(Transcript from World News Australia Radio)
Sachin Tendulkar, one of world cricket's greatest-ever players, has announced his retirement from the game.
The man known as the "Master Blaster" has called time on his stellar 24-year international career with India, which began with his debut in Pakistan back in 1989.
Darren Mara has this report.
(Click on audio tab above to listen to this report)
Feared and respected by opponents, Sachin Tendulkar changed the definition of batting in India.
Tendulkar combined orthodox and unorthodox shots to dominate any attack on any surface at home and abroad.
And his records speak for themselves.
In Test cricket, he's scored the most runs, at 15,837, and the most centuries, at 51.
Tendulkar was also the highest run-maker in the One Day game, having smashed 18,426, and is the highest holder of One Day International centuries, at 49.
In a statement, Tendulkar said it had been a honour to represent his country and to have played cricket all over the world for India.
He said he's been living his dream for 24 years and that he'd find it hard to imagine life without cricket.
Australian cricket vice-captain George Bailey has paid tribute to the man, saying he's inspired generations of young cricketers.
"A wonderful player and her deserves every accolade he gets. How many kids, how many thousands and millions of people love the game and love watching him play. It's certainly been a very special career."
Australia's Shane Warne, who was considered one of his generation's finest spin bowlers and who played against Tendulkar through the 1990s, says no one else came close to Tendulkar in his prime.
"He's just an amazing player and I think, one thing, we all know his talent, but the temperament to play nearly 200 test matches, he's going to play 200 test matches, that temperament, that mindset to play for such a long perioid of time shows you that inside, the game means so much to him."
Standing at only 1 metre 65 centimetres, Tendulkar was often known affectionately as the "Little Master".
He's been widely hailed by his contemporaries as second only to the Australian legend Sir Donald Bradman in the pantheon of batting greats.
Tendulkar has eclipsed most of world cricket's batting records, except for Bradman's career average high of 99.94.
In his last ever interview, the late Sir Donald said of all the modern day players it was Tendulkar who batted the most like he use to.
"I've only seen Tendulkar on the television and I was very struck by his technique and I asked my wife to come and have a look at him because, I said, I never saw myself play but I feel that this fellow is playing much the same as I used to play, by looking at him. She had a look at him on the television and she said 'yes, there is a similarity between the two'. I can't explain that in detail, but his compactness, his stroke production and his technique, it all seemed to gel as far as I was concerned, and that was how I felt."
Tendulkar was revered in India and particularly in his home city of Mumbai.
But in the eyes of many fans, humility remains his best-known virtue.
Former Indian cricketer, Kirti Azad says that an Indian team without Sachin Tendulkar will be tough to digest.
"It's difficult to imagine Indian cricket team without Sachin Tendulkar. The way he played for these 24 years and every game he came out to play, the kind of enthusiasm that he showed, it was like a little boy who is into cricket field and really hungry for runs. I think it's basically a very sad day in a way you will have cricket teams in the future without Sachin Tendulkar."
Tendulkar will play his last match for India at the end of next month's two-match series against the West Indies - notching up his 200th Test in the process.
Share
