is huge fan of cricket and has been following the ongoing series keenly. Tendulkar was also grateful to the English Prime Minister and expressed gratitude for the given respect. “The Prime Minister had just come to say hello... He said that I was welcome in the UK anytime,” shared the batting maestro who is just a hundred away from completing his ton of International centuries. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook JUL 18, 2011 Tribute to Sachin Tendulkar: Coca-Cola to roll out 6.5 million 'Sachin' cans as part of 100th century celebrations The world's largest beverages brand plans a grand tribute to Sachin Tendulkar who is one century short of becoming the first batsman to score 100 international centuries: launch some 6.5 million special Coca-Cola cans with pictures of the master batsman. The move will help the cola giant make the most out of its Rs 12-15-crore endorsement deal with Tendulkar signed early this year, and make up for not leveraging the association during the Cricket World Cup that India won. Coca-Cola is printing the cricketing legend's pictures along with statistics of his select 10 centuries on about 6.5 million cans of brand Coke to celebrate Tendulkar's hundredth international century which everyone expects in England, where India will play four tests and five one-day internationals starting July 21. The cans will be rolled out in the market starting next fortnight. This is the first time a celebrity or a brand ambassador will figure on packs of any Coke beverage in India. "We are making an exception for one of India's great legends," says Coca-Cola India VP (Marketing) Anupama Ahluwalia. In some European markets, Coca- Cola has, in the past, printed pictures of celebrities on its beverage packs. Tendulkar has handpicked nine of the 10 centuries that Coca-Cola cans will spot. The tenth will be his hundredth century. Coca-Cola will release about eight lakh cans with the details of Tendulkar's 100th century whenever it comes. A mass media campaign is set to coincide with the cans rollout, created by ad agency McCann Erickson. Industry experts say the idea is big and has scale, but its strategic implementation would be a key for its success. "A Sachin campaign could be a sure-shot winner, but how well the marketer leverages the campaign, makes a consumer connect, and takes it forward is the key," says Mahesh Chauhan, co-founder of advertising and marketing firm Salt Brand Solutions. "But they (Coca- Cola) are probably a bit late in leveraging their association with Sachin, considering they signed him early in the year, though it must be part a planned strategy," he added, referring to the missed opportunity during India's successful world cup campaign. Sachin, who is known to charge about a million dollars per year per deal, endorses close to 13-14 brands including sports footwear and apparel maker Adidas, luxury Swiss watch maker Audemars Piguet, insurance services firm Aviva Life Insurance, bank Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and appliances major Toshiba. These brands too are looking to leverage their association with the cricketer once he cracks his 100th century. Though firms do leverage associations with celebrities through packaging, this is the first time it is being done on a mass scale. PepsiCo, for example, had rolled out PET bottles with blue packaging with Indian team skipper MS Dhoni's body during the World Cup. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook JUN 25, 2011 Tendulkar, Federer discuss cricket at Wimbledon It takes lot to bowl over Sachin Tendulkar as bowlers around the world would confess but tennis ace Roger Federer managed to do it just by his knowledge of cricket when the two legends caught up during the Wimbledon. Tendulkar, a self-confessed Federer fan, met the winner of 16 Grand Slams at the All England Club after the world number three beat David Nalbandian to advance to the fourth round of Wimbledon. Tendulkar chatted for an hour with the Swiss and posed with him for the shutterbugs. "Spent an hour with Roger Federer chatting on the balcony of Wimbledon Royal box. What a humble guy! And by the way he knows a lot about cricket!!" Tendulkar later tweeted. The two reportedly also had dinner together after Federer's match. Federer too talked about his meeting with Tendulkar on his facebook page. "Today was a special day, played a good match and had the chance to catch up with the great indian cricket star Sachin Tendulkar" Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook APR 5, 2011 World Cup dream began after 2007 exit: Tendulkar Sachin Tendulkar has revealed that he started nurturing ambitions of winning the 2011 World Cup right after India's crushing first-round exit in the 2007 edition of the tournament. Talking to Mid-Day after India's victory in the World Cup final, Tendulkar said the prospect of lifting the Cup in front of his home crowd had motivated him through tough times. "That [winning the World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium] was my dream after we lost in 2007," Tendulkar said. "I took up that challenge. I said, the