Tendulkar :notworthy: :clap:
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Tendulkar :notworthy: :clap:
Watching Steyn Vs Sachin was a treat. Fair to say Steyn was all over Sachin. But Sachin scored 146. When Sachin was all over Steyn, Sachin scored 200*, in a ODI.
On the third day of the deciding Test in Newlands, the world's best fast bowler terrorised the batsmen of the No. 1 team during frightening spells of accurate outswing bowled at high speed. Most did not survive the menacing attack, but the best batsman in the world did, and he dragged his team forward through the harshest of circumstances. The battle between Dale Steyn, oozing aggression every ball, and Sachin Tendulkar, who was probably beaten more times today than any other day, and yet remained steadfast, was worth travelling unreasonable distances to see. Both champions were winners, for Steyn ripped out five in the innings, while Tendulkar fought hard for his 51st century. Their efforts left the contest even - India lead's was merely 2 - and ensured that the series would be decided by a second-innings shootout under the Table Mountain.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-af...ry/495320.html
AF, the catch was bounced of the ground. The bounce was noticed only a couple of overs later and the commentary team said that it would have been turned down if it had been reviewed.Quote:
Originally Posted by ajithfederer
It was NOT OUT!Quote:
Originally Posted by littlemaster1982
Hmm, I have to check the highlights then.
but even the bulletin says so
The first over from Steyn was an example of how to begin a day. His first ball sped into Tendulkar, landed on good length, reared up, seamed away late and beat the bat. The second was fuller, swung away and took the edge as Tendulkar lunged forward. Mark Boucher caught it too, diving forward, but his appeal had little support from Steyn.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-af...ry/495320.html
Few overs from SRT tomorrow?
Yes you guys are right. My apologies. Looks like it bounced it front of boucher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-KUtd6NZNQ
From 2:16 onwards.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivasaayi
97th Int'l Century. Only 3 More.
:clap: :bow: :clap:
:smokesmirk:
8-)
[html:a86944b831]http://i52.tinypic.com/2n02ele.jpg[/html:a86944b831]
Celebrating 100
[html:a86944b831]http://i54.tinypic.com/14sk2u8.jpg[/html:a86944b831]
Celebrating 50th run
[html:a86944b831]http://i56.tinypic.com/2pzel2w.jpg[/html:a86944b831]
Down the track
[html:a86944b831]http://i53.tinypic.com/v2xmxx.jpg[/html:a86944b831]
Pull shot
[html:a86944b831]http://i54.tinypic.com/oitxc0.jpg[/html:a86944b831]
Well left
[html:a86944b831]http://i52.tinypic.com/1tuequ.jpg[/html:a86944b831]
Well left (2) - The bat is absolutely tarnished in this pic.
No matter how many batsmen come and go, the sheer style and class this man displays is beyond comparison. (My reaction after watching the h/l of the 3rd day)
LM, Have a look at that bat. Vaayirundha alugum :lol:
Have you guys thought about the fact that Sachin will not have 50 LOI centuries, as once we took for granted. Atleast, I did. I was more doubtful about 50 centuries in tests - but looks like it will be the other way around. Either way, he'll maximum be active in LOIs until the end of world cup this year. 4 centuries in 3 months doesnt look likely. Especially considering not much possibility of 2 centuries in South African pitches in the upcoming series.
So, 100 intl centuries depends more on test performance!
Yeah, we were talking about it sometime back, right? I think you posted a guy's interview who repairs bats for Sachin and he was talking about this bat :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by ajithfederer
'bowlers' appadinnum serthukkonga.. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by ajaybaskar
Sachin Tendulkar 154* v Australia at SCG, 2007/08
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylkYGQciXxg
LM Please embed/upload.
Thalai 50, 51 :notworthy:.
avasarapattu retirement ellaam announce panniraadheenga. WI, Eng, Aus tour-la neraiyyya edhirpaakkarom :D.
It's blocked in India :(Quote:
Originally Posted by ajithfederer
Welcome back Puli :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Puliyan_Biryani
//ty master. And congratz for becoming mod :D.Quote:
Originally Posted by littlemaster1982
Projector operator vandhu 'padam podanum, konjam down panni ukkaarunga'nu solla poraaru :wink:.//
Thanks :)
Sachin, Kallis share No.1 batting spot
Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis now jointly hold the top position in the list of Test batsmen after their superb show in the recently-concluded Test series, according to a media release issued by ICC.
