Sachin Tendulkar
India
Player profile
Full name Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar
Born April 24, 1973, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra
Current age 35 years 50 days
Major teams India, Asia XI, Mumbai, Mumbai Indians, Yorkshire
Nickname Tendlya, Little Master
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak, Legbreak googly
Height 5 ft 5 in
Education Sharadashram Vidyamandir School
Batting | Bowling | Career Statistics | Profile | Notes | Timeline | Best Performances | Cricinfo Picks | Latest Articles | Photos + | Latest Photos
Batting and fielding averages
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
Tests | 147 | 238 | 25 | 11782 | 248* | 55.31 |
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| 39 | 49 |
| 47 | 98 | 0 |
ODIs | 417 | 407 | 38 | 16361 | 186* | 44.33 | 19137 | 85.49 | 42 | 89 | 1785 | 166 | 122 | 0 |
T20Is | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 10.00 | 12 | 83.33 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
First-class | 247 | 386 | 40 | 20545 | 248* | 59.37 |
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| 65 | 95 |
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| 165 | 0 |
List A | 504 | 492 | 52 | 19913 | 186* | 45.25 |
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| 53 | 107 |
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| 157 | 0 |
Twenty20 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 386 | 69 | 35.09 | 296 | 130.40 | 0 | 3 | 56 | 7 | 8 | 0 |
Bowling averages
| Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 |
Tests | 147 | 124 | 3862 | 2212 | 42 | 3/10 | 3/14 | 52.66 | 3.43 | 91.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
ODIs | 417 | 265 | 8009 | 6795 | 154 | 5/32 | 5/32 | 44.12 | 5.09 | 52.0 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
T20Is | 1 | 1 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 1/12 | 1/12 | 12.00 | 4.80 | 15.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First-class | 247 |
| 7221 | 4101 | 67 | 3/10 |
| 61.20 | 3.40 | 107.7 |
| 0 | 0 |
List A | 504 |
| 10185 | 8423 | 201 | 5/32 | 5/32 | 41.90 | 4.96 | 50.6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
Twenty20 | 12 | 4 | 57 | 65 | 2 | 1/12 | 1/12 | 32.50 | 6.84 | 28.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career statistics Test debut | Pakistan v India at Karachi, Nov 15-20, 1989 scorecard |
Last Test | India v South Africa at Chennai, Mar 26-30, 2008 scorecard |
Test statistics | |
ODI debut | Pakistan v India at Gujranwala, Dec 18, 1989 scorecard |
Last ODI | Australia v India at Brisbane, Mar 4, 2008 scorecard |
ODI statistics | |
Only T20I | South Africa v India at Johannesburg, Dec 1, 2006 scorecard |
T20I statistics | |
First-class debut | 1988/89 |
Last First-class | India v South Africa at Chennai, Mar 26-30, 2008 scorecard |
List A debut | 1989/90 |
Last List A | Australia v India at Brisbane, Mar 4, 2008 scorecard |
Twenty20 debut | South Africa v India at Johannesburg, Dec 1, 2006 scorecard |
Last Twenty20 | Bangalore Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians at Bangalore, May 28, 2008 scorecard |
Sachin Tendulkar has been the most wholesome batsman of his time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon as well. His batting is based on the purest principles: perfect balance, economy of movement, precision in stroke-making, and that intangible quality given only to geniuses, anticipation. If he doesn't have a signature stroke - the upright, back-foot punch comes close - it is because he is equally proficient in each of the full range of orthodox shots (and plenty of improvised ones as well) and can pull them out at will.
Though he has adopted a noticeably conservative approach in the last quarter of his career, there are no apparent weaknesses in Tendulkar's game. He can score all around the wicket, off both front foot and back, and has made runs in all parts of the world in all conditions.
Some of his finest performances have come against Australia, the overwhelmingly dominant team of his era. His century as a 19-year old on a lightning fast pitch at the WACA is considered one of the best innings ever to have been played in Australia. A few years later he received the ultimate compliment from the ultimate batsman when Don Bradman confided to his wife that Tendulkar reminded him of himself.
