As on 20th Dec2010 Sachin Tendulkar the greatest cricketer of the 21st century It is very difficult for Australia and England To accept it gracefully Keep speakers on

There have been great cricketers and there had been good cricketers, and then we have Tendulkar. Incomparable in almost every manner to his peers, the little man’s only plausible comparison could have been with the Don himself, less than a decade ago when Sir Donald Bradman told to the world that the Indian’s batting reminded him of himself, Tendulkar entered rarefied territory. After his record 50th hundred in tests, there can be no dispute over his status as the greatest ever.

“Sachin is a genius, I am a mortal” ---Brain Lara West Indian batting great salutes

He has been in form longer than some of the guys have been alive. ----Daniel Vettori

I have joked before that there is a good chance that I might retire before Tendulkar. M.S.Dhoni

I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing us to breathe the same air as you do. --- Shah Rukh Khan

Why did you get out to such a silly shot? Anjali Tendulkar

With Sachin Tendulkar and Brain Lara it was better to be friends and make them smile rather than wind them up….. Shane Warne

The archives recall not one single incriminating incident, not one drunken escapade, not one reported affair, not one spat with a teammate or reporter--- is he human? Michael Atherton

To me , he will not just remember as a great player and lovely human being, but as somebody who tried to learn Bengali for the last14 years but never managed to do so.--- Sourav Ganguly

Sachin was so focused. He never looked like getting out Sachin was so focused. He never looked like getting out. He was betting with single-minded devotion. It was truly remarkable. It was a lesson.--- Martina Navratilova

He has defined cricket in his fabulous, impeccable manner He has defined cricket in his fabulous, impeccable manner. He is to batting what Shane Warne is to bowling. --- Richie Benaud

SACHIN IS THE MAN

Named by his father after legendry music director Sachin Dev Burman

Was a naughty kid. In his own words, ‘I was extremely naughty Was a naughty kid. In his own words, ‘I was extremely naughty. Very, very difficult to handle. I had a nanny who used to run after me virtually 24 hours a day.

Used to go fishing for tadpoles and guppy fish in the stream that ran through the compound of Sahitya Sahwas at Bandra East.

Was a bully in the school but was kind to cats and dogs Was a bully in the school but was kind to cats and dogs. His first captain Sunil Harshe said he loved to pick a fight. Every time he was introduced to someone, his first thought was “will I be able to beat him?”

Was a big fan of US tennis star John McEnore Was a big fan of US tennis star John McEnore. He says: “I was the only one supporting John McEnore. Every one called me ‘mac’ because I styled myself on him.”

Fell from tree on Sunday evening when Dev Anand-starrer Guide was on TV. Brother (and mentor) Ajit packed him off to cricket coaching class as punishment.

His coach at Shardashram, Ramakant Achrekar used to offer a 1 rupee coin as a prize to anyone who dismissed him. If he remained not out, the coin belonged to Sachin. He has big bunch of those coins with him.

Wanted to be a tearing fast bowler Wanted to be a tearing fast bowler. Even went MRF pace academy, but head coach Denis Lilee told him to focus on batting.

Refused to shoot for a soft drink ad of him smashing cricket balls with a fly swatter because “that would make me greater than the game.” The ad was modified: he hit the balls with a stump.

Was a ball boy during the 1987 world cup semi-final between India and England at Wankhede.

A dream of winning the ODI WORLDCUP.

Was immensely humbled at meeting the Don in Adelaide, in1998and rendered speechless by the Australian Legend

Teammate Praveen Amre bought him his first pair of international quality cricket shoes.

Was without a bat contract during the 1996 world cup where he emerged as the highest run-getter.

Favourites: Amitabh Bachchan, after watching Deewar and Zanjeer; Kishore Kumar and rock group Dire Straits; Sydney Cricket Grounds.

Remembers every test dismissal, and the bowler responsible. Wears his left pad first, has the tricolor pasted inside his kit bag. Remembers every test dismissal, and the bowler responsible.

A Ganesh devotee, he is a regular at Siddhi Vinayak Temple.

Sang and whistled with Vinod Kambli during their 664 run stand in Harris shield in 1988 to avoid eye contact with the coach who wanted to declare.

Used to sleep with his cricket gear during his junior days.

Likes to dunk his biscuits into his tea.

Bats with his right hand. Eats and autographs with his left hand.

A prankster, he once put a hose pipe into Saurav Ganguly’s room and turned the tap on. Ganguly awoke to find his gear floating.

A fast car fiend; likes to tear down Mumbai’s road at 4 in the morning.

Tendulkar had feared a tennis elbow would end his career prematurely in 2004. so disturbed was he at the prospect that” “I have gone out for drives alone at 3am. I used to ask my wife Anjali, why should this happen to me?”

Proudest moment: Sachin says it was the first time he wore the India cap.

For the record till 20th Dec 2010

Most number of runs scored in tests 14,513

The most number of test centuries 50

The highest number of test matches played 175

Against Australia in 2004, the maestro’s highest test score 248

Number of innings Sachin has taken to score his last ten centuries 34

3 number of centuries scored in the fourth innings of a test match

Runs scored in one – day internationals 17, 598

The most number of runs in 39 world cup matches 1796

200 the only batsman to score a double-hundred in this format

46 the most ODI hundreds

“Sachin’s father Dr Ramesh Tendulkar died at his Bandra home in May 1999, when the maestro was in England playing in the world cup series. Former Indian batsman Anshuman Gaekwad, who was the team coach and who look after the call from Sachin’s brother Ajit, recalls “I did not have the heart to tell Sachin, so I told his wife Anjaliand the left the task to her. Sachin, Anjali and their daughter Sara took the first flight the next morning, the day of the match with Zimbabwe. Neither I nor the board had the heart to ask him when he would return. But Sachin’s mother Rajni told him to return and play for the nation. He came back to score century against Kenya.

In his long innings, he has swatted away comparisons, opponents, and criticisms while becoming larger than life with his phenomenal achievements.

Memorable test hundreds

119 not out v England, Old Trafford, 1990, he was 17 yrs old

114 runs v Australia, Perth, 1991-1992 on the fastest pitch

169 v South Africa, Cape Town, 1996-97

155 not out v Australia, Chennai 1997-98

136 v Pakistan, Chennai, 1998-99

155 v South Africa, Bloemfonteon, 2001-02

193 v England, Old Trafford, 2002

103 not out v England, Chennai 2008-09

20-12-2010 175 14,513 50 17,598 46