Tendulkar, who scored 146 and 14 not out in the Cape Town Test has gained one place while Kallis has been rewarded with a jump of four places for his brilliant efforts of 161 and 109 not out. Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has dropped two places to be third in the rankings.
Tendulkar and Kallis now sit on 883 ratings points, just one ahead of Sangakkara. It is the 10th time that Tendulkar has claimed the No. 1 ranking, which he first achieved in his 33rd Test in November 1994 against the West Indies in Mumbai.
While Virender Sehwag dropped two places to be at sixth, VVS Laxman stayed put at ninth position. Gautam Gambhir broke into the top-20 after his gritty show in the Test series and is now placed at 15th slot.
The only Indian among the top-10 bowlers is Harbhajan Singh who is eighth in the list led by Dale Steyn.
http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricke...cle1063329.ece
Vi enna aalayae kaanradhilla?. Adikkadi post pannunga.
Quote:
Originally Posted by viraajan
Frontline
Volume 28 - Issue 01 :: Jan. 01-14, 2011
INDIA'S NATIONAL MAGAZINE
from the publishers of THE HINDU • Contents
EXCELLENCE
King of the crease
VIJAY LOKAPALLY
Sachin Tendulkar crosses another milestone in his cricketing career – a half century of Test centuries.
ALEXANDER JOE/ AFP
Sachin Tendulkar in action during the first Test against South Africa in Centurion on December 19. He reached his latest milestone, 50 Test centuries, in this match.
TRUE, 50 is, after all, just another number – at least for Sachin Tendulkar. But the cricket world has viewed it differently. A half century of centuries in Test cricket is a reason to celebrate. The whole of India has joined in the celebrations, treating the achievement as a national event. For Tendulkar has trodden into a territory that will remain his own for a long, long time.
That Tendulkar had the traits of a genius was obvious when he made his debut in December 1988. As the lad, not yet 16, began batting for Bombay (now Mumbai) against Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy tournament at the Wankhede Stadium in his hometown, spectators like veteran cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Ramakant Desai and Eknath Solkar were fascinated by his game. Tendulkar crafted a century. The act became a habit with him.
Lalchand Rajput, his first captain, recalls: “Tendulkar showed no signs of nerves. The ease with which he faced the fast bowlers was amazing. He looked so mature in his approach. I remember telling him to play his natural game and not worry about the opposition. He was so confident. In the Irani Cup too, he made a century. We knew then that this youngster was different and was sure to dominate cricket in the times to come.”
Less than a year later, Tendulkar made his Test debut in international cricket against a hostile Pakistani attack. Some of the legends from the opposition – Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis – remember Tendulkar as a “special” talent. They have always reflected warmly on their experience, showering lavish praise on one of the greatest sportsmen on the planet.Sachin Tendulkar has since been described as a maestro, a legend, an icon, the best batsman ever, and the greatest ever; the accolades are still pouring in. But he describes himself thus: “I am just a cricketer!” He continues to count himself as just another member of the Indian team.
His achievements have been documented in the most glorious terms in various forums. For Tendulkar, the best compliment comes in the form of a victory. “Nothing pleases me more than India winning,” he gushes. It is not just India winning in cricket. He celebrates when India wins in hockey or tennis; he is overjoyed when an Indian athlete or boxer excels. “Too good,” is his favourite expression.
ALLSPORT UK / GETTY IMAGES
Flanked by team-mates Kapil Dev (left) and Mohammed Azharuddin before the Test series against Pakistan in October 1989, when Tendulkar made his international debut.
No doubt he is a phenomenon – a rare one at that. As the West Indian batting great Vivian Richards wrote recently, the difference between Tendulkar and others is in the level of “commitment” and the “passion” to keep going. To watch Tendulkar at training is an experience in itself – how he looks after his body, tends his gear, prepares for the session, waits for his turn to bat in the ‘nets', never imposes himself on the team.
