With so many records
in his kitty, the legend Sachin Tendulkar has completed exactly 24 years in
international cricket today. He played
his first international match against Pakistan in Karachi on 15th November
1989. This will not be a record though
as there are 4 in front of him. W Rhodes; DB close and Fe Woolley of England
and GA Headley of WI - aggregating only
166 against Sachin’s perfect 200. Rhodes career spanned 30 years and 315
days.
Mumbai fans had a
chance to see him bat for one last time in the same ground where he began with
a bang at age 15 making a century against Gujarat in Ranji trophy. At Wankhede
as the whole World waited to see him, he first walked down wearing a white
panama hat, quickly retreated to come out with the 200th cap presented by
Dhoni. To another man Clive Lloyd
presented a cap and it was Shivnaraine Chanderpaul who debuted in 1994 and
plays his 150th test at Wankhede ~ after 11000 test runs, still people talk
about his stance. Chanderpaul has 5
players in between himself and Sachin ~ Alan Border 156; Rahul Dravid and Jac
Kallis 164; Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting 168….. only Kallis is still playing
In the ground today
there were people of all ages – most who have lived watching him pad up… loudly
cheering expecting Sachin on the field, who rightfully had the honor of
leading them in…. a man with 200 and the rest collectively aggregating 187 Test appearances….. Chris Gayle is playing his 99th match.
With West Indies
folding cheaply ~ at 3.31pm, M
Vijay got out to a bat-pad catch off
Shane Shillingford. With 20 overs to go people started cheering as loudly as
they can…. It was in anticipation of the master walking in and it was indeed
Sachin… now at close of play, we all are highly hopeful of atleast another
Century by the little master who is unbeaten on 38 already showing glimpses of
his greatness ~ there was that exquisite straight drive – his trade mark with
open bat – Wankhede was delirious.
This is Sachin’s Test
~ there is so much of commercial aura in to that …. Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has 51
different pictures of Tendulkar with his Test centuries and names of
oppositions inscribed on rectangular billboards, albeit indecipherable, which
are put on the perimeter of the Wankhede Stadium roof. There is news that MCA left embarrassed after Virat Kohli’s
prominent advertising billboards overshadowed the retiring Sachin Tendulkar’s
pictures, removed the rising star’s hoardings from the Wankhede stadium.
Department of Posts
is issuing a set of two stamps, a Miniature sheet and a sheetlet to commemorate
the 200th Test Match of sachin Tendulkar.
There are two stamps of Rs.20/- denomination 30 lakhs of each have been
printed according to a Postal notification. This morning Sunil Gavaskar was
wearing a blazer with ‘SRT 200’ embossed on it.
Away from Sachin,
Darren Sammy's wicket in West Indies' first innings was R Ashwin's 100th in
Tests. He has taken only 18 Tests to take these many wickets - the fastest
bowler to the landmark since Clarrie Grimmett took 100 wickets in his 17th
Test, against West Indies in 1931. Ashwin has taken two Tests less than
Erapalli Prasanna, who was the previous fastest India bowler to 100 wickets in
Tests.
Oblivious of
everything else, fans are hoping that Sachin makes a 100 tomorrow…
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
14th Nov.
2013.
Photos courtesy : https://www.facebook.com/omgsachin