Blessed with the keenest of cricket minds, and armed with a loathing for losing, Tendulkar set about doing what it took to become one of the best batsmen in the world. This was after he was turned away from a fast-bowling camp in Chennai by Dennis Lillee.
Tendulkar's greatness was established early: he was only 16 when he made his Test debut. He was hit on the mouth by Waqar Younis but continued to bat, in a blood-soaked shirt. His first Test hundred, a match-saving one at Old Trafford, came when he was 17, and he had 16 Test hundreds before he turned 25. In 2000 he became the first batsman to have scored 50 international hundreds, and he currently holds the record for most hundreds in both Tests and ODIs - remarkable, considering he didn't score his first ODI hundred till his 79th match.
Tendulkar's considerable achievements seem greater still when looked at in the light of the burden of expectations he has had to bear from his adoring but somewhat unreasonable followers, who have been prone to regard anything less than a hundred as a failure. The aura may have dimmed, if only slightly, as the years on the international circuit have taken their toll on the body, but Tendulkar remains, by a distance, the most worshipped cricketer in the world.
Sambit Bal October 2007
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1997
February 23-25, 1988 Monster in making Sachin Tendulkar, 14, and Vinod Kambli, 16 compile a 664-run unbroken partnership for Shardashram Vidyamandir against St Xavier's at Azad Maidan. Kambli makes 349 not out, Tendulkar 326 not out. It remains the highest partnership recorded in any form of cricket, until in November 2006 two schoolboys from Hyderabad - Manoj Kumar and Mohammad Shaibaz - overtake the record with an unbeaten 721-run partnership. |
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December 11, 1988Truly first-class debut At 15, scores an unbeaten century against Gujarat at the Wankhede Stadium to become the youngest Indian to make a hundred on first-class debut. Was picked after Bombay captain Dilip Vengsarkar watched him negotiate Kapil Dev in the nets. |
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December 14, 1989Bloody-minded in first Test series On the last day of the last Test of his first Test series, in Sialkot, gets hit on the nose by Waqar Younis - also in his first series. Falls down, gets up, and wipes away the gushing blood. Medical assistance is declined. At 15, scores an Is eventually out for 57. |
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August 14, 1990How young is too young? At 17 years and 112 days, becomes the then second-youngest centurion in Test history. His 119 not out against England at Old Trafford is a majestic rearguard action that enables India to hang on for a draw. It still remains among his most valuable Test innings.
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February 2-3, 1992Crazy diamond Sculpts a counter-attacking gem of 114, after it is 135 for 6, then 159 for 8, at the WACA, the bounciest cricket pitch in the world. It is his favourite Test innings.
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April, 1992Yorkshire opens up Becomes the first overseas signing for Yorkshire.
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November 27-28, 1992Thousand reasons to cheer At 19 years and 217 days, becomes the youngest player to reach 1000 Test runs, during his 111 out of India's 227 in Johannesburg.
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February 11-12, 1993Mad in Madras
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November 24, 1993Golden arm is unveiled With South Africa needing six runs to win off the last over of their Hero Cup semi-final against India, bowls a sensational over, giving them just three, and India victory.
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March 27, 1994Opens a can of worms Opens in an ODI for the first time - against New Zealand. Goes on to make 82, off 49 balls.
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October, 1995Commercial worth Signs a five-year contract worth Rs 31.5 crore with WorldTel, which makes him the richest cricketer in the world.
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February-March, 1996His World Cup With 523 runs at 87.16, is the highest scorer in the World Cup held in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Scores two centuries and three half-centuries.
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April 22-24, 1998Desertstorm Scores two blazing, back-to-back hundreds against Australia at Sharjah to help India reach the final and then win it.
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January 30-31, 1999His greatest innings... almost Makes 136 chasing 271 against Pakistan with an injured back. Gets out with 17 runs to get; India fall short by 12.
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July 28, 1992Captaincy, part II Is reappointed captain - without his consent - after India, under Mohammad Azharuddin, fail to reach the semifinals of the World Cup in England.
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March 20, 2001Thorn in Aussie flesh Scores a century in a famous decider of a famous series, against Australia. India win 2-1, denying Australia the "final frontier".