Pravin Amre, his coach at Mumbai, is in awe. “I have played with him long enough to understand his approach but I am amazed at the man's zeal. He wants to be perfect always. His humility is amazing. I have seen Sachin carry drinks for the juniormost, much to the embarrassment of the youngster. His discipline is infectious. For Mumbai nets, he comes in the Mumbai training gear. He would never don an India cap or T-shirt for a Mumbai match. He will also not allow anyone to carry his cricket coffin. Too good,” Amre exclaims.
The devotion that Tendulkar brings to his cricket can be ascertained from this anecdote. Once, unaware that he had reached a landmark, he asked partner Rahul Dravid what all the applause was for. “You have crossed 10,000 runs in Test cricket,” an astonished Dravid informed. So engrossed was Tendulkar in his work that he had forgotten all about the milestone.
“I don't play for statistics,” Tendulkar maintains. No wonder, the 50th Test century at Centurion (in South Africa) remained a mere number for him.
Says Kapil Dev: “You can't contain Sachin's deeds in a statistical frame. He brings unstinted joy to the art of batting. Statistics will happen because cricket is about runs and wickets. But how can you evaluate Sachin's contributions by just counting the number of runs he has scored. To me, he best symbolises the heights an individual can rise to dominate a team sport. Words can never capture the beauty of Sachin's cricket.”
S. KOTHANDARAMAN/THE HINDU ARCHIVES
After making his century for Rest of India against Delhi in the Irani Trophy match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 7, 1989
Batting is rarely a strenuous exercise when Tendulkar is at the crease. Gaps are born when he drives the ball, boundaries appear short when he is on song, the bat is heavy but to play the shots he has more time than anyone else in the game, and his art assumes divine proportions as he decimates the opposition. Conditions do not matter to him. He is so adept at creating space for himself. South African fast bowler Allan Donald describes Tendulkar's batting so aptly in his autobiography White Lightning:
“He hits the ball so hard with apparently little effort. His shot selection is superb, he just lines you up and can make you look very silly. He flicked one of my deliveries through midwicket from outside off-stump at a rate of knots and I was daft enough to shout ‘Catch it!' as the ball was rebounding off the boundary boards. I said ‘Good shot!' to that delivery, something I have never said to a batsman at any time in my career. He's the best looking batsman I've ever seen; everything is right in his technique and judgment.”
Mark Waugh, the elegant Australian batsman, writes: “When you play against Tendulkar, you almost want to see him get a few runs just to see him bat. It's amazing how hard he hits the ball. If the ball is a foot wide of you in the field, it's four.” Tendulkar's innate knowledge of batting can provide material for the best coaching manual after Don Bradman's impeccable Art of Cricket. How he reads the ball in the air and on pitching, how he constructs his innings depending on the situation, his shot selection, and his calm and controlled approach to the game can make for an interesting case study. He can be computer fast in reacting to a situation, and his footwork is exemplary. “Flawless,” as Sunil Gavaskar described his technique once.
That he continues to entertain speaks for his brand of batsmanship. Of course, he has picked and chosen some one-day international (ODI) assignments but he remains on top of the list in all forms of the game. On his last appearance early this year, he made an unbeaten 200 at Gwalior, in his 442nd ODI match. Not bad for someone who made no runs in his debut ODI knock against Pakistan in 1989. No cricketer, contemporary or past, draws his Dream XI without Sachin Tendulkar at Number 4. When it comes to picking a batsman for all seasons, there is none to beat him. Often he has been compared to Bradman, Brian Lara, Gavaskar, Ricky Ponting and such greats. But he plays down such comparisons.
He actually does not like such comparisons; he sees in them disrespect to the others. Tendulkar's batting canvas is vast and vibrant while his contribution to a team under pressure is unique. No batsman would have ever faced the kind of pressure that Tendulkar does every time he takes guard. “I enjoy it and it gives me extra thrill,” is his modest response.
It is not that Tendulkar is at ease always. There have been times when he has spent sleepless nights or arrived at the ground a bit tense. But such occasions have been few. That he is deeply religious helps him overcome such phases. Once, during a Test match against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, he was not happy with his batting at the end of day one. He was restless. A midnight visit to a temple in Shivaji Park calmed him. He completed a hundred the next day.
V.V.KRISHNAN
Upon completing his first Test half-century, in Faisalabad on November 24, 1989. At the non-striker's end is Sanjay Manjrekar.
