The end of the era came at 11.46am on Saturday. There was a pause, as tens of thousands in the stadium and hundreds of millions around the nation realised that the moment they had long known was coming had finally arrived. Sachin Tendulkar, the Little Master, perhaps the world's most adored sporting hero, had retired. Then came the cheers: "Sachin, Sachin".
The last West Indies wicket had fallen and India had won without difficulty– by an innings and 126 runs. Tendulkar, himself, who scored 74 on Friday and thus missed out on a 101st Test century in his 200th Test match, bowled two overs, to the delight of the capacity crowd in Wankhede Stadium in India's commercial capital of Mumbai. But the game itself mattered little. In a nation defined by crowds, this was all about one man.
In an emotional valedictory address, Tendulkar, 40, said what so many across the country felt: "It's hard to believe my wonderful journey is coming to an end." In the stands were India's great and good. The sportsman had asked for 500 tickets to give to friends and family. Many were weeping. Others cheering. Some did both.
"I've never seen anything like it," said Pradeep Magazine, a veteran Indian cricket writer. "There were people crying. There were journalists breaking down. There's a very great sense of loss. It's an astonishing thing." Full story...
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The last West Indies wicket had fallen and India had won without difficulty– by an innings and 126 runs. Tendulkar, himself, who scored 74 on Friday and thus missed out on a 101st Test century in his 200th Test match, bowled two overs, to the delight of the capacity crowd in Wankhede Stadium in India's commercial capital of Mumbai. But the game itself mattered little. In a nation defined by crowds, this was all about one man.
In an emotional valedictory address, Tendulkar, 40, said what so many across the country felt: "It's hard to believe my wonderful journey is coming to an end." In the stands were India's great and good. The sportsman had asked for 500 tickets to give to friends and family. Many were weeping. Others cheering. Some did both.
"I've never seen anything like it," said Pradeep Magazine, a veteran Indian cricket writer. "There were people crying. There were journalists breaking down. There's a very great sense of loss. It's an astonishing thing." Full story...
Related posts:
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- Indian media goes gaga over Sachin Tendulkar...
- Cricket fan in India hangs himself over Tendulkar's failure to reach...
- Indians don't love cricket. Indians love India...
- University in India postpones exams because of cricket World Cup final!!!
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- "Indian batsmen are like faithful husbands, they perform only at home..."
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