Player Profile: Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar has been the most complete batsman of his era and arguably, of any era.

“Viv Richards could terrorise an attack with pitiless brutality, Lara could dissect bowlers with surgical and magical strokes, Tendulkar can take an attack apart with towering simplicity. From the start he had an uncanny way of executing his strokes perfectly. Tendulkar was born to bat,” once wrote Peter Roebuck, a highly respected cricket journalist.

Tendulkar is currently the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and One Day International cricket and recently became the first player ever to score a double ton in an ODI innings against a strong South Africa bowling attack.

The ‘little master’ continues to rack up the runs, passing 30,000 in international cricket at the end of November 2009 and surely it is only a matter of time before he becomes the first cricketer to score 100 international hundreds – he currently has 93.

The 36-year-old was only 16 when he made his Test debut and his determination to win was made apparent as he continued to bat, in a blood-soaked shirt after being struck on the mouth by Waqar Younis.

His first Test ton, a match-saving one at Old Trafford, came aged 17 and he had a staggering 16 Test hundreds before turning 25.

Considering the unrelenting pressure put upon his shoulders by his many followers, Tendulkar’s achievements cannot be underestimated. The great Don Bradman once paid Tendulkar the ultimate compliment when he told his wife the Indian star reminded him of himself.

There are more explosive players in the India squad, the likes of Mahendra Dhoni and Virender Sehwag, but in the twilight of his astonishing career, Tendulkar will be the most dangerous in the Caribbean.

His latest record-breaking knock (200no off 147 balls, which included 25 fours and three sixes against SA in Gwalior) shows that after 20 years he remains at the top of his powers.

March 11, 2010