Injuries have troubled him. Having carried Indian cricket forward for so long, he suffered a back injury, which was followed by a tennis elbow. He even missed a tour to the West Indies, in 2006. But Tendulkar battled on. The tapes on his body and on some of his favourite bats bear testimony to his passion for the game.
History will cherish Tendulkar not just for his batting style and cricketing feats. He has inspired a nation, a generation, to strive and succeed. He signifies young India's self-belief in conquering the world, and not just in sport. He is committed to working for society, and accepts every invitation to promote awareness on various issues.
Charity is close to his heart. He supports an unspecified number of orphans and underprivileged children and takes care of their health and educational needs. When a private hospital in Hyderabad wanted Tendulkar to be on its board, he made a condition – every sportsman from Andhra Pradesh should receive free treatment in the hospital. Tendulkar does not receive a penny from his association with the hospital but the goodwill of every sportsman who gets free treatment at the state-of-the-art hospital is priceless.
Sachin Tendulkar, 37, is an everlasting colossus, who needs four more to reach the fifty-century mark in ODIs too and make it a century of centuries. The cricket-loving world is lucky to have experienced this magnificent phenomenon. He is indeed the “Kohinoor” of cricket, as former Indian captain and bowling great Bishan Singh Bedi lovingly portrays him.
http://www.frontline.in/stories/20110114280110800.htm
Sachin Tendulkar
Looked good for the next tour too. Started fourth straight year with a century, and how well he played for it, surviving the most dangerous spell of the series. There was a century in Centurion too, his 50th. Everybody thinks this is his last tour here, everybody is wondering why.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-af...ry/495889.html
Bradman and Tendulkar are in different league: Brett Lee
He has bowled to some of the world’s best batsmen in his career, but speedster Brett Lee feels iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar and the legendary Sir Don Bradman are in a different league.
“It is always hard to compare players from different eras. I believe the best players in one era would compare with the best in others. That said, Bradman and Tendulkar are two players that stand out amongst all batsman. They are in a league of their own,” said Lee in an e-mail interview to PTI.
The 34-year-old Australian, who has retired from Tests, was reacting to a question whether it was proper to compare the Indian batting maestro with the late Australian legend when the two players had played under vastly different circumstances, rules and conditions.
Lee, who formed a lethal pace bowling partnership with fellow-Australians Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie that helped keep his country on top for more than a decade in the highest form of the game, was emphatic that Tendulkar was the best-ever batsman he had bowled to.
He also hailed the champion batsman for his stupendous feats of completing 50 Test tons and being the first and only batsman to score a double hundred in ODIs, and was wholesome in praise of the Indian maestro for getting a barrage of runs against top class pace away from home.
“I have consistently said that Sachin is the best player I have bowled to. He is like a good bottle of wine, getting better with age. He is one of my favourite players and I am thrilled for him. He got these runs against real pace away from home. He is a true class,” Lee said.
Looking at the current state of Australian cricket in the after match of its comprehensive 1-3 loss in the Ashes series against England, the New South Welshman, who has taken 310 wickets in 76 Tests and 324 in 186 ODIs, felt his country can bounce back in a few years’ time by introducing new players and changing its policies which worked in the past.
“It is disappointing for Australia to lose and to lose the way we have. That said, we have been at the top for almost 15 years and we need to start introducing new players to the team. Australia will be back at the top very soon,” he said.
“I think we need 2-3 years for our new rung of players to settle and for a team to be built. The talent is there -- this I have no doubt! I think we need to start afresh and change some of the policies that worked for us whilst we had the players the calibre of Warne & co.”
“For example, I don’t think we can afford the luxury of resting players the way we were able to do previously,” said Lee, whose thunderbolt was clocked once at 160-kmph in speed.
The blond Australian bowler, who has also cut a music disc, “You’re the One For Me” with Indian singing legend Asha Bhosle, said no team in the world can afford to lose so many world-class players in succession and still remain on top.
“No country could sustain the loss of not only half its team but also 3-4 of the best players in world. McGrath and (Shane) Warne are two of the greats of the game -- throw them the ball and the game changes. (Adam) Gilchrist, (Matthew) Hayden and co. are game changers also, 10 overs and they have altered the way in which a match or series is going.