next World Cup is in Mumbai and this is where I would want the trophy. It was a challenge and I started working towards that. "After the 2007 World Cup when we got to know that the next one is in India and the final would be held in Mumbai. That is when I felt that this is the place where we have to lift the trophy." Tendulkar admitted the 2007 exit, which came on the back of a patch of poor personal form was the toughest phase of his career. "Yeah, it was really tough," Tendulkar said. "My family and friends really supported me at that stage. It was probably the toughest phase of my career and I was really demoralised. Talking about the World Cup in India at that time was something which motivated me. The final in Mumbai, that was greater motivation because here is where I grew up playing cricket. I wanted to do something really, really special here in India and Mumbai." Tendulkar said MS Dhoni's winning hit in the final was the most unforgettable moment of the campaign. "The moment the winning runs were scored, I jumped," he said. "Viru [Virender Sehwag] who was next to me, jumped too. We were sitting in the dressing room and praying." India's win included hard-fought victories against each of the former World Cup champions. Tendulkar scored two centuries in losing causes, but rated his chancy 85 against Pakistan as his most important contribution. Tendulkar recalled a couple of critical moments in that game, which India went on to win and extend their unbeaten record against Pakistan in World Cups. "We set a 6-3 field against Pakistan at Mohali," Tendulkar said. "Their opening batsman, Mohammad Hafeez tried to play a sweep shot off Munaf Patel and got caught behind. I thought that was the turning point of the match. "The catch Viru took off Shahid Afridi [was also crucial]. The match was very much alive then because Misbah-ul-Haq and Afridi were batting and we needed two-three big overs at that stage, so that was an important catch. An easy one, but important." Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Sachin's unforgettable 2011 World Cup moments Sachin Tendulkar talks about his finest memories of the 2011 World Cup where he finally fulfilled his lifetime dream of lifting the coveted trophy. Unforgettable dressing room moment: The moment the winning runs were scored, I jumped. Viru (Sehwag) who was next to me, jumped too. We were sitting in the dressing room and praying. Unforgettable part of the celebrations: When we got the trophy in our hands and the popping of champagne. Also, when the team lifted me with the tri-colour in my hand. That was the ultimate feeling. Unforgettable innings that you played: I was batting really well against South Africa, but in terms of importance, it's got to be the one against Pakistan. Unforgettable innings from your teammates: There were many! The one Viru played in the first game against Bangladesh, Yuvraj Singh played many, Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli... all the guys chipped in. Unforgettable bowling spell: Zaheer Khan bowled some very important spells. In the semi-final, Ashish Nehra bowled well. Munaf got some important wickets too. Harbhajan Singh and R Ashwin bowled well too. Everyone has chipped in. That is why I call it a thorough team performance. Everyone did their job and somewhere they made an impact. Unforgettable captaincy move: We set a 6-3 field against Pakistan at Mohali. Their opening batsman, Mohammad Hafeez tried to play a sweep shot off Munaf Patel and got caught behind. I thought that was the turning point of the match. Unforgettable catch: The one Viru caught off Shahid Afridi. The match was very much alive then because Misbah & Afridi were batting and we needed two-three big overs at that stage, so that was an important catch. An easy one, but important. Unforgettable tense moment: There were many moments when we were really tense especially in the last three matches....we knew there would be no second chance. There were many moments like that. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook APR 4, 2011 Sachin didn't see the winning shot Sachin didn't see the winning shot Sachin Tendulkar didn't watch Mahendra Singh Dhoni's winning shot, a six over long on off Nuwan Kulasekara, that clinched India the World Cup final against Sri Lanka on Saturday night. The batting maestro was inside the dressing room, his hands clasped, eyes shut and prayers on his lips. It was the deafening roar of the capacity crowd that shook him and made him realise that his life-long dream had been realised. "I was not listening to anything at that time. I was not watching too. I was just praying to God. I realised that we have won the Cup when the entire stadium went up in a cheer" He played in five World Cups before without success. His dream was fulfilled on his home ground , the Wankhede Stadium. Then, in a matter of a few moments, he moved from being immersed in himself to being lost in the frenzy of celebration. "I am really speechless. I don't know what to say! It's a feeling which I can't explain in any language," he said. "It is a different kind of feeling. I am on a