Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar took to the pitch on Thursday for his 200th and final Test, bidding farewell to his adoring public and basking in tributes from fellow players, politicians and fans.
The 40-year-old is ending an international career – against the West Indies in Mumbai – spanning nearly a quarter of a century during which he became the all-time leading Test and one-day batsman and the only man to score 100 international centuries.
The end of the “Little Master”, who has almost god-like status in his cricket-mad country, has been met with nationwide nostalgia for his sporting feats since his international debut in 1989.
Tendulkar, who led the team out onto the field in his home city of Mumbai, said the last 20 years had been “marked by some of the most challenging, exhilarating, poignant and memorable moments of my life”.
“The game has seen so much change over the last two decades — from advances in technology, new formats, yet the basic spirit and passion surrounding the game remains the same,” he wrote in a front-page Hindustan Times article.
Since 16-year-old Tendulkar made his debut in Karachi in 1989, he has racked up an astonishing 15,847 runs in 199 Tests, helping India win the 2011 World Cup and reach the top of the world rankings.
The star’s wheelchair-bound mother Rajni is due to watch her son bat for the first time, after a special ramp was built for her at the south Mumbai stadium, despite her previous fears that her presence at matches could bring him bad luck.
Along with Indian politicians, businessmen and Bollywood stars, cricketing greats Brian Lara and Shane Warne have flown in for the game at Wankhede, where a huge security force has been deployed for the next five days.
“Sachin Tendulkar was the best batsman of my generation and it will be a privilege to be in Mumbai,” wrote Australia’s Warne, who is commentating on the match.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, on a visit to New Delhi, called him “absolutely an all-time great” and said he was an example and inspiration to cricket-lovers.
Father-of-two Tendulkar has steered clear of controversies despite his dazzling fame, earning a reputation for modesty and self-control.
Despite his glowing reputation, his cricketing powers have waned in recent years and some suggested that he should have retired earlier. The latest of his 51 Test centuries was back in January 2011 against South Africa.