“Australia has the depth, they just need to be exposed to the Test level as soon as possible and importantly, given a chance to settle at that level. We have made a lot of changes over short periods of time, something Australian cricket hasn’t done since the 80s,” said the tear-away fast bowler.
Lee said he intended to play in limited overs cricket, especially the T20 version like the cash-rich Indian Premier League, for three to four years more, and importantly he is still active in domestic first class cricket.
“I have 3-4 years left playing T20. I am bowling at 150 km an hour and taking wickets. I think I am the leading wicket taker in our domestic competition at the moment but more importantly, I am bowling as fast as I ever have and I feel very strong.”
“Where I feel I can add further value is the coaching of express bowling. Express pace is playing more and more of a key role within the T20 game.”
“I have deliberately kept playing for NSW (New South Wales) and I will do so to ensure that I am at the top of my game. I don’t think you can not play competitive cricket and then walk back into IPL,” Lee added.
“Gilly (Gilchrist) is a freak and can get away with it for a season or two but it is a game of millimetres and you need to be at your best. I will keep playing whilst I have an IPL contract (also because I love it!),” Lee said.
His views were similar on West Indian great Brian Lara’s intended return to cricket through IPL but he also pointed out that one can never dismiss a player of Lara’s calibre though he has not played competitive cricket for long.
“I have probably touched on that above. I think Brian is an outstanding player and let’s face it, T20 is changing what we think players can do. Look at some of the shots and the fielding. I would never write any player of the calibre of Brian Lara off.”
Lee, who played for IPL outfit Kings XI Punjab in its first three seasons, and will play for Kolkata Knight Riders this season, said though the recent Test contests between England and Australia as well as India-South Africa were well attended, the proposed Test Championship by the International Cricket Council was the need of the hour.
“I think it is necessary. There has to be a context for other matches outside of these series. Test cricket needs to be given a structure where the best team can be acknowledged,” he concluded.
http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricke...cle1075060.ece
Wasn't in right frame of mind in '99 tour of Australia: Sachin
Press Trust Of India
Durban, January 10, 2011First Published: 21:15 IST(10/1/2011)
Last Updated: 22:07 IST(10/1/2011)
DURBAN: Sachin Tendulkar has for the first time admitted that the match-fixing episodes in 1999-2000 had initially affected his game and the Indian team had to go through a difficult and painful phase as "spectators looked at us with suspicion".
Tendulkar said he was not in the right frame of mind during India's disastrous tour of Australia where they were thrashed 0-3 in 1999-2000.
"I can tell you that I was never approached by anyone, neither we had any discussions about the same in the team meeting," Tendulkar told former South African Board President Dr Ali Bacher in an interview for Super Sport Channel.
"I remember that there was stage in 1999-2000 when it was very difficult as we were to play Australia. Before the series these things started making rounds. As a cricketer that's the last thing I want.
"You want your beloved game to be as clean as possible. I wanted the spectators to enjoy the contest and not look at us with suspicion. To play well, players need to be in right frame of mind and I can tell you that I was not in that frame of mind," Tendulkar said, recollecting the disastrous series.
The pain in his voice was evident as he gave the interview.
"Every match you play and people pass on loose comments. This was really hurting me and the whole team," said the maestro.
Tendulkar felt that their historic 2-1 series win over Australia at home was the turning point.
"I was sure that we needed to put up a very special performance against Aussies so that cricket lovers forget what has happened in the past and start enjoying the game again and move on. With grace of God we managed to do that.
"We lost the first match at Mumbai. But in the next match at Kolkata we fought back from very bad position and won that match to level the series. Last match was even harder. At Chennai while chasing small total we lost 8 wickets but won that Test match and series too.
"I was happy for the fact we forced cricket lovers to forget about that bad chapter and start following cricket again."
Recollecting the horror days of match fixing, Bacher revealed that the South African Board was indeed approached by bookmakers.
"We were directly approached by bookmakers to take their offer to the players through team meeting. Those were days when in couple of ICC meetings, I had raised this issue. The issue was not properly discussed and I was told to get evidence and proof," said Bacher.