high. I believe now I am living in a different planet. It feels as if I am flying high." As he hugged his teammates one by one, tears rolled down his cheeks. Then, as he has done on every occasion of reaching a milestone, he remembered his late father. "Khushi ke aansu bhi hote hain. Yeah, if he were here, he would have been the happiest person. He is always in my mind," Tendulkar said. True heroes Tendulkar was touched when the group of NSG commandos tasked with protecting him requested to be photographed with him and his family. Tendulkar immediately went into the dressing room and returned with son Arjun. Father and son posed with the commandos for the picture. "They are the real heroes. They defend our nation," the premier batsman said. The members of the Indian team might disagree, though. For them, he was God, the reason they played and won the coveted title. "I am not at all a special person. It was a nice gesture by the teammates. If you are talking about special, our nation is special. The people of our nation are special. We won the World Cup for them," Tendulkar said. Tendulkar praised man of the tournament, Yuvraj Singh: He has been absolutely wonderful," he said. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Dhoni the best captain I have played under - Sachin Tendulkar Two days after India were crowned World Champions, Sachin Tendulkar has rated MS Dhoni as the best captain he has played under during his 22-year cricket career. "Dhoni is the best captain I have played under," Tendulkar said in Mumbai. "He is very sharp and always alert. He reads the situation well and is open to sharing ideas. He always has discussions with bowlers, batsmen and senior players separately." Tendulkar, who has played under six captains, including Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, praised Dhoni's ability to maintain his composure whatever the match situation. "He is always calm and never shows his frustration. These are some of the human qualities which have made him such a good captain. He is a fantastic captain." India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final in Mumbai after coming through the knockout stages with hard-fought wins over Australia and Pakistan and a patchy performance in the group matches. Tendulkar said that India had "peaked" when it mattered the most. "In the knockout stage we peaked at the right time; it was most important. We knew either the batting was clicking, or bowling, or fielding but everything was not clicking together, but [apart from] in the last three games. Everybody contributed, right from seniors to the juniors in the team. No one can guarantee results but efforts can be [guaranteed]." After India's victory in the final, Dhoni had said the team had felt the pressure of expectations right through the tournament. Tendulkar said the key to handling that pressure lay in focussing on individual performances. "Pressure and expectation are always there, we were thinking that as individuals we should perform our best. We were not thinking that if a bowler fails, others will take wickets like that; we wanted to do our individual best and perform as a team. "The responsibility is on all the team members equally. Like me, it was the dream of all the team members to get this World Cup." Tendulkar said that while lifting the trophy was on the players' minds, the focus was on restricting Sri Lanka to a gettable target and "go through the process and finish the game". He said the pre-World Cup preparatory camp the team had in Bangalore also played a key role in the team's preparation. Tendulkar paid tribute to the efforts of outgoing coach Gary Kirsten, saying that while he would like Kirsten to continue, he respected his decision to leave, and that the team would "miss" him. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Winning World Cup is my biggest achievement He had to wait for 22 long years. And seemed it would be an endless one, the only regret in an otherwise glittering career. However, on a fateful Saturday evening it was realized. Three weeks short of what would be his 38th birthday, Sachin Tendulkar, without doubt India's best cricketer ever, got possibly his best birthday present ever. And it was his teammates who ensured this will be a birthday to remember by winning the ICC World Cup. The Master Blaster had won the trophy that had eluded him for long. It took him six attempts. But India's six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankhede made Tendulkar part of a World Cup-winning squad. It was an honour he probably deserved earlier in his career; an honour that probably justified his greatness. And, definitely, something that made him emotional. "I lived a dream," said Tendulkar, adding, "Winning the World Cup was my biggest dream. "And today it is my biggest achievement." The Master Blaster admitted that the feeling is yet to sink in completely. "April 2, 2011 was my biggest day in life," he said, adding, "I became extremely emotional, which is rarely the case, and those tears in my eyes were happy tears. "The moment had never happened before. We had to pinch one another to make sure that it was actually happening in our life." Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook APR 3, 2011 I wanted to win World Cup for Sachin: Yuvi Yuvraj had said after guiding the team to a great victory over defending champions Australia at Ahmedabad in the quarter finals that he wanted to win the trophy for a "special person" and added the identity of the person would be revealed by him after the final. Yuvraj specially thanked former India captain Sourav Ganguly and Dhoni for keeping faith in him when he was going through tough times. "When I started my career, Sourav was the captain and he supported me a lot. When I went through ups and downs Mahi (Dhoni) supported me. Mahi has been a great captain. Whatever he touches turns into gold. Sourav and MS have been very helpful for my career." Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook World Cup dream comes true for SachinTendulkar Sachin Tendulkar failed with the bat but still ended a World Cup-winner for the first time on Saturday as India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final. Many fans in a capacity 33,000 crowd had piled into the Wankhede Stadium hoping to see the 37-year-old Tendulkar, on his home ground, score his hundredth international hundred. But instead the star batsman, bidding to fulfil a lifelong ambition by winning the World Cup at his sixth — and in all likelihood last — attempt, was dismissed for just 18. Tendulkar walked off to the kind of standing ovation usually reserved for batsmen who've scored far more than 18, in what was a recognition of his previous great deeds rather than this innings. Tendulkar later said he could not hold back his tears. “I couldn't have asked for more,” said Tendulkar, as his teammates carried him on their shoulders for a victory lap before adoring fans at the Wankhede Satdium. “Winning the World Cup is the ultimate thing. It is the proudest moment of my life. It shows it is never too late,” he said referrring to India's wait for 28 years for the coveted crown. “I thank my teammates who were fabulous. I could not really hold back my tears. These are happy tears so I don't mind crying.” India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Tendulkar was “made by God just to play cricket”. “When God made Tendulkar, he made him just to play cricket,” Dhoni said. “From the very first ball he ever faced on the international scene, he has looked at giving his 100 per cent. Players have come and players have gone, but Tendulkar has just grown from strength to strength.” Asked what set Tendulkar apart, Dhoni replied: “It definitely has to be his level of dedication towards the game and the intensity with which he has played for the last 21 years. “Even today, he takes every training session seriously. He would much rather not turn up for training than joke around once on the ground. He doesn't leave anything for tomorrow.” The captain jokingly added: “We are blessed that he is a genius. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Tendulkar won't stop - Kirsten After winning the World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar said he had achieved the one thing he had dreamt about when he started playing cricket. But he may not hang up his boots just yet. When asked about his retirement, Tendulkar deflected the question initially, before saying he saw no reason to change things as he was still enjoying the game. "This is a moment to celebrate, not one to think about my future," Tendulkar told the ICC. "This is the reason I started playing cricket; to do something for the country. The process has been a long one, and I am still enjoying my game, so I don't see the reason to change anything." Gary Kirsten, for whom the World Cup final was his last game as coach of India, also said he didn't think Tendulkar would stop here. "Sachin is the greatest sporting role model I've met in my life," Kirsten said. "He's had an incredible last three or four years, and he's enjoying his cricket even more. I don't think he is going to stop." Tendulkar has had to wait till his sixth World Cup campaign to win the trophy, and when asked whether this was the final accolade he needed to complete his closet-full of achievements, he said it was in fact the first thing he wanted to achieve. "As a young boy I dreamt of winning this trophy; that's where it all started. This is by far the best moment and it's the one I've been waiting for for 24 years. There have been heart-breaking losses; in past campaigns we lost in the semi-finals and finals. I never gave up because this was my dream and now the team has managed to win this cup for the nation." After their victory on Saturday, the Indian team spent the night celebrating with their families and friends before going to Raj Bhavan on Sunday to meet the Indian president. But what Tendulkar is looking forward to is sharing the experience with the Indian public. "The victory hasn't sunk in yet because I haven't faced the general crowd outside. I've just mingled around with my friends and family. We've been in a close unit behind a wall of security. We haven't had a chance to experience or share our joy with everyone else. That's a reaction I'm really looking forward to because I can imagine what it would be like. All I've seen is their reactions on the news channels and it's absolutely fascinating." Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook MAR 31, 2011 Never got five 'lives' in one innings: Sachin Sachin Tendulkar was honest in admitting that never in his 21-year career has he got reprieve as many as five times in one innings. "Five lives! God has been kind to me. It is not something which has happened to me earlier," Tendulkar said during a post match interview. About the upcoming final against Sri Lanka, Tendulkar said, "Hopefully, we will put our best performance in all three departments. Sri Lanka are a great team. They play well and know the conditions well. It will be a wonderful occasion to play the final in Mumbai. All we would like is to remain calm and focussed and get the job done." For someone who has been a member of the side that has won all its five World Cup matches against Pakistan, the legendary batsman was quick to admit that it would be a "memory that he would always cherish." Someone who has always put the team before individual performance, Tendulkar lavished praise on young Suresh Raina whose unbeaten 36 provided necessary impetus during the death overs. "Raina played a special knock. When we started batting, I felt that 310-315 was par-score. But as the spinners came on the ball was stopping and coming. Then I thought that 265-270 will be a good score to defend," Tendulkar stated. For him Virender Sehwag's blitzkrieg at the onset gave him and others that extra bit of time to check out on how to proceed with the innings. "Viru got us off to a flier but then we needed to assess the situation. It was a difficult wicket to bat on and we needed to put up a good score. Full credit to our bowlers as they put up a fabulous show." Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook MAR 23, 2011 I walked because I was out: Tendulkar Sachin Tendulkar explained what prompted him to walk in the Group 'B' game against the West Indies on Sunday; He was out. The Little Master is surprised by the debate on his walking, after faintly nicking a delivery from seamer Ravi Rampaul in the first over of the match, has triggered. Tendulkar didn't wait for a decision by umpire Steve Davis who actually turned down the appeal. "You think I am mad (to walk if he was not out)? Yes, I was out. That's why I walked to the pavilion. Of course, I was out," Tendulkar told. "The ball first kissed my bat. That was like a feather touch, and then it kissed my gloves and went to the 'keeper. It was a genuine dismissal," the batting superstar described his dismissal. Tendulkar's walk came a day after Australian captain Ricky Ponting stood his crease despite clearly edging offie Mohammad Hafeez in the tie against Pakistan in Colombo. But the world's leading run-getter was untouched by all the talk about his walk. Tendulkar has told people close to him that there was no point in standing his crease because the Decision Review System would have revealed the nick. And that's what happened in Ponting's case! The early dismissal meant that Tendulkar had to wait another day to get to the milestone of 100 international centuries. However, the 37-year-old Mumbaikar reached another landmark in his more than 21-year-long career: The match was against the West Indies was his 450th ODI appearance. "I was not aware of that figure. Later on, I came to know that I had played in 450 one-day matches. It feels good," Tendulkar said. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook MAR 15, 2011 Learn from Tendulkar: Akram tells Pak openers Former captain Wasim Akram has called on the Pakistani openers to seek inspiration and learn from the exploits of Indian senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar. Wasim, who is in Sri Lanka commentating on the World Cup matches, also expressed his frustration over Pakistan's performance against Zimbabwe on Monday. The former fast bowler called on openers, Muhammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shahzad to learn the art of batting and building an innings from Tendulkar. The two openers have failed to provide a single decent start to the Pakistan team in five matches of the World Cup and Wasim felt both needed to rethink their approach to batting. "They should learn from Tendulkar, look at him he is 38 plus and yet he is still going strong. He just plays normal cricket in the first ten overs and does not gift his wicket," Akram said. "Tendulkar is a role model for many others and the Pakistani openers should learn from him how to build an innings and how to tackle dicey conditions. Look at Shahzad he is immensely talented but the moment the ball does a little movement he either starts shuffling across the line or moving in his crease and is gifting his wicket. Hafeez is also getting out constantly shuffling across," he explained. Wasim said the Pakistani openers need to learn from Tendulkar that even in one-day cricket one needs to build an innings. "Even if you have scored 50 odds runs in the first 12 or 15 overs and have wickets in hand you are in a good position. And Pakistan's strength is that if they have wickets in hand they can go for quick runs in the final overs," he said. He pointed out that Tendulkar was still going strong as he stuck to the basics well and didn't try anything extraordinary. