Tendulkar, the Legend, to Surpass another Record
Cricket in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sachin-Ramesh-Tendulkar-c87800.
So when India take on http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746’s Steve Waugh. Waugh featured in 168 Tests. And if Tendulkar plays in all the games in this series, Tendulkar will overtake this feat. There wouldn’t be much left to overtake for Tendulkar after this, one guesses!
Nothing about his personality, would strike anyone as extraordinary. A game, where domination by the tall men from the Caribbean was a given in those 1980s, Tendulkar stands less than five and a half feet tall. But then, as they say, great things come in small packages!
Many writers have fallen short of adjectives in the English dictionary, to describe this ‘Little Master’ – as he is fondly called – and his class and achievements make him one of the best sportsman the world has seen.
Tendulkar started playing cricket for India at the age of 16. That was the time when the Indian team had star players like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in November 1989 and with the boyish looks that he possessed at that age, the Pakistani side were all over him, trying to sledge him out.
But his talent was visible from the very start. At the age of 14, Tendulkar, along with friend and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 and later, India teammate, Vinod Kambli, had been involved in a 664-run unbroken partnership for his school. Kambli made 349 not out, Tendulkar remaining unbeaten on 326! It was this innings that shot him to fame and there was hardly any looking back.
Coming back to his first series against Pakistan, there was the maturity of a seasoned cricketer on display. Later, the Pakistan legend, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wasim-Akram-c96292, who was a part of the Pakistani side in that series, said that even at that age, one knew that the guy was a special talent.
In the third Test of that 1989 series, Tendulkar was seriously injured as a ball from Waqar Younis hit him on the nose. Blood dripped down his nose but he continued to remain on the the field and refused to go off for medical treatment. He went on to score 57 in the innings. That was the courage that Tendulkar possessed even at that young age.
The pitches in England have always been regarded as difficult for Indian batsmen. The ball swings around and on occasions bounces too much as well, especially for those born and bred on Indian tracks. Tendulkar went on his first tour of England in August 1990 as a 17-year old. Instead of being intimidated, he not only ended up being the second youngest Test centurion, but also saved India a Test match in the company of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Manoj-Prabhakar-c74254. At the age of 17 years and 112 days he played a marvellous innings of 119 not out at Old Trafford.
The Perth is another one of those challenging wickets where the Indians have found it very difficult to prosper. The reasons are similar, it has so much bounce and pace, that most Indian batsmen have usually been sitting ducks on that track. In February 1992 the Indian innings was once again falling apart in front of a fiery Aussie bowling line-up at Perth.
But, the young Tendulkar, who 18 then, came out firing all cylinders and played a sparkling innings of 114. To date, Tendulkar terms this innings regards this innings as one of his best ever.
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