Read more: Wasn't in right frame of mind in 1999 tour of Australia:
Sachin - The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/s...#ixzz1AfXv60Qv
Quite an revealing Interview by Tendulkar. I am not sure whether I am reading it correctly. Sachin's never been this open in his interviews afai Remember.
But match fixing issue came to the fore after the ODI series against SA in 2000, right?
Yes Correct. Looks like the melting of the iceberg.
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Sachin Tendulkar bamboozles Mark Boucher India vs South Africa, 3rd Test at Cape Town
In another life Thalaivar would have certainly had great success as a spinner.
Caught a World Cup Special in a Sports Channell last week featuring India vs Pak circa 2003.
Wasim Akram was roped in to provide reminisciences. And this is what he had to say - after Sachin had dismantled Akthar in his first over:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Akram
Reg. the match fixing, I guess the players would have started suspecting Azhar and co. earlier than the revealations started coming. Especially the captain Sachin. I do remember instances where Sachin gave an interview of the match where he spoke about Azhar undermining his instructions on field. At that time, I took it as bosom envy on part of Azhar. But looking back, Sachin might have been suspecting this - after all, they must have been noticing the movements of Azhar, Jadeja and co and the presence of suspicious characters.
What happened then - did Sachin complain to the board, did the board turn a blind eye, what effect it had on the sachins and the dravids. These are things we'll never know. We'll only know that the Big 4 of Indian Cricket as we call them today(Laxman established himself later) come out with their heads held high - and this is why a huge amount of credit for India's test revival goes to them. To just bring India out of the shadows of match fixing would have been achievement enough but to add a world-dominating foundation to that - :hats_off:
I wonder what'll happen if the temparamental and easily tempted youngsters like Uthappa are entrapped by bookies now. Maybe, Bhajji will cut-off their hands :)
:exactly: :exactly: :exactly:Quote:
Originally Posted by ajithfederer
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Tendulkar Gets 51 test Hundred with a six
:lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Plum
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Fantastic ad with kids for ICC World cup.
On the Tendulkar trail
Retrace the footsteps of a legend in the city with India's richest cricketing history
Jamie Alter
An aerial view of Shivaji Park, Mumbai
Shivaji Park: Tendulkar's most hallowed ground © Dinodia
Enlarge
At Stamford Bridge they chant and stomp their feet to the tunes of "Blue is the Colour". Liverpool fans and players become one whenever "You'll Never Walk Alone" plays over the PA. At Fenway Park, a legion of fans lifts its team from the gloom of a New England night with a slow-stomping chorus of "Let's Go Red Sox, Let's Go!" In India there is only one repeated vocal call-response catchphrase - "Saaaachin! Sachinnn!" - from Pune to Visakhapatnam and Gwalior to Cuttack, and it unites the country like few other things do.
The anticipation around Sachin Tendulkar emerging from the pavilion, and his walk from the boundary to the centre is almost surreal. To hear a passionate crowd chant his name, to be topped by an enormous roar when he emerges onto the field, is electrifying. To experience this at its most fervent you have to be sitting in the Wankhede Stadium when 40,000 boisterous voices reach a crescendo in anticipation of their favourite. There is no sense of loyalty towards a player like there is in Mumbai for Tendulkar (though ironically it is where he was booed by the crowd in 2006 during a Test against England).
Tendulkar is synonymous with Mumbai, his legend firmly entrenched in the fabric of the metropolis. A number of maidans spring to mind and with each is attached a memory - vivid or vague, depending on whether you saw it live or read about in or heard about it over a drink with a group of cricket fanatics - of Tendulkar's fascinating journey.
The Tendulkar map embraces all of Mumbai, from his original home at Sahitya Sahawas in the suburb of Bandra (East) to the hallowed ground of Shivaji Park and on to the open-to-all Cross and Azad Maidans in south Mumbai, and then the international arenas of the Wankhede and Brabourne stadiums.
Accounts of a young Tendulkar being driven from ground to ground, day after day, match after match, on the scooter of his coach Ramakant Achrekar, are now the stuff of legend in Indian cricket history. His move, on Achrekar's suggestion, from the Indian Education Society's New English School to Shardashram Vidyamandir in Dadar is well documented. Commuting every day from Bandra to the new school meant about an hour's journey and several bus changes, but the determined little boy did it.
