Sachin Tendulkar Celebrates His 39 Today

BORN TO BAT (1988): As a schoolboy Sachin scored a century in almost every innings he played. His record partnership of 664 with his friend Vinod Kambli in a Harris Shield inter-school match is still fresh in the hearts and minds of every cricket fan.







DUKE OF YORK (1992): Sachin earned the distinction of becoming the first overseas-born player to represent Yorkshire in the English County Championship.

HOME HERO (1993): Tendulkar had to wait four years after his debut to score a century at home, but when it came it was one of his most memorable and dominating. His innings of 165 in Madras against England was studded with 24 fours and a six.

 FIRST ODI TON (1994): Soon after he started opening the innings, Sachin brought up his maiden one-day century.

REWARD FOR SUCCESS (1994): Sachin's sporting achievements are recognised by the Indian government, which bestows the Arjuna Award on him.

WORLD CUP SPLASH (1996): As with everything else in the game of cricket, Sachin would also come to dominate records in the World Cup. Playing the tournament for the second time, he topped the batting averages (87.16) as India were knocked out in the semi-finals.

HITTING IT OFF WITH THE DON (1998): Sachin met the late Sir Don Bradman during his 90th birthday celebrations. The Australian legend said he saw a lot of himself in the Indian maestro.

NO LOOKING BACK (2003): It was World Cup year again and Sachin dominated. India lost to Australia in the final, but Sachin emerged the highest run-scorer of the tournament, earning the best player award. While playing against Pakistan in the group match, Sachin scored his 12,000th ODI run.

HIGH PRAISE FROM RIVALS (2007): One of Sachin's greatest rival showered him with an unexpected compliment. Former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne names him at Number 1 on his list of 50 greatest cricketers ever. Sachin also became the first batsman to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year on seven separate occasions.

DOUBLE DHAMAKA (2010): It had been spoken about for a few years, but no batsman had managed to get it. It was only fitting then that Sachin Tendulkar should push the envelope once again by scoring the first ODI double century, a 200 not out against South Africa.

PROUDEST MOMENT (2011): Sachin got his hands on the one trophy that had eluded him through his career -- the World Cup. The master blaster was overjoyed and said, "Winning the World Cup is the proudest moment of my life. ... I couldn't control my tears of joy."

Another Incredible Milestone - SACHIN'S 100 TON

Ever since Australia's Charles Bannerman scored Test cricket's first century against England in Melbourne in March 1877, the three-figure mark has defined a batsman's aura. It is the yardstick that secures or tears reputations and none can ever get bigger than Tendulkar at 100 international centuries. Over to K.C. Vijaya Kumar. 

Indian cricket has gifted many classic vignettes, which are too exhaustive to chronicle. The obvious few are Kapil Dev's toothy grin while holding aloft the 1983 World Cup; Sunil Gavaskar's late cut off Pakistan's Ijaz Fakih to become the first Test cricketer to score 10,000 runs in Ahmedabad in 1987.

On March 16, a feat of staggering proportions was added to that list and it is a record that will stand unique and alone in the sands of time, much like Sir Don Bradman's Test average of 99.94. Whisper ‘a hundred international hundreds', may be say it aloud, and then get surprised by the sudden intake of breath while the words linger.

Yes, the wait was finally over when Sachin Tendulkar nudged Shakib Al Hasan for a single at exactly 17.05 local time, at Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on a bustling Friday. Once the tryst with history was sealed during the Asia Cup match against Bangladesh, Tendulkar raised his bat, looked at the skies, removed his helmet, broke into a half-smile and then Suresh Raina wrapped him in a hug and a few Bangladesh players rushed in to congratulate the legend.

Prior to that incandescent moment, Tendulkar's drought of centuries lasted 33 innings that spread across Tests and ODIs played in India, England and Australia. Incidentally Tendulkar scored his 99th international ton, a glittering 111 against South Africa, in a World Cup game in Nagpur, on March 12, last year.
Over the past few months, an overwhelming sense of anticipation hung in the air but the hundred proved elusive and the larger picture of a struggling Indian team in England and Australia, made it worse. “I tried to insulate myself from the hype but even the room-service (guy) used to ask me,” Tendulkar said.

The 38-year-old veteran, unlike his former fellow teammate Rahul Dravid who left international cricket recently, has no plans for retirement at the moment and believes that this is the time for him to enjoy the game while playing without any pressure.

  “If I am enjoying it then the performance will be there, and that's how I have always played in the past. There are different challenges along the way and you overcome those obstacles and that is also part of the learning process,” said the legend.