Sachin Tendulkar’s 50th Birthday: The ‘Master Blaster’ From A to Z

A (Anjali, Arjun, and Ajit) Sachin Tendulkar considers his better-half Anjali to be the best partnership of his life. On the cricket pitch, Tendulkar’s son Arjun is carrying on his father’s legacy. And who knows where we would be without the batting wizardry of the man from Bandra if it weren’t for brother Ajit’s efforts.
Bristol (Bristol) Tendulkar will always have an emotional connection to the venue. He scored 140 against Kenya here, but more importantly, it came less than a week after his father, Professor Ramesh Tendulkar, died.
C (Centurion) The South African venue where Tendulkar may have played one of his greatest ODI knocks — 98 against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup. Fans will never forget Shoaib Akhtar’s six-off pace bowling over point.
D (‘The Don’) Sir Don Bradman’s average of 99.94 will go down in history as the ‘Greatest’. But when ‘The Don’ said the little fella’s batting style reminded him of his, the debate over who is the best batter in modern cricket came to an end.
Tendulkar’s soul may be Wankhede, where he played his 200th Test, but Eden Gardens, where he played his 199th game, remains one of his favourite grounds. Tendulkar the bowler rose to prominence in 1993, when he bowled the decisive last over in the Hero Cup semi-final against South Africa. India successfully defended 195 by limiting South Africa to 193/9, with Tendulkar conceding just three runs in the 50th over.
Tendulkar’s favourite car and Formula One team are both Ferrari. Back in the day, he was the proud owner of a gleaming red Ferrari, which the company presented to him in 2002 for equaling Sir Don Bradman’s record of 29 Test centuries.
Tendulkar’s ODI career ended with 49 hundreds, but the first of his 463 games was played in this Pakistani city. How much did he earn on his debut? He didn’t bother the scorers, at least.
The famous Mumbai Inter-school cricket tournament where Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar first became known to the world after his 664-run stand with Vinod Kambli.
The former Pakistan captain, I (Inzamam ul Haq), had an interesting story to tell. Tendulkar was a big fan of his son Ibtisam. During India’s historic tour of Pakistan in 2004, Inzamam brought his school-age son to meet Tendulkar during an Indian practise session.
J (John McEnroe) Tendulkar enjoys tennis and was a big fan of American John McEnroe when he was younger. According to old-timers, the curly-haired Indian genius, like McEnroe in the early 1980s, could be seen moving around his housing society wearing a red headband.
Tendulkar’s childhood friend, K (Vinod Kambli), was his partner in the world-record stand of 664 runs in Harris Shield. Kambli’s famous remark about Tendulkar remains one of the most quotable: Sachin went to the top riding a lift. I had to use the stairs.
Brian Lara (L) The debate over who was the better cricketer between the two will never end. To appreciate Sachin Tendulkar’s class, one must also appreciate Brian Lara’s panache. The two lit up the 1990s like never before, and their mutual respect was obvious to all. They added so much grace to rivalry.
Tendulkar versus McGrath was the contest that made Test cricket so exciting. When competing against each other, the two master operators gave it their all. They never gave up an inch of ground, and their battles in the 1990s and 2000s remain one of the most fascinating rivalries of all time.
Narsingh Deonarine (Narsingh Deonarine) Narsingh Deonarine’s international career was unremarkable, but the West Indian cricketer will always remember being the last bowler to dismiss Tendulkar in international cricket — during the second Test at the Wankhede Stadium in 2013. In a match that India won by an innings and 126 runs, Sachin was dismissed for 74 by the off-spinner.
The letter O (Old Trafford) No cricket venue in the world means more to Tendulkar than Manchester’s Old Trafford. This is the location of his first of 100 international hundreds. India saved the second Test of the 1990 series against England thanks to his unbeaten 119.
P (Peshawar) was the venue where the world first noticed the teenage Indian prodigy who hit 53 off only 18 balls. It was an exhibition match that was cut short due to rain, but Sachin played a T20-style innings to enchant the audience and leave a lasting impression.
Abdul Qadir (Q) Can Abdul Qadir be far behind when it comes to the Peshawar game? Tendulkar has mentioned several times how Qadir tried to sledge him after he had launched into Mushtaq Ahmed. Bacche ko kya marte ho, maar ke dikhao? Tendulkar clobbered Qadir for 28 runs in an over, and the rest is history.
Rahul Dravid (R) Rahul Dravid, an excellent batter in his own right, and Sachin Tendulkar are the most successful Test-batting pair, with 20 century-plus stands and 6,920 runs in partnerships between them.
S (Shivaji Park Gymkhana) is where it all began. Tendulkar learned the game at this very ground, considered to be the cradle of Mumbai cricket, under the watchful eye of Ramakant Achrekar.
The letter T (Toronto)Tendulkar will always remember the Skating and Curling Club ground in Toronto. After scoring an unbeaten 89 off 89 balls in a winning cause against Pakistan, he received his first ‘Man of the Match’ award as captain.
Tendulkar is a Lata Mangeshkar fan, but when it comes to English songs, he is a huge fan of the world-famous Irish rock band U2. Where Streets Have No Name is his favourite U2 song.
The letter V (Virat Kohli) On the day Tendulkar retired, Virat Kohli presented Tendulkar with his father’s memory chain and sang Tujh Mein Rabh Dikhtar Hai inside the Wankhede dressing room.
Wimbledon (Wimbledon) Tendulkar has never missed a tournament. The legend visits SW19 on an annual basis and can be seen sitting in one of the VIP areas watching marquee Centre Court matches.
St. Xavier’s School Tendulkar and Kambli scored 664 runs in Harris Shield against this particular school while playing for Sharadashram Vidyamandir.
Y (Yorkshire) is a county in England. Yorkshire has been the subject of several racist allegations, but they welcomed Tendulkar with open arms in 1990. The club’s first overseas player was the Indian legend.
(Zimbabwe) Z During a league game of the 1998 Champions Trophy in Sharjah, Zimbabwe bowler Henry Olonga rattled Tendulkar with a bouncer that the Indian fended and was caught by close-in fielders. However, the icon scored 124 runs in the final as India won by 10 wickets with 120 balls to spare.