There are plenty of grounds that feature in the Tendulkar's story. The Navroze Cricket Club ground, where, in late 1984, he made his debut for Shardashram in the Giles Shield Under-15 tournament against Khoja Khan High School. Azad Maidan, where, on February 23, 1998, Tendulkar and good friend Vinod Kambli stitched together a stand of 664 out of a total of 748 for 2. Across the grassy esplanade, Cross Maidan, where, against Don Bosco in a Giles quarter-final, Tendulkar smashed 10 fours in an innings of 50 that prompted one of the umpires to call Achrekar and predict the boy would one day play for India. The MIG Cricket Club ground, a short walk from the Tendulkar residence, where he was once bluntly barred from the Bombay Cricket Association (BCA) Under-19 nets because, at 12, he was too young. Fifties and centuries at the PJ Hindu Gymkhana and Dadar Union CC in the GR Viswanath Trophy. The set of maidans - Catholic, Hindu, Islam and Parsi - along the seafront Marine Drive, and many more spread across the city, that hosted matches of the Cosmopolitan Shield, the Bombay Junior Cricket tournament, the Mahim-Dadar Shield, and the Gordhandas Shield, to name the more prominent ones.
Of these, it is Shivaji Park that is Tendulkar's most hallowed ground. It is where he was introduced to Achrekar, who had asked Ajit if he could bring his brother along for the nets he conducted for Shardashram and Kamat Club. Situated in the heart of Mahim, one of the original seven islands that were joined together to form the present day Mumbai, Shivaji Park is home to eight cricket clubs and occupies pole position in the city's cricketing history. It was here, in the early to mid-80s, that a young Tendulkar honed his art. Driving past the famed maidan, it is impossible not to turn your head and peer past the drooping trees and couples sitting on benches, and joggers on the sidewalk, in hopes of catching a glimpse of a young boy driving a cricket ball back past a bemused bowler, preferably one a few years older, with elbow perfectly poised and head absolutely still.
The Brabourne is where, in 1998, Tendulkar scored a glorious double-century - his maiden in first-class cricket - off the touring Australians in a warm-up game. And the nearby Wankhede, where he made a memorable Test hundred against Sri Lanka in December 1997, and where he was famously stumped off a Mark Waugh wide for a stroke-filled 90 during the 1996 World Cup.
Each of these venues relates to Tendulkar and he to them. To understand what Tendulkar means to Mumbai, make sure you're at the Wankhede - or, second best, walking down Marine Drive while India are playing inside - during the World Cup. Listen closely, and you'll understand how one man unifies people from all walks of life to cheer toward a common goal.
Screenshot of Google map from MIG Cricket Club to Wankhede Stadium
The Tendulkar trail takes you along the western rim of the island city - from MIG cricket club in Bandra to Shivaji Park on to the Wankhede, with the gymkhanas of Marine Drive en route © 2010 Google
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The Brabourne and the Wankhede, the city's two major cricket stadiums, are very close to each other, in the heart of south Mumbai. The older, Brabourne, which houses the Cricket Club of India, is located near Churchgate station, which is also a stone's throw from the Wankhede. The two venues are easily accessible if you're using the local train to get into town. For those staying in hotels in South Mumbai, every taxi driver can easily get you to your destination. Wankhede, which was built after a dispute between the CCI and the Mumbai Cricket Association, is the city's most famous venue, having hosted many Test matches and World Cup fixtures. It is home to the Indian cricket board.
From either venue you can stroll down Marine Drive, with the waves of the Arabian Sea lashing against the ramparts to your left, until you get to the sequence of gymkhanas on your right. It was at the Hindu Gymkhana on January 19, 1989, that Tendulkar gave his first TV interview.
A leisurely walk inland from either takes you toward the stunning heritage Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) station building, opposite which is Azad Maidan. Head west, past what MG Road, formerly known as the Esplanade, and you're at Cross Maidan. Connecting the two grounds is what is now known as "Khau Gully" or Food Lane, where you can sample an array of snacks and wares laid out by hawkers.
Shivaji Park can be accessed by local train, starting from Churchgate or CST and alighting at Dadar or Mahim, from where you can take a taxi or bus to the ground, which is a local landmark. The Shardashram school is barely a couple of kilometres south-west of there.
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