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook FEB 27, 2011 Tendulkar scores record fifth World Cup hundred Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday reached another milestone as he became the highest century-maker in World Cup history by scoring his fifth hundred in the prestigious event. The 37-year-old Tendulkar reached the landmark during the group B clash against England when he glanced burly paceman Tim Bresnan for a boundary towards the fine leg region in the first ball of the 35th over. It was his 47th ODI century and his 98th overall. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, current Australia captain Ricky Ponting and his former teammate Mark Waugh have all scored four World Cup hundreds. With Ganguly and Waugh retired, it is only Ponting who has a chance to match or surpass Tendulkar. Tendulkar scored 120 runs from 115 balls and the knock was adorned with five sixes and 10 fours. Tendulkar, playing his sixth World Cup, also holds the records for most runs and most half-centuries in the flagship event of the ICC. He has accumulated 1944 runs in 38 matches and has scored 13 fifties so far, followed by Ponting with 1577 runs in 41 matches. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook FEB 9, 2011 Unplugging the genius called Sachin So much has been written about Sachin Tendulkar the cricketer and Sachin Tendulkar the human being that it’s almost impossible to come up with a novel venture. Distinguished sportswriter Suresh Menon has found a way out, putting together a series of essays on the Little Master -- the editor himself has penned one of them -- by distinguished sportswriters and two of his former skippers. ‘Sachin -- Genius Unplugged’, a work of art and passion, was launched in the City on Wednesday afternoon, Rahul Dravid releasing the first copy and handing it over to Anil Kumble. It was in the fitness of things that the two Karnataka gentlemen, who have both played under and led Tendulkar, should be so initimately involved, not only because both have eulogised the Mumbaikar in print but also because each of them has played more than 100 Tests alongside Tendulkar. “I haven’t had the time to read this book fully, but the wide range of writers who have contributed is a reflection of the respect Suresh has among his writing colleagues,” Dravid remarked. “It is not easy to write about Sachin, about whom so much is already written. I am sure this book will inspire a lot of youngsters, especially young cricketers.” Including Menon and the two former Indian skippers, 16 writers have given expression to their impressions of the 37-year-old, among them Bishan Singh Bedi, Sanjay Manjrekar, Peter Roebuck and Mike Marqusee of ‘War Minus The Shooting’ fame, with the foreword coming from Muttiah Muralitharan. “I was fortunate to be at Old Trafford when Sachin scored his first Test century,” Kumble said of his great mate, with whom he has a wonderful relationship based on mutual respect and admiration. “Superstition is rife in cricket. I was on the dressing room balcony and Kiran More told me, `Sachin is batting well, so you better keep standing’. I stood all the while, getting a small break for tea, and I stood all along till he scored his century and the match was saved! “I was a bit envious of Sachin -- he would just roll his arm over and bowl a perfect leg-break or a googly while I was struggling to turn the ball! It was an honour to play alongside Sachin for more than 100 Tests. For 21 years, he has played with the same passion and intensity because he still enjoys the game. That’s a good lesson for youngsters.” Priced at Rs 599, the book will hit retail stores on February 14. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook FEB 8, 2011 When Sachin played under Imran Not many know, but India's batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar had played under Pakistan captain Imran Khan in 1988 - a year before he made his international debut in Pakistan. In a book titled 'SACH,' by Gautam Bhattacharya, Tendulkar revealed that he played under Imran but as a substitute fielder during a festival match at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai. Imran asked him to field in the deep and Tendulkar couldn't complete a catch and going back home, in the local train, constantly grumbled about the captain's field placements. "Absolutely true. I went in as a substitute. Imran was the Pakistan captain. No words were exchanged with him. But yes, I may've got the catch if I was kept slightly ahead (laughs)," Sachin said. The book also revealed that a year before in 1987, Sachin was selected as a promising fast bowler to train at legendary Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee's MRF Pace Academy in Chennai, but was rejected. "I was okay with it. In any case I was not aspiring to become a fast bowler. I thought of myself as a fast bowling all-rounder. That is precisely the reason I had carried my batting kit to Chennai. I didn't get an opportunity to bat. I did bowl for one or two sessions," Sachin said. