ories!

cou ntless records.

To the rest of the wocld, Tendulkar's greamess may well lie in his insatiable appetite for runs He was particularly ruthl ess against J\ustralia, plundering 20 centuries against them, incl uding tl1e l 14 in Perth that many regard as the gre atest innings pl ayed by a visiting batsman in Australia. Time and again, he showed tl1e world tl1at he was at his best when he was being challenged. His innings in Cape Tow n, during which he prevailed in a titanic struggle with Dale Steyn, is testament to his ability co score against the best bowl ers of every generation he p layed against.

Starring with Younis and Akram in 1989, he overcame attacks that featured Ambrose and Walsh, McGrath and Warne, and mote recently, Stern and Morke l.

internatio nal affairs and within the cricketing fratern.ity, Tendulkar kept India grounded. He was immensely relatable, a far cry from politicians, p layback singers and Boll )7\Vood superstars. 1t was beca use of his h1m1ility that the country put him on such a pedestal and revered him as they wou.ld a deity His records mig ht be broken - Koh.Li is already on the hunt in the ODI arena, and KaUi s is hoc on. his heel s in Test matches Some may argue that Lara was a greater match-winner, or KaUis a more valuable cricketer. But it is the sheer romance of Tendulkar's story - a quiet, shy 16- year- o ld lncuan boy like any other, taking on the ,vorld and carrying the hopes and dreams of an entire nation for almost a quarter of a cencuryth.at makes him so special ro India, an d will outlive bis o one in h.is to t} ' , sportsperson or otherwise, bas endured cl1e adoration of a billion people. It is not something Tendulkar ever asked for - and perhaps cl.at is why we gave it to h im so readily Tendulkar bas transcended sport, bringing togetl1e.r culrnres, religions and castes in a way diat no leader, politician or warrior has ever achieved - whether in Jndia or abroad. In his retirement speech, Tendu lkar s aid tl1at the "Sach.iiiin, Sach.in" chan t would reverberate in hi s ears until hi s last breath.

Despite the entitlemen t every fan felt to the heartfe lt 'Thank you' from Tendulkar, you could not help but fed a to u ch of pity for the man.

For although he might move on from the game and h is rime in the SLm is now at an end, the natio n will never move o n from him. He will remain far and away the n1o st adored son of India, and that will surely haunt Tendulkar, now that he does not have cricket as an outlet. The eerie moment when Tend ul kar ve nmred out on his own to touch the Wankhede Stadimn p itch reminded us once again that Tendulkar was only ever at home on the c ricket field. Ir has been that way for a long rime. Teodulkar was born ro play tl1is game.

Th.is chapter of lndia 's Jove affair witl1 him is over. C ricket will be poorer without him But it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.