On This Day In 1989: Sachin Tendulkar Made His International Debut, Walked Out To Bat Last Time For India 24 Years Later
Published - 15 Nov 2020, 02:33 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:37 AM
Former Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar was arguably the greatest batsman to play the game despite what comparisons and criticisms may beckon. Sachin Tendulkar leads the run-scoring charts in Test and One-day international cricket, accumulating over 31000 runs in total. It was on this day 31 years ago that the 47-year old not only took guard for the first time in international cricket but also walked out to bat for the final time 24 years after his maiden international appearance.
Sachin Tendulkar did not have the most eventful debut when Waqar Younis eroded his stumps in Karachi 1989 when he was at 15. The Mumbai batsman did struggle at times from there on; however, there were hardly bowlers, who had a stranglehold on him. Tendulkar became a nightmare for the best of the bowlers, including that generation and further ones. He manhandled the likes of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Wasim Akram, Allan Donald, Dale Steyn, Brett Lee, Chaminda Vaas, Andrew Caddick, and many more.
It was not until 2011 that Tendulkar got to be part of a World Cup victory when India lifted it by beating Sri Lanka at his hometown, Mumbai. Even though Sachin Tendulkar failed in the final, he played a starring role in their second World Cup win, hammering 482 runs in nine games at 53.26 with two centuries and as many half-centuries. In the next couple of years, Sachin’s form kept fluctuating and the landmark of 100 international centuries reared into view. The right-handed batsman got there in the 2012 Asia Cup game against Bangladesh, a century that was one of his slowest and ended up costing India the match.
Sachin Tendulkar departed for 74 in his final international knock:
Sachin Tendulkar announced his retirement from white-ball cricket in December 2012 and 11 months later, from all forms of the game. West Indies arrived in India for playing two Tests. Tendulkar managed only ten runs in the first Test in Kolkata as the hosts won easily. As in Kolkata, he batted only once; the right-handed batsman got to wield the willow only once at the Wankhede Stadium too.
In reply to West Indies’ first innings total of 182, India was in complete command. Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay provided a healthy start followed by Cheteshwar Pujara hammering a hundred and Rohit Sharma bringing his second century in only his second Test. In between, Virat Kohli and Tendulkar accumulated fifties to frustrate the tourists.
Tendulkar’s cheeky record against part-timers resurfaced when Narsingh Deonarine’s part-time leg-spin got the better of him. The former Indian captain edged to slip where captain Darren Sammy took the catch. There was a remarkable silence amongst the crowd on his dismissal as their hero perished to the pavilion. Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha bowled out the Caribbeans for 187 in response to India’s first innings total of 495, winning the Test series by 2-0.
Before the presentation ceremony, Sachin Tendulkar strode down the 22-yard strip and touched it for one final time, gathering with his family and followed with a lap of honour around the stadium. Virat Kohli and the then captain MS Dhoni carried him on their shoulders, replicating scenes of the 2011 World Cup final. The presentation ceremony included him thanking his friends, family, many other people and most of all the fans all over the world.
He retired after featuring in his 200th Test and sending several records tumbling during a 24-year career, some that could go unbreached forever. Tendulkar’s illustrious career and his contribution to the sport remains and will forever stay unparalleled. The life after Sachin Tendulkar for Indian cricket was rocky; however, the present generation of cricketers are as competent and magnificent if not worthy or capable of touching Sachin’s numbers.
