Profile of Sachin Tendulkar

Full Name: Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar
Date of Birth: April 24, 1973
Place of Birth: Mumbai
Major Teams: India, Mumbai
Batting Style: Right -Hand Batsman
Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium, Leg Break, Right Arm Off Break
ODI Debut : India v Pakistan at Gujranwala, 2nd ODI, 1989/90
Test Debut : India v Pakistan at Karachi, 1st Test, 1989/90
Height : 5'5
The first batsman to score 10,000 runs in one-day cricket, making the record in the third game of a five-match series against Australia on the 31st of March 2001. He reached the landmark when he scored 34 runs in his 266th match and 259th innings. Tendulkar, 27, in his amazing 12-year career, has scored a world record 28 hundreds and 50 half-centuries in his 10,000 runs.

A genius without a doubt, this little master made his International debut in ODI’s and Tests at the age of 16 against Pakistan against the fiery pace of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. He then went to England as a part of the national side, and has not looked back ever since. The name itself strikes terror in the hearts of bowlers all around the world. Hailed as the next master-blaster following the legacy of the great West Indian Vivian Richards, this man has every shot in the book, and can kill any attack in the world when in full swing. There is nothing this man cannot do.

In batting, he has reached a stage that others can only dream of. He has destroyed practically every bowling attack in the world. Tendulkar's 'specialties' include the straight drive (seemingly nobody plays the shot better than him), the cover drive, the square cut, the pullshot over midwicket/square leg, the delicate leg glance, the late cut, the lofted shots over mid-on and mid-off and not to mention the improvisations he keeps coming up with, time and again. He has tremendous power in his forearms and can hit the ball out of almost every ground in the World. He plays each of his shots amazingly and has even employed the reverse sweep to good effect. Some of his shots are hit with so much power that the ball simply rockets to the fence as if he was trying to dismiss the ball from his presence. On the other hand, some of his shots are neatly timed and placed well. His timing can be quite exquisite and it is this blend of timing and raw power which makes him the world's best/greatest batsman. Mentally very strong, Tendulkar is best when confronted by a challenge.


Some remarkable achievements of his career are:

* 4th highest tally of runs in test cricket (10,134) at an outstanding average of 57.25 (highest among those who have scored over 8,500 test runs) as of March 2005
* Most runs (over 13642) and centuries (38) in one-day internationals
* Only person to have scored over 11,000 ODI runs and over 25 ODI centuries as of April 28, 2005
* Highest ODI batting average among Indian batsmen and among all batsmen who have scored over 7,500 ODI runs (as of April 3, 2005)
* Most Number of Man of the Matches in one-day internationals
* Only player to have over 100 innings of 50+ runs in ODIs as of April 2005
* Most Number of Runs in World Cup Cricket History
* First cricketer to cross 10,000-run mark in ODIs
* Has equalled Sunil Gavaskar's record of 34 test centuries.
* Among those who have played over 100 test matches, he is the only one with a batting average above 55.
* Only second Indian to cross 10,000 runs in Test matches.
* He has the most centuries in ODI cricket against Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
* He is the fastest to score 10,000 runs in test cricket history. He holds this record along with Brian Lara. Both of them achieved this feat in 195 innings.
* To go with this he has 34 hundreds in Test cricket at an average of 57. An average above 50 distinguishes a batsman as an all time great.
* Highest individual score in ODIs among Indian batsmen (186* against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1999)