"I saw him playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two...his compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel !"

Coming from the great Sir Donald Bradman, this is a compliment worthy of the cricketing genius that Sachin Tendulkar is. In India Cricket is a religion and Tendulkar the presiding deity. Such is his influence on the game of cricket that the bookmakers refused to fix the odds on a match till he got out!

Perhaps few batsmen have the array of shots and strokes this little master has in his repertoire. Added to his brilliance with the bat he is an utility cricketeer capable of turning his golden arm over for a few overs and bamboozling batsmen with his variations. Add to that an agile fielding and the keen desire to keep improving his skills, you cannot ask for a better cricketeer. Over 18 years of showcasing his skills the world over has taken its toll but he is still the eager, wide-eyed player that embarked on an international career in Pakistan as a 16-year old prodigy.

Over 15000 runs in the limited overs format, 11000 odd runs in the longer version of the game, 41 limited overs centuries and 37 centuries in the longer format, this man has got nothing to prove to the critics. Where he failed reasonably was as a captain but then leading the conundrum that Indian cricket is, you cannot blame the little fella. Sachin also steered clear of the infamous betting scandals that shook the very roots of Indian cricket.

The best compliment from a contemporary came from the great Aussie leggie Shane Warne when he told that he gets nightmares of Tendulkar in his sleep!

Tendulkar has been one of the most marketable icons in Indian sporting industry. Add to that over a billion fans and perhaps a few from outside the country he is easily the most adored sportsman ever! Is he a phenomenon or is it an amalgamation of skill and hardwork? Whatever the case maybe Sachin, the man who has held audiences to breathtaking silence while at work is a genius! Even pages and pages of writing cannot sum up his immense or for that matter immaculate skills.

Sachin has been the beacon for the Indian Cricket Team for close to two decades. It will be hard to imagine a batting line-up without this great man when he finally decides to call it a day. We have been fortunate enough to have been born in this era and witness this maestro.

Thanks a lot Sachin. Cricket has never been more entertaining.