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was also part of the camp, but Sachin doesn't remember meeting him. "As for Sourav, I don't remember meeting him there. Later on at the national camp, I caught up with him," said Sachin. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook FEB 6, 2011 Thank my countrymen for showing faith in my integrity: Sachin Sachin Tendulkar feels that he can't thank his countrymen enough for the amount of faith they have showed in his integrity during his 21 illustrious years in international cricket. In the recently released book "Sach" written by notedscribe Gautam Bhattacharya, one gets to know the rareemotional side of the maestro as he spoke on a host of issues including how the entire country supported him during the ball-tampering episode in 2001 tour of South Africa. He also spoke about how he dealt with the ugly match-fixing episode, and the tragic 26/11 terror attack onMumbai. Referring to episode of ball-tampering when match-referee Mike Denness handed him a one match ban on alleagtions of trying to lift the seam during a Test match at Port Elizabeth,Sachin has been quoted as saying, "But despite the incident, I was so happy for the trust and faith that the entire country expressed in me. "At times, it has been written that a nation walked with me every time I went out to bat. Here there was no bat. Yet they showed such faith in my integrity that I was touched. Till date I can''t forget that." Tendulkar, who has been a picture of dignity during his long international career did admit being "shattered" with allegations levelled by Denness. "You know, I was completely shocked and shattered when he said the charge against me was for ball tampering. I tried telling him what the truth was. That I was just cleaning the grass on the ball. I was not picking the seam. At no stage did I do that. "If someone is trying to remove grass, how can you levyball-tampering charges against him? But the match referee would hear none of it. Since then, when ever I clean the ball,I keep the umpires posted." When the murky episode of match-fixing rocked the nation,Tendulkar was like a picture of resilience. When asked about his feelings during the entire fixing-saga, the holder of a world record 97 international centuries, said,"I was just doing what every Indian was supposed to do. I was just doing my duty and did not think it was any different from what I had done in the past. I was just following the same routine.... "Around that time, I received a certificate from IncomeTax department for paying my taxes honestly. That gives me alot of satisfaction. I was just hoping that my father had been alive to see it," said the man who still looks heavenwards and utters a silent prayer in the memory of his father Ramesh Tendulkar, every time he completes a ton. Talking about the tragic 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai,Tendulkar also spoke about the pain he went through as innocent Indians lost their lives. "We were playing at Cuttack (against England). At night we came to know about the attack. Of course, first you call home and enquire about the safety of your near and dear ones. "Then keep glued to TV to try and find out what exactly is going on. What was happening to the nation was difficult to digest. "I felt very sad and couldn't come to terms with it. Iwas almost numb and didn't know what had hit me. It took a while to get myself back on track. That must surely rank as one of the most disappointing days of my life," he said. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook JAN 27, 2011 Madhya Pradesh CM inaugurates road named after Tendulkar A new 3.55 km long road, named after iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar, has been inaugurated by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here. The four-lane road constructed at a cost of Rs 2.89 crore from the Madhya Pradesh high court's Gwalior bench to Huravli village was named after Tendulkar to mark his historic double century feat in the one-day international. Tendulkar became the first ever cricketer to score a double century in history of ODI cricket after his amazing innings against South Africa in the second ODI played on February 24 last year in the city. Chouhan inaugurated the road yesterday on the occasion of Republic Day. Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook JAN 1, 2011 Sachin's Milestones 35th Test century beating both Lara & Gavaskar: 198 innings, 16 yrs (10 Dec, 2005) 18th ODI century to overtake Desmond Haynes' record: 191 innings, 9 yrs (26 Sep, 1998) Longest break between his Test 100s: 14 innings 1st Test century: 16 innings, 9 months 1st 150: 36 innings, 3 yrs & 3 months 1st ODI 100: 76 innings, 4 yrs 1st double 100: 109 innings, 10 yrs Consecutive Test 100s: 2 90s in ODIs: 18 Consecutive ODI 100s: 1 90s in Tests: 9