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March 31, 2001Road less traveled Becomes the first player to score 10,000 runs in one-day cricket in the course of his 139 against Australia in Indore.
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November 19, 2001Ball tampering? Is cautioned and fined by match referee Mike Denness for trying to "change the condition of the ball" during the Port Elizabeth Test. The resulting outcry in India and the impasse between the Indian board and the ICC leads the latter to review the jurisdiction of match referees.
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December 21, 2001Caught out of his crease Is tied down by the over-the-stumps tactics of Ashley Giles in Bangalore, and is stumped for the first time in his Test career. It also highlights the start of his discomfort against left-arm spinners.
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August 22-23, 2002Move over, Sir Don Overtakes Don Bradman's tally of 29 Test centuries, misses double-century by seven at Headingley, but India win by an innings and 46 runs.
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September 5, 2002Fastest hundred Becomes the youngest man ever to play 100 Tests, scores 54 in a drawn Test at The Oval. Apart from three Tests due to injury, he has not missed any since his debut, and has played 84 on the trot.
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February-March, 2003His World Cup, part II Scores 673 runs at 61.18 in the World Cup, taking India to within a win of the world crown. His 98 against Pakistan in an exceptionally anticipated match is one of the best knocks played by Indians at World Cups. Even though Australia are the champions, he is named the Man of the Series.
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August, 2003Privilege, what privilege? Draws flak for a duty waiver on the Ferrari 360 Modena, which is gifted to him by the Fiat group on his passing Bradman's mark of 29 Test centuries. Finally offers to pay the $245,000 duty, which is covered for by Fiat.
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January2-4, 2004Economy over style Scores a century without a cover-drive, goes on to get an unbeaten 241 in Sydney, and rates it the best among his centuries. Australia manage to hold on for a draw, and the series ends 1-1.
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March 28-29, 2004Robbed of double-century? Scores an unbeaten 194 in Sehwag's Multan Test. Later says he was surprised the Indian team declared with him so close to the double-century.
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August, 2004Cost of playing catches up Tennis elbow surfaces, during the Videocon Cup in Holland. Misses the Champions Trophy in England, and then the first two home Tests against Australia.
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March 16, 2005Ten thousand, twice over Becomes the fifth man to score 10000 Test runs in course of his 52 against Pakistan in Kolkata. India win the match by 192 runs.
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May, 2005Tennis elbow refuses to go away Goes for the surgery for the tennis elbow, misses a triangular in Sri Lanka, a tour to Zimbabwe, and the Super Series in Australia.
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October 25, 2005Back, and how Makes a roaring return to international cricket, with a 93 off 96 balls against Sri Lanka in Nagpur, in India's 350 for 6.
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December 10, 2005Sunny days In scoring 109 against Sri Lanka in Delhi, becomes the highest centurion in Test cricket, overtaking Sunil Gavaskar's 34.
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March 19, 2006Home crowd turns hostile Struggles for 1 run off 33 balls against England in Mumbai, and after he is dismissed, he is booed off the ground by his home crowd.
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March, 2006Tryst with knife Goes to England for a surgery on his right shoulder. Misses the one-dayers against England and the tour to West Indies.
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September 14, 2006Back and how, part II Makes a stunning comeback, with 141 off 148 balls against West Indies in a DLF Cup ODI in Kuala Lumpur. India lose the match by D/L method.
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May, 2007Unwanted rest Is "rested" for the first time in his career, for the three-ODI series in Bangladesh. Scores two centuries in the two following Tests.
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August, 2007Finally, a win outside subcontinent With 228 runs at 38.00, makes a significant contribution to his first Test-series win outside the subcontinent, as India beat England 1-0 to win the Pataudi Trophy.
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January 4, 2008Sachin Cricket Ground At an SCG full of worshippers, scores a sublime unbeaten 154, his first century in more than two years and 19 Tests, against opposition other than Bangladesh.
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March 2, 2008Sachin Cricket Ground, Part II Scores his first ODI century in Australia, in first of the CB Series final. The innings is the foundation India build their first tri-series in Australia on.
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